Furman quarterback Renaldo Gray completed 14-of-23 pass attempts for 146 yards and two touchdowns and wideout Patrick Sprague caught five balls for 75 yards and a score as Furman (3-4, 1-2) defeated Chattanooga (2-5, 2-2) 28-22 in a Southern Conference football game at Finley Stadium Saturday afternoon.
After an 18-yard field goal by Chattanooga's Spencer Nolen (Columbia, Tenn.) put the Mocs ahead 22-20 with 5:15 to play, the Paladins capitalized on a squib kick on the ensuing kickoff, taking the ball back to the UTC 48-yard line.
Six plays into the drive, and facing third-down-and-10, Gray found Sprague for a key 12-yard reception down to the Chattanooga 25-yard line. Three plays later, Gray struck again, this time on a 16-yard quarterback keeper down to the three-yard line. That set up a one-yard plunge by fullback Jerome Felton which put Furman on top, 26-22, with 1:25 to go. A successful two-point conversion pushed the margin to 28-22.
Chattanooga had a last series for a comeback attempt. On the first play, quarterback Antonio Miller's (Charlotte, N.C.) pass attempt was deflected and intercepted on the sideline by Furman cornerback Austin Holmes.
In the first half, Furman opened the scoring as senior kicker Scott Beckler converted on a 29-yard field goal at the 9:28 mark before Chattanooga knotted the score at 3-3 on a 43-yard field goal by Nolen with 6:32 to play in the first. For Nolen, who was replacing injured kicker Craig Camay (Marietta, Ga.), it was his first career collegiate attempt.
An interception by cornerback Brandon Golder, (Indianapolis, Indiana) on Gray's first pass attempt of Furman's next series set up the Mocs at the Paladins' 42-yard line. It took only four plays before Miller, on fourth-and-one from the 18-yard line, found wideout Blue Cooper (Rome, Ga.) on a slant pattern for an 18-yard touchdown. A failed extra point had the Mocs with a 9-3 lead with 4:31 to play in the first quarter.
Furman would respond quickly as Gray led the Paladins down the field on a nine-play, 65-yard drive that culminated with a six-yard touchdown pass to tight end Larry Hedden with 14:53 to go in the first half. Back on top 10-9, Furman's defense forced a Chattanooga punt on the ensuing drive but could do nothing on the offensive side on the next series and was forced to punt.
That would be costly as Jordan Hazard fielded the kick at the 12-yard line and ran it back 88 yards for the longest punt return in Chattanooga history and put the Mocs back on top, 16-10. For Hazard, it was his first career punt return for touchdown and was the first for Chattanooga since Kwento Ikwuezunma ran one back 56 yards against Wofford on September 29, 2001.
Patrick Sprague accounted for 61 of Furman's 80 yards on the Paladin's next scoring drive, including a key 39-yard catch that took the ball into Chattanooga territory and the go-ahead 13-yard touchdown grab. That score put Furman ahead 17-16 with 1:34 remaining in the first half and would take the two teams into the half.
The Mocs opened the second half driving 66-yards downfield before settling for the 34-yard go-ahead field goal by Nolen at the 9:39 mark, making the score 19-17. On Furman's next drive, Beckler had the same opportunity to give his team the lead and couldn't capitalize as he banged a 44-yard field goal attempt off the right upright.
In the fourth quarter Beckler got another chance, this time from 18-yards out, and split the uprights to give the Paladins a 20-19 lead with 9:50 to play.
The Mocs next drive went 10 plays and covered 76 yards, including a career long 46-yard reception by wideout Matt Angeloni (Newark, Del.) that brought the ball to the Furman 18-yard line before Nolen's go-ahead field goal.
For Furman, Renaldo Gray led the passing attack with his 146 yards while Mike Brown led the ground game with 70 yards on nine carries. He was joined by Felton with 53 bruising yards on 16 carries and one touchdown. Sprague led all receivers with his 75 yards on five catches.
Defensively, linebacker Andrew Jones led Furman with nine tackles, four for loss, and one sack while Austin Holmes finished with eight total tackles and the game-ending interception.
Miller finished with 207 yards on 17-of-32 passing with one interception. Tailback Bryan Fitzgerald ran for a team-high 62 yards on 13 carries. Hazard paced the receiving corps with four grabs for 29 yards and Cooper finished with two catches for a team-high 38 yards.
Safety Chris Camacho (Los Angeles, Calif.) led all tacklers with a game-high 18 tackles, 16 of which were solo, and added a forced fumble and a pass breakup. His total of 18 matches his career best. Linebacker Chris Johnson (Chattanooga, Tenn.) added 11 tackles while defensive back Ronnie Jackson (Warner Robbins, Ga.) finished with six tackles and three pass breakups.
The Mocs return to action Saturday as they travel to Elon, N.C. to face the Phoenix in a 1:30 p.m. contest. Furman hosts Appalachian State at 3 p.m.
