CHARLESTON, S.C. - It's a new day for the Charleston Southern football team as the Buccaneers head into the weekend for the 2019 season opener against No. 17/19 Furman. The Bucs take the field under first year head coach Autry Denson at Paladin Stadium with kickoff set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

Charleston Southern at Furman
Date/Time: Saturday, August 31 at 1 p.m. ET

Tickets: General Admission
Location: Greenville, S.C. | Weather | Radar
Stadium: Paladin Stadium (16,00 Capacity)
Gates: Open at 11:30 a.m.
TV: ESPN+
Listen: Paladins All-Access
Live Stats: FurmanPaladins.com
History: First Meeting
More Information: Follow us on Twitter @CSUSports and @CSUGameDay for up-to-date information on Game Day

Charleston Southern (0-0, 0-0 Big South): Head Coach Autry Denson | Roster | Schedule | Game Notes
Furman (0-0, 0-0 SoCon): Head Coach Clay Hendrix | Roster | Schedule | Game Notes

First Year Coach – Winning the Debut
Head Coach Autry Denson looks to become just the second Charleston Southern football coach to win in his sideline debut. The first-year head coach became just the fifth head coach in CSU history in January and looks to join former head coach Jamey Chadwell as the only Bucs' football coaches to win their opener. Chadwell achieved the mark back with a 32-29 win at The Citadel on August 31, 2013. The win propelled the Bucs to a 10-3 record in Chadwell's first season with the Bucs falling just short of making it to the FCS postseason that year.

2019 Captains
Head Coach Autry Denson announced the six Charleston Southern 2019 football captains this week as the players were recognized on the team's local media day at Buccaneer Field. Coach Denson remarked in his weekly press conference on Monday that the captaincy's were not given, they were earned. The players exceeded the standards marked by the team and were greeted enthusiastically by the CSU football team at Media Day. The six captains for the Bucs in 2019 are redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Chambers, senior defensive end Nick Salley, senior defensive lineman Jahid Beamon, redshirt senior guard Zack Evans, senior wide receiver Garris Schwarting, and redshirt senior punter Kyle Reighard.

Preseason All-Conference
The Bucs placed four players on the Big South Preseason All-Conference team as announced at the conference's media day over the summer. In addition, five more players received Phil Steele All-Conference recognition as the Bucs head into their 2019 debut this weekend at Furman. Linebacker J.D. Sosebee, offensive guard Zack Evans, and long snapper Ethan Ray all earned Big South All-Conference honors, while punter Kyle Reighard was on the Honorable Mention squad. The Phil Steele team recognized the aforementioned four players, while also adding guard Stephen Haralambis, wide receiver Kameron Brown, tight end Travay Hatten, linebacker Edward King, and placekicker Alex Usry.

Quarterback No. 1
One of the pressing questions in Charleston Southern's preseason camp this year was who would be getting the starting nod at quarterback this season. Amidst the battle, redshirt sophomore quarterback and captain Jack Chambers earned the nod and will be on the field this weekend against the Paladins. Offensive Coordinator Felton Huggins hyped up the Lilburn, Ga. native in the Bucs offensive preview (click here) and looks forward to Chambers developing more of a vocal presence on the field. The Bucs' signal caller will be making his second career start this weekend after leading the Bucs to a 58-6 win over Virginia Lynchburg last season.

Depth at Running Back
The Buccaneers' stable of running backs is headlined by returning starters Ronnie Harris and Terrence Wilson. Harris shined in the Bucs' two biggest games of the 2018 season as the rising senior picked up 83 yards on eight carries in the season opener at Florida, while adding 87 yards on 14 carries against Kennesaw State. Wilson was CSU's leading rusher in the 2018 season with 540 yards on 87 carries (6.2 ypc). He added a team-high six touchdowns and two 100-yard rushing games, including 103 yards on 10 carries against Hampton and 137 yards on 19 carries against Gardner-Webb. Additionally, Kendrick Bell (9.8 ypc) and Jamari Dunbar (8.0 ypc) also saw significant time last season and can be counted on for meaningful carries this year. The Bucs averaged 168.5 rushing yards per game last season and have consistently been among the nation's best over the last few seasons at picking up yards on the group and keeping the chains moving.

