The Bucs will have their hands full at Memorial Center Saturday night against the Furman Paladins.
The Paladins come into the game with a 6-1 record, 3-1 in conference play, with their only loss to Appalachian State, 18-17.
They are also currently ranked fourth in the ESPN/USA Today Division I-AA poll and sixth in the Sports Network’s rankings.
“We’ll be playing another team in our league that is capable of being National Champion in I-AA,” said ETSU Head Football Coach Paul Hamilton. “It’s hard to find any weaknesses in them.”
The Bucs will have to find some weaknesses and limit the damage of Furman tailback Louis Ivory, who is leading the Southern Conference with 1,179 yards rushing and averaging 168.4 yards per game.
“Louis Ivory and their offensive line are outstanding,” Hamilton said. “They are able to create seams for Ivory, he’s got great vision, balance, he’s not going to go down on the first tackle.”
If the Paladins are able to execute their running game then they will be able to control the contest according to Hamilton.
“When you can run the ball and go from first and 10 to second and four you can control the game,” he said.
The Bucs realize they will have to play an extremely smart game to beat the Paladins Saturday night.
“Last year they dominated the game,” Hamilton said. “We’ll have to play extremely well, smart, we’ll have to protect the football, create turnovers, have a sound kicking game that’s been with us all year and we’ll have to play with the emotion we’re capable of.”
One aspect of the game that will be on the Bucs side is the Mini-Dome.
The Bucs have won 10 of their last 12 home games, and they have also been victorious in their last two meetings with Furman at Memorial Center.
Also in the Bucs favor will be the return of wide receiver Tim Turner, as the receiving team will be back at full strength.
With the return of Turner and the rest of the receiving team it will give quarterback Todd Wells more options to choose from.
Wells is currently ranked 16th nationally in total offense per game averaging 259.0 yards.
The Bucs will need all the weapons they have against a Paladin team that wants to remain in the hunt for a share of the conference title.
“We understand the kind of team we’re playing,” Hamilton said. “Our team likes playing the best team in the nation (I-AA).”
The Bucs enjoyed their week off, which was important with the big games that are coming up against Furman and Georgia Southern in consecutive weeks.
“It’s like if we were Division I and we were playing Florida State and Nebraska,” he said. “It’s tough playing those teams back-to-back.”
The kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Memorial Center Saturday night.