Ferrum Travels To Shorter

 I look ahead to this weeks game with optimism. Ferrum will be coming off of it's first win of the year, and will be looking to make it two in a row as they board the bus to Rome, GA., to take on the Shorter University Hawks. What's different? The game has been moved up to 3:30 p.m. today (10/9) due to possible inclement weather.  Hurricane Isaias is currently a Category 2 hurricane, and the pending bad weather in that region forced the schedule move. Based on weather reports for Rome, GA. it looks like they will battle a cloudy sky, and winds around 11 miles per hour, but no rain.

Shorter has a 2-3 record, (1-1) in the conference. They lost by 4 to the then # 22 Benedict Tigers. They lost to UNC Pembroke by 7, 31-24, and defeated Erskine by the same score of 31-24. The Hawks also fell to Delta State, 23-0. So where are their strengths? The running game is anchored by #5 David Hill. To this point, Hill has 87 rushing attempts and has netted 471 yards. He has not scored a rushing touchdown. The team rushing stats are: 174 rushing attempts, 781 net yards, they have scored 4 rushing touchdowns. Look for the Hawks to find the going rough on the ground. Through the air, Shorter has had much more success. The quarterback, #7 Jeb Walls has completed over 58% of his passes, and has thrown for 905 yards and 10 touchdowns. They are averaging 226 yards per game passing. Ferrum's passing game has been solid with a 59.06% completion rate, 1024 yards and 6 touchdowns. Eli Foutz will again anchor the quarterbacking duties.

Ferrum will need to be on their toes in the defensive backfield, as passing may be Shorter's main route of attack.....but the wind may have other plans. For Ferrum to be successful, they will need to go out, and continue their improved play at the line of scrimmage, and get pressure on the quarterback. If passing is their strength, we need to make it difficult . Dominating the line on both sides of the ball will be a must for Ferrum. Look for both teams to run the ball a lot today but on the occasional Shorter pass, the Ferrum's DB's have to be ready for the pick.

This could be a tough game,  but I look for Ferrum to come away with a win. 

Go Panthers!

Ferrum Gets First "W" with a 21-0 Shutout of Barton

 When I take the season in its totality, I see a team that is maturing, and getting better each week. The biggest difference is in one of the most important areas of the game...the line of scrimmage. I see a good amount of more consistent and improved play on both sides of the ball. This makes the team better all the way around. 

Today, Ferrum played at Barton, and after we lost to Barton for homecoming last year, I became concerned that this would place us in a more difficult situation against them on the road. When reviewing the stats of Barton this year, it quickly became apparent that Barton was struggling on offense. As it turned out the Bulldogs fortunes on offense did not improve against Ferrum. Barton had a total of 244 offensive yards,, 85 through the air, and 159 on the ground. Both teams passing games were likely hampered due to the rainy conditions. Ferrum posted 93 yards through the air, and 277 yards on the ground. The ground was the route to score today, as Eli Foutz has two rushing touchdowns, and Jycen Anciso had the other, a5 yard burst through the line on Ferrum's first possession.

Ferrum gave a solid and steady performance. Barton was shutout for their third game in a row. Next week Ferrum travels to Rome Ga. to take on the Shorter Hawks. Look for this to be a very tough and evenly matched game. I will have a preview by Thursday or Friday.

That first win feels good!

Go Panthers!

Ferrum Travels to Barton

 Ferrum starts their two week road swing this weekend as they travel to Wilson, N.C., to take on the Barton Bulldogs (1-4). Ferrum (0-4), is coming off a tough loss to top seed North Greenville, and will be looking to put one in the win column. The Bulldogs fell last weekend to West Alabama, 17-7.

This will be the second meeting between the two schools, with Ferrum losing last year, 34-20. So for this season, Ferrum has shown steady improvement. It was not all that evident against Emory and Henry, but overall I see the program improving. I look for this to be one where Ferrum could earn a "W" but it will not come easy. Barton has used four different quarterbacks this year, and all four have seen a solid amount of playing time. It appears that Senior Nazir Garrett has taken most of the snaps, playing in all five games and throwing for 244 yards and two touchdowns. Geronimo Sanchez, Sam Estep and Brandon Quinn have also shared time under center. The number one receiver for the Bulldogs is #5 Tyler Davis. He has 16 receptions for 225 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the ground, Barton gives a lot of the running work to Sophomore Jayden Brown. To date, Brown has 42 carries for 171 yards and one touchdown. Interestingly enough, the next four top rushers are Sanchez, Garrett, Quinn, and Estep. 