Linebackers Galore
One of the strongest units at Charleston Southern this season, the linebacker corps returns a variety of depth and experience this year as five different players have gained extensive starting and playing experience over the last two seasons. The linebackers are headlined by All-Conference selection J.D. Sosebee (7.2 tackles/game), but the redshirt senior is joined by redshirt junior Eddie King, junior Kyle Syvarth, and sophomores Justin McIntire and Garrett Sayegh. King garnered Phil Steele All-Conference recognition after starting all 11 games at middle linebacker last season, while Syvarth has started at all three positions for the Bucs over his career. McIntire shined on the Bucs' special teams in 2018, while Sayegh was the team leader in sacks last year with 3.5.

Defending the Run
The Buccaneers are facing another run-heavy schedule this season with seven teams ranking among the FCS' top 55-rushing attacks in 2018. Furman was one such team with the Paladins ranking 27th with an average of 203.8 yards per game. The Bucs surrendered 185.4 rushing yards per game last season on the ground, but found more success in the air ranking 4th in FCS in passing defense. CSU will be facing a difficult task in stopping Furman's All-Conference running back Devin Wynn (722 rushing yards, six touchdowns). Sosebee and the linebacker corps will be tracking the Furman backfield on Saturday to attempt to slow the Furman attack on the field.

Trench Battle
Furman boasts one of the top offensive line units in FCS this season with the Paladins returning eight players with starting experience, including all five regulars from last season's SoCon championship team. The Bucs defensive line lost a pair of All-Americans in Solomon Brown and Johnny Robinson, but return a pair of veteran tackles in the middle in seniors Jon Pohahau and Jahid Beamon. Pohahau is a vocal presence up front for the Bucs, while Beamon earned a 2019 captaincy from Coach Denson for his leadership this fall. Senior defensive end Nick Salley is also back on the field for the Bucs after lining up behind Brown over the last few seasons. The Bucs will be running out waves on the defensive front with several familiar names including Shaundre Mims, Eishaun Funnye, Ramero Rock, and Anton Williams, looking to help control the line and keep the Furman offense off the field.

Getting After the Quarterback
Charleston Southern's defensive line unit has controlled the line of scrimmage over the last few seasons. The Bucs have been among the nation's best at tackles for loss, but getting after the quarterback has not been among the team's forte over the last five seasons. The Bucs have finished among the top 35 teams in the nation in each of the last four seasons, including finishing 29th last year in averaging 7.4 tackles for loss per game. J.D. Sosebee returns as the team's tackle for loss leader from 2018 at with 6.5, while linebacker Garrett Sayegh (3.5 sacks) led the Bucs in the category last year. CSU will be looking for someone to step up and fill in the gaps left by Robinson (8.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks) and Brown (17.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks). CSU led the nation in time of possession edge several seasons ago; the Bucs will look to their defensive line unit to put the team back in the drivers seat in 2019.

About Furman
Furman was picked second in the Southern Conference Coaches' Poll and second in the SoCon Media Poll as announced at the conference's media day earlier this summer. The Paladins received one first place vote in the Coaches Poll and six first place selections in the Media Poll. Furman also made a splash in the preseason NCAA polls as well. The Paladins are ranked No. 17 in the FCS Coaches Poll and No. 19 in the STATS FCS Top 25 after a successful season that saw Furman finish 6-4 in the regular season, 6-2 in SoCon play on their way to clinching a share of the regular season title.

Special Teams Weapons
Charleston Southern and Furman both boast talent on special teams and expect to see both sides showcase their skills on the field this weekend. CSU punter Kyle Reighard boasts a strong right leg and sits among the all-time punting leaders in the Big South averaging a career 41.1 yards per punt. Furman counters with All-American placekicker Grayson Atkins who finished 11-of-13 from field goal range in 2018, including 4-of-5 from beyond 50 yards. Special teams is one of three parts in the game and could determine the contest on Saturday at Paladin Stadium.