What Furman's Clay Hendrix Said About Facing Clemson in Week 13

As the Clemson Tigers and Furman Paladins prepare to face off for the first time in over three years, there's a great deal of gratitude and respect between the two programs and their head coaches.

Furman head coach Clay Hendrix spoke to the media on Tuesday and emphasized the importance of these games for his team, dating back to his first game against Clemson in the 2018 season opener.

"Our guys don't get to play in that type of environment very often," Hendrix began. "It's certainly a challenge. If you think about our nine years, it's not like we've gotten the dregs of FBS. I remember 2018, Trevor Lawrence's first game, he was the backup, and the four defensive linemen were all first-round picks."

Lawrence didn't have to do much that afternoon, checking in for Kelly Bryant after Clemson built an early lead. He still finished 9-of-14 for 137 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-7 rout. And those four defensive linemen Hendrix mentioned, also known as The Power Rangers, were as dominant as advertised, featuring Dexter Lawrence, Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant.

Having seen firsthand what Clemson brings to the table, Hendrix understands the formula it takes for an FCS team to hang around.

"In those games, you always have to have something going for you," he continued. "Maybe they're hurting at quarterback, or they got a guy out — which I don't think they do — and then they've always been so good defensively. I thought we played our tails off in 2022 over there. I remember Coach Swinney saying something to me after the game. We might have outscored them in the second half and were over 50% on third down; we did some great stuff."

Hendrix wasn't exaggerating about that 2022 game, either. Three years ago, the Paladins pushed Clemson far more than most expected. After the Tigers jumped out to a 28-9 halftime lead, their offense stalled, managing just seven points the rest of the way in a 35-12 finish. Furman actually outgained Clemson and broke even in the turnover battle; two encouraging signs to take home from Death Valley.

It's the kind of outing that gives an FCS program belief heading into another contest in Tiger town, regardless of the amount of time that's passed.

"We just have to find a way to give our guys the best chance, but again, it'll be monumental," Hendrix relayed. "But, just the experience of it, it helps us in recruiting. We've got a bunch of kids visiting here this weekend. What's a little different for me is I haven't played one of these at the end of the year."

The Paladins' head coach isn't the only one who values these annual matchups. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has long emphasized the importance of keeping in-state FCS matchups on the schedule, both for Clemson and for football across South Carolina.

"I think it's great for them and the league," Swinney said on Tuesday ahead of the matchup. "I think it's great for our state, but it's really great for that level of football. Everyone's challenged financially, especially at that level. So I think it's a great opportunity. It will probably go away at some point, that's my guess. I don't have a crystal ball, but we're probably all going to be looking at a whole different structure in 3-5 years. But we'll see. Hopefully I'm still around in five years and we can say, 'Oh, I remember we talked about that.'"