Clemson plays eight bowl teams who finished with winning records in 2017 according to the 2018 football schedule. The slate also includes a pair of non-conference games against SEC teams for the eighth time in the last nine years.

But before all of that, the Tigers open the season on Sept. 1 vs. Furman in Death Valley. The Paladins made the FCS Playoffs last year and advanced to the second round where they lost to rival Wofford. They finished the season with an 8-5 record.

Here is a sneak peak at the 2018 Furman Paladins:

Who: Furman – September 1, 2018 at Clemson Memorial Stadium in Clemson.

Last meeting: Clemson defeated Furman 41-7 on September 15, 2012 in Clemson.

Last season: Under first-year coach Clay Hendrix, Furman finished 8-5 and reached the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. 

Coaching staff: Head coach Clay Hendrix will be entering his second season with the Paladins in 2018. In his first year, he led Furman to its first winning season since 2013 as the Paladins went 8-5 and 6-2 in Southern Conference play. Hendrix’s successes rewarded him the 2017 SoCon Coach of the Year.

Former South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw, who played under Steve Spurrier from 2010-2013, will be joining the staff as the Paladins tight end coach.

Returning: Returning to fill the void of starting quarterback PJ Blazejowski and leading rusher Antonio Wilcox will be quarterback Harris Roberts and running back Kealand Dirks.

As a redshirt junior last season, Roberts saw the field 13 times, completing 9-13 passes for 110 yards while also rushing 71 yards.

Dirks finished the season as the second-leading rusher with 720 yards and nine touchdowns.

Additions: Upon the 2018 season, Furman has added three FBS transfer players to its program including defensive end Melton Brown from Georgia Southern, running back Cooper Hardin from Navy, and defensive back Amir Trapp from Clemson. All three are eligible to play this season.

Subtractions: In 2018, Furman will lose second-team All-SoCon starting quarterback PJ Blazejowski who completed 142-of-233 passes for 2,461 yards with nine touchdowns and just five interceptions. He also rushed for 318 yards. The Paladins will also lose first-team All-SoCon running back Antonio Wilcox, who totaled 814 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.

–Photo courtesy of Furman Athletic Communications