The defense for Barton has had its bright spots, although they are giving up 27.8 points per game. They put a great deal of pressure on the quarterback. They have sacked the opposing quarterbacks 12 times in 5 games. Ferrum's offensive line will be tested in this one. By contrast, their offense is only averaging 14.6 points per game. Ferrum has 4 sacks in 4 games, and opposing teams are averaging almost 36 points per game. Those numbers do not tell the entire story for this game. Its information, but it does not clearly show the progress that the Panthers have made. Look for the passing game to be a strength, and for it to open up the running game. I think you will see Eli Foutz doing more running Saturday. I don't think this will be a high scoring game, but to win, Ferrum has to cause turnovers, capitalize on those turnovers, and control the clock. It will be tough, but this is a winnable game for Ferrum. I am hopeful this weekend puts a victory on the board for the Panthers.

Panthers Fall to North Greenville 41-10

 On a nice fall day in Ferrum, the Panthers (0-3) hosted th e #24North Greenville Trailblazers (3-0) in what ended up being a loss, but the score did not tell the the whole story. Yes, 41-10 appears to be a one sided defeat, but there were positives to take from this game. Ferrum had a hard time getting out of the gates, and fell behind early on a 11 yard pass play from Montgomery to Jackson Parrish. The first quarter would end with the Trailblazers leading 7-0. It would be in the second quarter that North Greenville would go up 14-0 after Sam Worsham caught a 7 yard pass from Montgomery. The Trailblazers increased their lead to 21-0 in the 2nd quarter when Montgomery hit Jackson Parrish for his second touchdown of the day on a 62 yard completion. 

Jon Davis put the Panthers on the board with a 22 yard field goal with :31 seconds left in the half and that made the score 21-3. After a touchback on the kickoff, the Trailblazers fumbled on the second play of the possession, and Ferrum recovered with :13 seconds left in the half. A quick 4yard pass gave the Panthers a 2nd and 6 with 6 seconds left in the half. From their own 29, Foutz threw a perfectly placed back shoulder pass to Jason Preston for a touchdown making the score 21-9. The extra point came with plenty of confusion for me when watching the game. After the score, Ferrum was celebrating, and when setting up for the extra point only had 10 men on the field. An eleventh player ran out. The broadcast commentator said that there was plenty of time as the play clock read 15 seconds. In what appears to within the next five seconds, the other commentator indicates there are two seconds left on the play clock. Ferrum was charged with delay of game, but at the time of the penalty, North Greenville had 12 men on the field. There was no penalty for that. Next, the decision was made to review the touchdown. The touchdown was upheld, and the delay penalty was enforced on the extra point, and it was good.  Ferrum went into the locker room trailing 21-10, and would receive the second half kickoff. The score was not ideal, but the gap had narrowed, and if the offense could put another touchdown up in the opening second half drive it would be a totally different ball game.

While Ferrum moved the ball well on that first possession, they ended up turning the ball over on downs. This foreshadowed quite a similar theme for the offense. The ability was there to move the ball, but getting the points on the board was where they were falling short. The 3rd quarter would end with neither team scoring, and most of the fourth quarter would shape up the same way. The score remained 21-10 when Ferrum called a timeout with 3:26 left in the game. The Trailblazers had the ball  3rd and 15 from the Ferrum 39. They ended up punting to Ferrum. The Panthers would take over on about their own 26. With less than 3 mins. to go, Ferrum had, as Jerry Reed would say, "a long way to go and a short time to get there." The need to cover a lot of ground quickly led to inopportune decisions, or possibly just really good luck for North Greenville. Foutz threw an interception and it was returned to the Ferrum 19 yard line. On their first play, Jaiden McDowell took the ball off left side and to the endzone to make the score 28-10. On the next two possessions Ferrum gave up a pick six on each to arrive at the final score of 41-10. 

