Furman To Face Nicholls State In NCAA I-AA First Round Playoff Contest Saturday

Nov. 22, 2005

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The NCAA I-AA third-ranked Furman Paladins make their sixth playoff appearance in the last seven years -- and 14th appearance overall -- when they entertain the Southland Conference co-champion Nicholls State Colonels in a first round playoff matchup this Saturday at Paladin Stadium. Kickoff for the Comcast-Charter Sports Southeast (CSS) televised constest, is set for 12:30 p.m

The Furman-Nicholls State winner will face the winner of Saturday's Richmond-Hampton game in a quarterfinal round game on Dec. 3 at a site and time to be determined. Semifinal round games are scheduled for Dec. 9 or 10th, and the national championship game, which will be televised by ESPN2, is slated for Friday, December 16 at 8:00 p.m. at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Furman, a second place finisher in the 2005 Southern Conference race, secured an at-large playoff berth by claiming its second straight game and eighth decision in its last nine outings on Saturday with a 56-35 win at Chattanooga. Ingle Martin threw for a career high 323 yards and two touchdowns, and the Paladins rolled up a season high 662 yards in total offense en route to their 11th consecutive victory over the Mocs.

Nicholls State, the Southland Conference's automatic qualifier to this year's playoffs, notched its fifth consecutive victory on Saturday by taking down McNeese State 39-26. The Colonels, who had two games cancelled this season due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, are making their third playoff appearance in program history but first postseason appearance since 1996.

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader