Clemson Football: Scouting Report vs. Furman Paladins

The Clemson football team will open up the 2018 season with a home game against the Furman Paladins. Here’s a scouting report heading into the match up.

Clemson football will open up the 2018 season with a home game against the Furman Paladins Saturday afternoon in Death Valley.

The Tigers will be looking to get a lot of guys into the game early and often as they attempt to get ready for the remainder of the season and a run at a College Football Playoff berth.

Each week, we’ll provide you with a scouting report of each Clemson football opponent. Today, let’s take a look at Furman.

Furman Paladins Scouting Report:

Conference: SoCon

Head Coach: Clay Hendrix (2nd season)

2017 Record: 8-5, second in the SoCon

Key Players: QB Harris Roberts; TB Darius Morehead; RB Kealand Dirks; DB Amir Trapp; NG Jaylan Reid.

Offense:

Offensively, Furman runs multiple sets. They’re an up-tempo team that runs a lot of misdirection with an option attack. They aren’t a traditional option attack like Georgia Tech, though. You’re going to see the Paladins run the ball with the option out of shotgun sets, but then they will spread out the field.

Furman does have a new offensive coordinator, George Quarles, after former Paladin offensive coordinator Drew Cronic left for a head coaching job at Lenoir-Rhyne earlier this year.

At quarterback, Harris Roberts, who will be replacing Furman’s PJ Blazejowski (the Paladins’ best player from a year ago), is a Clemson student. If you haven’t read this story, you should read it here. The Paladins actually have Roberts listed as a co-starter with JeMar Lincoln, a redshirt freshman.

Roberts is a solid passer of the football, but isn’t near the runner that Blazejowski was. That may affect the Paladin rushing attack, which is their “bread and butter.”

You’ll see a lot of different formations with multiple running backs and blockers in the backfield. The guy I’m most interested to see, though, is Darius Morehead who is a guy that can turn on the jets and make some plays with his legs.

Defense:

Defensively, Furman is coached by Chad Staggs. They run multiple schemes in their defense, but the base is a 3-4 with a “Bandit” linebacker.

The Paladins are led by senior nose guard Jaylan Reid. Just to give you a little comparison, though, Reid is the heaviest guy on the Paladins’ defense at 278 pounds. In the starting group for Clemson, the lightest players are Mitch Hyatt and TreMayne Anchrum at 310.

Furman will try to confuse Kelly Bryant with some different reads and see if they can force a turnover or two to stay in the game.

Bottom Line:

Bottom Line, Clemson football shouldn’t have much to worry about in this game. The Paladins have a chance at competing in the SoCon and winning a couple of games in the FCS playoffs, but that’s about it.

I like what Clay Hendrix has done with this program so far and he will continue to build that Paladin program this season.