It was unfortunate how this ended. and while I see improvement on the part of Ferrum, there are a few things the Panthers still need to work on. The stats on the game were surprising, and bode well for Ferrum in many categories, but the offense has to be more consistent, and has to finish the drives. This was just the first conference game, and this weekend coming presents another real chance to get in the win column. I do  see improvement, and I feel sure that trend will continue.

Ferrum Hosts #24 North Greenville Saturday

 Ferrum returns to W.B. Adams Stadium at 2 p.m. Saturday, where visiting North Greenville (3–0) will bring a national ranking and high expectations into the Conference Carolinas opener. The Trailblazers are No. 24 in the D2Football.com poll and were picked by the conference’s coaches to win the league.

The Panthers are coming off a week away from competition following their 34–28 overtime loss at Shaw. Ferrum fought back from an early deficit and took a late lead in that game. Quarterback Eli Foutz threw two touchdown passes to Omarza Gray, while Jycen Anciso rushed for 135 yards and Jahylen Lee added 58. Saturday’s challenge is to build on that progress and finish the job against a strong opponent.

North Greenville has already beaten Catawba, Charleston and No. 18 West Alabama. The Catawba result is especially interesting: the Trailblazers won 40–38, while Ferrum lost to Catawba 13–7. Catawba has since beaten Emory & Henry 24–10. Those scores show how differently games against a common opponent can unfold, but they offer no easy prediction for Saturday.

Ferrum will need its running game to help keep the offense moving, Foutz and Gray to remain a threat through the air, and the whole team to protect the football and finish drives. The Panthers are still searching for their first win, and this is a difficult place to find it. It is also a chance to show what they gained from the Shaw game and the week off.

Ferrum Hard Fought Overtime Game Ends In 34-28 Loss to Shaw

This was a tough game. Ferrum had their chances to win this one. It was hard to watch as a fan, but I expected a close game, and that is what we got. What happened to have it end like this cannot be attributed to any one play or player. It just did not work out in the Panthers' favor.

The game, which was originally supposed to kick off at 2 p.m., was moved up to 11:00 a.m. That was a good decision, as the weather forecast showed that it would start raining just after 2 p.m. — and it did.

I don't really want to go over every play, but it is fair to say that Shaw has some talent. The Bears jumped out to a 13-0 lead, but Ferrum did not fold. The Panthers battled back, took the lead, lost it, and then came back to take the lead again.

There was improvement in this game, particularly on offense. After rushing for a combined 101 yards in the first two games, Ferrum ran for 258 yards against Shaw. That is a significant improvement and gave the Panthers much better balance offensively.

One thing I mentioned before the game was that Ferrum needed to find ways to get the ball into the hands of Omarza Gray. They did, and Gray responded with a big day. He caught eight passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned two punts for 63 yards and two kickoffs for 66 yards, giving him 240 all-purpose yards.

His biggest catch came late. Ferrum put together a nine-play, 81-yard drive, with Gray catching a 17-yard touchdown pass from Eli Foutz to give the Panthers a 28-25 lead with 1:10 remaining.

At that point, it looked like Ferrum might have done enough.

Shaw took over at its own 25 and moved the ball down the field. The Bears eventually completed a pass for a first down at the Ferrum 17, and that is where things became confusing.

The clock initially showed all zeros, and the Shaw announcers first indicated that the game was over. They quickly recognized, however, that there may have been one second remaining when the receiver was down. After reviewing the replay, I believe there was one second remaining.

With Shaw out of timeouts, the Bears hurried their offense to the line. The ball was made ready for play, the clock started and the play began. The officials then blew the play dead.

After some discussion, the officials instructed that two seconds be placed on the clock. The stoppage also gave Shaw the opportunity to get its field-goal unit onto the field. Benjamin Turner then kicked a 33-yard field goal to tie the game at 28 and send it to overtime.

I have watched the replay, and I still don't understand why two seconds were put on the clock. There was one second showing when the receiver was down on the previous play. In my opinion, stopping the next play after it had begun and then putting two seconds on the clock was poor judgment. It turned out to be a very important decision.

It would be easy to point to that sequence and say it determined the outcome, but football games are not that simple. To win, a team has to be solid in all three phases — offense, defense and special teams. Ferrum showed improvement Saturday, but there is still work to be done.

