CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Quarterback Tyler Huff's 53-yard touchdown run with 54 seconds remaining sealed FCS No. 3 Furman's 29-17 victory over No. 8 Western Carolina on Saturday afternoon in a Top-10 nationally-ranked Southern Conference showdown at E.J. Whitmire Stadium.

Huff is a Ridgeview High graduate who played four years at Presbyterian where he set numerous school records then transferred as a graduate student to Furman.

With the victory, its fifth straight and 10th consecutive league triumph, Furman (6-1, 4-0 SoCon) took sole possession of first place in the SoCon. The win was also Furman's seventh in the last eight clashes with Western Carolina (5-2, 3-1 SoCon).

Huff, in his second season with the Paladins, accounted for 263 yards of total offense and three touchdowns, passing for 174 yards and two scores while finishing with 89 yards rushing and a touchdown on six attempts. The Paladins improved to 18-3 with Huff in the starting lineup, 15-1 versus FCS opposition, and 11-0 against the SoCon.

The Paladins compiled 508 yards of total offense, including a season-high 334 yards rushing. Running back Dominic Roberto proved again to be a wrecking ball against Western Carolina, rushing a career-high 31 times for a season-high 154 yards and a touchdown. Wayne Anderson Jr. added 85 on eight rushes to give Furman its first 300-yard performance on the ground since totaling 426 against the Catamounts last season in Greenville.

Furman's defense, with Fleming Island grads Alex Maier and Jeremiah Jackson, keyed the victory, limiting Western Carolina to only 353 total yards after the Catamounts entered the contest averaging an FCS-leading 531.8 yards and 41.3 points per game. The Catamounts managed only 84 yards rushing. The Paladins sacked WCU quarterback Cole Gonzales three times and intercepted him twice.

Note: On the Western Carolina offense was former Clay High wide receiver A.J. Belanger who registered one catch for four yards.

Linebacker Evan DiMaggio led the Paladins with 10 tackles and two of the three sacks, giving him four in the last two games.

Seven Paladins registered pass receptions, led by tight end Mason Pline, who had four grabs for 88 yards.

Pline's 10-yard scoring catch from Huff helped give Furman an early 7-0 lead.

The Paladins followed with touchdowns on their next two possessions — on a 16-yard strike from Huff to freshman wide receiver Colton Hinton and a Roberto 9-yard burst four minutes into the second quarter — to go up 20-7.

Western Carolina cut the lead to 20-14 with two minutes remaining in the half.

After failing to convert a 32-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter, Furman watched Western Carolina move to the Paladin 18, but on a second-and-nine play Cally Chizik stepped in front of a Gonzales pass at the pylon for his third interception of the season, halting the threat.

The Paladins turned to their potent ground game to take command in the fourth quarter, covering 59 yards on 11 plays to set up a 39-yard Ian Williams field goal for a 23-14 advantage with 7:54 remaining.

WCU countered with their lone score of the second half, a 43-yard Richard McCollum field goal with 5:13 left, but Furman's offense put any Catamount comeback designs to rest on the ensuing possession, covering 79 yards in eight plays, capped by Huff's keeper around right end on a third-and-nine play with WCU's defense keying on Roberto.

The Paladins return to Paladin Stadium next Saturday, October 28 to host East Tennessee State on Homecoming at 2 p.m.