HEMPSTEAD, NY — DeWayne Whitaker knew safety help was available behind him, giving the cornerback the confidence to jump the route midway through the fourth quarter. The ball soon glided into the Hofstra defender’s hands, completing the interception and securing the outcome of the game.

As soon as Whitaker made the grab, his teammates on the sideline raised their helmets while the Shuart Stadium crowd roared. The pick negated any chance Furman University would complete a comeback, as the Pride erased a miserable 2006 season by upsetting the ninth-ranked Paladins, 32-17, for a season-opening win last night in front of 5,208 fans.

Whitaker’s picked was the first of two team interceptions. Along with two fumble recoveries, Hofstra won the turnover battled by a 4-1 ratio. Buoyed by the aggressive defense, coach Dave Cohen was able to start his second season with a win to erase the memory of the seven-game losing streak that concluded his inaugural campaign.

“I thought we were flying around all game. We just didn’t stop no matter where the ball was,” linebacker Gian Villante said.

Junior quarterback Bryan Savage shrugged off a mediocre start, capitalizing on his strong defensive support to lead Hofstra to its first victory over a ranked opponent since Nov. 2005. The Pride reeled off 23 unanswered points, erasing a 17-9 deficit that kept the school a half game behind Towson, Delaware and Massachusetts in the Colonial Athletic Association.

“We won each and every snap in the second half that needed to be won,” Cohen said. “We played with intensity and not emotion. We have great senior leadership. I knew it was very different from the very beginning of training camp.”

Savage, who won a three-way open competition in training camp, proved he was up to the task of leading an offense. The former Wisconsin backup finished 24-36 for 285 yards and a touchdown in his debut, allowing the Pride to win for the first time in nearly a calendar year. The previous victory was Sept. 30 against William and Mary.

“I really wasn’t that nervous at all,” said Savage, who beat out senior Dennis Davis and Cory Christopher for the job. “We just saw some openings and changed the game plan around.”

Savage led Hofstra inside the opposing 20-yard line eight times, though the first four trips concluded without a trip into the end zone. Kareem Huggins, who registered his second career 100-yard rushing game, broke through with the first of his two touchdowns with 5:25 left in the third quarter, making it a one-point contest.

Kicker Rob Zarrilli demonstrated the leg that earned him All-American honors, converting on his first three chances, including a 51-yard attempt in the first. But he missed his next two from inside-30 yards, hooking the second attempt wide left with the Pride down 17-16.

The defense picked up Zarrilli on the next drive. Jerome Felton, Furman’s (1-1) standout fullback, lost control of the bay after a jarring hit from linebacker Stanley Gutierrez. Villante recovered to restore the momentum. Villante added a team-leading eight tackles, limiting Felton to just 28 yards on 10 carries for a mediocre 2.8 average.

“We got beat up front on both sides of the ball and we never established a run game,” Furman coach Bobby Lamb said.

Two consecutive pass interference calls on the Paladins facilitated Huggins’ second touchdown run on the ensuing drive, giving Hofstra their first lead in the fourth quarter’s opening minutes after a six-yard carry.

“I came out the first quarter and just saw where the defense was and kept fighting,” Huggins said. “They were a tough team. I was just running.”

Charles Sullivan, the No. 1 receiver following Shaine Smith’s graduation, put up a performance that would make former teammates Marques Colston and Devalle Ellis proud. Both current NFL players were in attendance before the game, witnessing Sullivan tied his career-high with 12 receptions, including the game-clinching touchdown grab midway early in the fourth quarter.

Protecting a five-point lead, Savage dropped back to pass without being disturbed in the pocket by Furman’s pass rush. Sullivan took advantage of the protection, racing past corner William Middleton on an inside route to make a catch behind the pinching safeties.

“Through watching the film of them, I knew what coverage they were going to be in before I got off the ball,” Sullivan said. “I knew where the hole would be and where the defender tackling me would be. So, I just made my read off of that.”

Sullivan added 44 of his 147 total yards on the catch, running unmolested into the end zone after the grab to make it 29-17 with 9:41 remaining. His performance helped Hofstra defeat a ranked opponent since a 21-10 win over Massachusetts in Nov. 2005. The quarterback-receiver rapport looked similar to last year’s tandem of Anton Clarkson and Smith, a partnership that accounted for a good portion of the overall production. This year’s version could be even more successful if Huggins can build off his opening-night effort and free up defenders from crowding the secondary.

“We’ve both been here for [the] summer sessions,” Sullivan said about his work with Savage. “We just developed at the time. When we got to training camp, it was just like summertime.”

Notes: Sullivan moved past former Houston Texans’ wide out Charlie Adams on Hofstra’s career reception list. He also bypassed Emil Wohlgemuth for sixth place. His 164 catches is just four behind Isaac Irby. Steve Jackson holds the record with 206…Zarrilli’s 52-yard field goal tied his career-high for distance…Huggins set a career-high with his rushing effort. His only other 100-yard rushing game came last season against Towson, when he ran for 117 yards on 17 carries.