In overtime, Ferrum was unable to score on its possession. Shaw then got the ball and quarterback Alexander Marsh scored on a three-yard run to give the Bears the 34-28 win.

The loss is frustrating, but there were positives. Ferrum fell behind 13-0 on the road and fought its way back. The Panthers took the lead, lost it, and took it again. They finished with 424 yards of offense, 258 of those on the ground, and had 28 first downs.

There are no moral victories, and Ferrum is still looking for its first win. But there is a difference between losing a game in which you never really had a chance, and losing one that you had several opportunities to win.

This one was there.

Ferrum just couldn't quite finish it.

Ferrum @ Shaw Kickoff Time Changed

 FERRUM–SHAW KICKOFF MOVED TO 11:00 AM

Today's Ferrum–Shaw football game in Durham has been moved from its originally scheduled 2:00 p.m. kickoff to 11:00 a.m. due to the threat of inclement weather in the Durham area this afternoon.

The game will still be played at Durham County Memorial Stadium.

Kickoff: 11:00 a.m.

Ferrum Travels to Shaw Looking to Put the Pieces Together

Ferrum takes to the road for the first time this season Saturday when the Panthers travel to Durham, North Carolina, to face Shaw University. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Durham County Memorial Stadium.

The game will be Ferrum's final non-conference contest before the Panthers turn their attention to Conference Carolinas play.

Ferrum enters the game 0-2, but the first two weeks have probably created as many questions as answers about this year's team. The Panthers opened with a 13-7 loss to Catawba, a considerable improvement over last year's meeting between the two teams. Last week, Emory & Henry handed Ferrum a 55-16 loss, although the Panthers showed an ability to move the football through the air.

So what kind of football team is Ferrum?

Saturday may tell us quite a bit.

Shaw enters the game 1-1 after defeating Barton 23-13 last week. The Bears' win deserves Ferrum's attention. Shaw accumulated 379 yards of offense, controlled the football for more than 35 minutes and, after falling behind 13-10, responded with two fourth-quarter touchdown drives.

Running back Trey Thorpe finished with 114 yards on 19 carries, while quarterback Alexander Marsh completed 21 of 28 passes for 199 yards. Perhaps more important than any individual number was the way Shaw finished the game. With the outcome still very much in doubt, the Bears put together scoring drives of 73 and 79 yards and took control in the fourth quarter.

That doesn't make Shaw another Emory & Henry, and Barton isn't Emory & Henry either. But it does show that Ferrum will have to play well in all phases Saturday.

Offensively, the Panthers have already demonstrated that they can move the football through the air. Now they need to develop some balance.

One player Ferrum needs to find ways to get more involved is Omarza Gray. Through two games, Gray has five receptions for 58 yards. Getting the football into the hands of one of Ferrum's playmakers more frequently could help open other parts of the offense.

The same is true in reverse.

Jycen Anciso leads the Panthers with 74 rushing yards through two games, but Ferrum has yet to establish a consistent running game. A productive passing attack can create running lanes, while an effective running game can make things considerably easier for the quarterback and receivers. Ferrum doesn't necessarily need one or the other Saturday. It needs the two working together.

Defensively, there are also areas where Ferrum needs to take another step. The Panthers have made plays in the opposing backfield, recording 11 tackles for loss, but have yet to record a sack. Against a Shaw offense that was able to sustain drives and control the clock against Barton, getting off the field will be important.

Special teams will have a role as well. Field position, coverage, returns and the kicking game don't always receive the attention of offensive and defensive statistics, but in what could be a close football game, any one of them could make a difference.

Ferrum defeated Shaw 14-6 last season at W.B. Adams Stadium. The Panthers trailed 6-0 at halftime before scoring twice in the second half to earn the win. Saturday will be different. It will be Ferrum's first road game, and Shaw comes into it with some confidence after last week's victory.

But Ferrum should have some confidence as well.

There have been positives during the first two games. The Panthers played Catawba much closer than they did a year ago. The passing game showed signs of what it can become against Emory & Henry. There are playmakers on this football team.

The next step is putting those pieces together.

At 0-2, Ferrum has plenty of football remaining, and Saturday provides an opportunity to close the non-conference portion of the schedule with a win and some momentum. It won't require Ferrum to be perfect. It will require the Panthers to be productive on offense, disruptive on defense and solid on special teams.

