SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Billy Napier’s seven-yard touchdown pass to Brian Bratton with 29 seconds to play gave Furman a 23-21 victory over Wofford on a rain-soaked muddy field Saturday in Spartanburg, S.C.
The Paladin victory gives Georgia Southern the SoCon championship and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. SoCon members Wofford, Furman and Appalachian State remain in the hunt for at-large bids which will be announced Nov. 24. The Terriers, who travel to Elon next week, have made their case with road wins earlier this season at Georgia Southern (14-7) and Appalachian State (26-19).
The Terriers (8-3, 6-2), ranked 21 fourth-quarter points to take a 21-17 lead on a career-long 41 touchdown run by J.R. McNair with 4:41 to play.
McNair topped Wofford with 107 yards on 19 carries, his second straight 100-yard game and the second-best performance of his career.
Furman (7-3, 5-2) closes its regular season next week with a 2 p.m. home match up against Chattanooga.
Georgia Southern 41
Jacksonville State 3STATESBORO, Ga. – Senior slotback Mark Myers rushed for a career-high 141 yards and a touchdown to fuel a strong second half performance while QB Chaz Williams added 103 yards and a pair of scores to lead Georgia Southern to a non-conference win over Jacksonville State.
The Eagles racked up 569 yards of total offense, including 493 on the ground – ranking as the 13th highest total in the history of the program. After being held in check to just 14 points and 185 rushing yards in the first half, Georgia Southern exploded for 308 ground yards and 27 points in the final 30 minutes.
Defensively, the Eagles did not allow a touchdown for the second time in as many home games.
Williams’ performance surpassed the SoCon record for the most single-season rushing yards (1,187) by a quarterback, which was formerly held by The Citadel’s Jack Douglas (1,152 in 1991). In addition, Williams also set a new GSU single-season quarterback rushing record, surpassing Greg Hill’s mark of 1,084 yards set in 1999 while posting his eighth straight 100-yard rushing game.
VMI 23
The Citadel 21

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Matt Sharpe kicked a 22-yard field goal and John Bell scored on a 17-yard pass play in the fourth quarter to lift VMI past The Citadel in the 62nd annual Military Classic of the South.
The game was VMI’s last football game as a member of the SoCon. The Keydets will move to the Big South in 2003.
The win evened VMI’s 2002 season record to 6-6, the most wins by a Keydet football squad since 1981.
Appalachian State 24
Western Carolina 14

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Appalachian State running back Sean Jackson rushed for 101 yards, including a key 38-yard touchdown, to lead the eighth-ranked Mountaineers (8-3, 6-2) to a win over Western Carolina (5-6, 3-5). The game was the regular-season finale for both teams.
Appalachian State was holding a narrow 10-7 advantage late in the third quarter. A penalty on a Western punt gave ASU a short field with which to work. Eight seconds and 38 yards later, Jackson found a hole on the left side for the score with 2:47 left in the half, giving ASU a 17-7 advantage.
The Mountaineers took a 24-7 lead with 10:29 left in the game on a nine-yard Joe Burchette to Joey Hoover touchdown pass. Burchette completed 14-of-23 passes in the game for 143 yards to become Appalachian’s all-time leader in passing yards with 6,536.

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