Perhaps most importantly, it will require a complete effort for four quarters.

Tough Day For The Panthers

On a day when optimism brimmed, Ferrum found the crooked road had ruts, potholes and detours that apparently did not affect Emory & Henry. Coming off a 13-7 loss to Catawba, who had beaten Ferrum 45-13 the year before, the Panthers had high hopes after a solid defensive showing last week. Emory & Henry wasted no time spoiling the script.

The Wasps took control early and did not relinquish it, as they took advantage of several long plays that the Panthers could not contain. In the end, Ferrum fell 55-16. But the game had its bright spots, as Eli Foutz had a solid day passing, completing 18 of 34 for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Backup quarterback Bryan Resto had two completions for 42 yards.

Ferrum will have to put this loss behind them and learn what they can from it. There was a world of difference from the week before against Catawba, but interestingly enough, Catawba lost to Conference Carolinas' predicted champion, North Greenville, 40-38. This sheds a different light on the conference race. Ferrum hung in there against Catawba, and Catawba hung in there against North Greenville, so who knows what the future holds.

What is certain is that Ferrum needs to refocus their minds on Shaw University. It would be a boost to take that win heading into conference play...especially since the first conference game is against North Greenville on Sept. 26 at W.B. Adams Stadium.

For now, the focus shifts to Shaw, where Ferrum needs to find a way to get one in the win column and put the first two weeks behind them.

Emory and Henry @ Ferrum Crooked Road Classic Returns to Ferrum

 

After a four-year absence, one of Ferrum's oldest football rivalries returns Saturday as Emory & Henry visits W.B. Adams Stadium for the renewal of the Crooked Road Classic.

Ferrum and Emory & Henry first met in 1955, Ferrum's first season of football, and Saturday will mark the 40th meeting between the two schools. Emory & Henry holds a 29-13 advantage in the all-time series and has won the last four meetings. The rivalry became known as the Crooked Road Classic in 2016, with Ferrum winning the first two games played under that name.

The series was interrupted when Emory & Henry made the move to NCAA Division II. Ferrum followed that same path in 2025, and Saturday's game will be the first meeting between the two schools with both competing as Division II programs.

Both teams will be looking for their first win of the young season.

Ferrum opened last Saturday with a 13-7 loss to Catawba. While a loss is a loss, there were certainly encouraging signs for the Panthers. Ferrum was in position to win the game late and twice came away empty after reaching the Catawba red zone. One of those opportunities began at the Catawba six-yard line following Zavion Wilson's second interception of the game, but the Panthers were stopped on fourth down at the one-yard line.

The Ferrum defense, which struggled much of last season, showed noticeable improvement. Catawba was held to 98 rushing yards and did not score a rushing touchdown. Wilson's two interceptions also gave the Panthers opportunities that simply have to be converted into points.

Offensively, Ferrum still has some work to do. The Panthers managed only 56 yards rushing and 255 yards of total offense. Quarterback Eli Foutz completed 19 of 28 passes for 199 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Catawba paid particular attention to Omarza Gray, limiting Ferrum's leading receiver from a year ago to three catches for 31 yards. With Gray largely contained, Jycen Anciso led the Panthers with five receptions for 58 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown, while Tay Carter added four catches for 44 yards.

The Panthers will also need to clean up some mistakes. Ferrum was penalized 10 times for 84 yards against Catawba and was 0-for-2 on fourth down. In a six-point game, those missed opportunities were significant.

Emory & Henry comes to Ferrum following a 38-10 loss at Valdosta State. While the margin was substantial, it should be remembered that Valdosta State entered the season nationally ranked in Division II. The Wasps were facing a perennial national power on the road, so their opening-week score alone may not tell the entire story of the team Ferrum will face Saturday.

What we do know is that two old rivals are both 0-1, and neither wants to leave W.B. Adams Stadium 0-2.

For Ferrum, the keys appear fairly straightforward. The defense needs to build on what it showed against Catawba. The offense needs to establish a running game, and if Emory & Henry devotes the same kind of attention to Gray that Catawba did, Foutz will again need to find other receivers. Most importantly, when the defense creates opportunities, the Panthers need to turn those opportunities into points.

There may have been a time when this rivalry appeared to have come to an end. Emory & Henry moved to Division II, Ferrum remained in Division III, and the two programs seemed headed in different directions.

Now Ferrum has made the same move.

The Crooked Road has brought them back together.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Saturday at W.B. Adams Stadium. The game is part of Ferrum's Hall of Fame Weekend, with the 2026 Sports Hall of Fame class being recognized at halftime.

Ferrum Drops Season Opener to Catawba 13-7

 I am not sure where to start, so let's start with a reminder that last year, Ferrum lost to Catawba 45-13. What a difference a year makes. Now you can take this game, and look at it from many angles, but for the first time in several years, Ferrum's defense showed off. They looked a bit intimidated at the beginning as the Indians quarterback hit his first eleven passes in a row. but with all of that yardage through the air, they only lead 7-0. Ferrum tied the score in the 2nd quarter as Eli Foutz hit Jycen Anciso for a 39 yard pass for a touchdown, The game was tied on Jon Davis's PAT. The first half ended with a 7-7 knot.

Ferrum was set to receive in the second half. They set up to take the second half kick off but the kick went out of bounds. That gave Ferrum the ball at their own 35 yard line, and no time had run off of the clock. The first play of the second half was the same essentially as the Panthers first play of the first half as they incurred a penalty. This time it was delay of game.....on the first play of the half? Unusual. 

While it is easy to sit and blame the offense, I think the blame or credit lies with the Catawba defense. The had Omarza Gray's number all night. He caught some passes, but they knew his potential, and had a plan for him. Ferrum gave up the last touchdown to Catawba with 5:05 left in the third quarter. The extra point was missed, so I knew that this was a winnable scenario. That missed extra could be a factor. It looked like things were going to go Ferrum's way as with 1:44 left in the 3rd quarter, Zavion Wilson intercepted the Catawba quarterback and got the ball to the Catawba 6 yard line. This was not meant to be as Ferrum went 4 and out and did not score. From there on it was a lot of back and forth with neither team making much ground. The game ended as a loss for Ferrum, 13-7, but boy do I see a much improved program. They deserve a lot of credit. There are a lot of good things to take from this but for me the takeaway is that Ferrum was in the game til the end. Considering last year, that's an important positive.

Too many penalties and some crucial missed opportunities, but Ferrum turned a corner tonight, and if you are a Ferrum fan, you should be excited.....I am.

Go Panthers!

Catawba @ Ferrum

 And so it begins. After last years initial season in DII, Ferrum starts its second DII season at home. Again this season begins against the Catawba Indians, Last year Ferrum took a tough loss at Catawba falling 45-13. and so my first thought was what will be different this year? First, the offensive depth of Catawba took a huge hit as the Indians lost their starting quarterback, their leading rusher, and their four leading receivers. Of the 22 team starters, They have lost more than half, but the offense has taken the brunt of the losses. On the defensive side, Catawba remains pretty strong up front, and at the linebacker position. Their defensive secondary did lose 3 of their 4 starters from 2025. That says a lot, but they do have experienced back up to fill the holes.

This would be a great start to the season if Ferrum can pull it off. I was surprised to find the amount of roster losses that Catawba has suffered. That does not mean that they won't be ready, I am sure they will.   Ferrum will be bringing back their starting quarterback, No.1 running back, and No.1 receiver, and that means a lot, but we have some holes to fill in the offensive guard positions as both Sam Whitt, and Trey Reiter graduated. I would expect Chase Smith to fill one guard spot, but I don't have clarity of who the other will be. I expect Anwaar Smith, but that remains to be seen. 

In the defensive backfield, Ferrum has some returners, experienced transfers, and a large amount of incoming Freshmen....10 I think. The d-backs were not all that bad last year as they ranked overall mid pack in conference stats. and bringing in two transfers with experience may boost those numbers. If there was a problem on defense, it was what Ferrum gave up against the run. Last year, Ferrum gave up 2150 yards ranking Ferrum 6th out of 7 against the run. This will need to improve. It is noteworthy to mention that Ferrum's D-Line has bulked up in the offseason.

So it all starts Saturday at Ferrum. While there are those who are projecting a score much like last years, don't sell the Panthers short. This could be a much better game than last year.

Go Panthers!