Sept. 12, 2000
* SAMFORD, a Division I-AA Independent, is 1-1 in its 85th season of intercollegiate football. After opening the season with a 23-6 loss at Chattanooga, the Bulldogs rebounded last week to defeat Murray State 19-17 at Seibert Stadium. Senior fullback Kadell Wright posted career highs in rushing attempts (30) and yards gained(140) against Murray St. last week. Additionally, senior wide receiver Jon Pointer recorded the third game in his career with two touchdowns, scoring on passes of 27 and 49 yards from sophomore quarterback Josh Kellett.
Kellett leads the team in total offense with 322 yards, averaging 161 per game (101.5 passing, 59 rushing). Wright now leads the team in rushing with 77 per game, and his 24 touchdowns have him moving up Samford's all-time record for touchdowns in a career (35). Pointer leads the team in receiving yards, averaging 34 per game. The Bulldogs return nine offensive starters from a 1999 unit that set school single-season rushing records (3,439), rushing attempts (627), touchdowns (41), and rushing yards in a game (463). Samford's strength is its offensive line, five fifth-year seniors who have played a total of 161 total games at Samford. Defensively, the Bulldogs are very young, led by hard-hitting safety Jonathan Clark with 22 tackles (17 unassisted).
* Thursday's game is the 12th meeting between Samford and UT-Martin. Samford leads the series 9-1-1, and has won the last eight meetings. Samford has outscored the Skyhawks 211-111 in those eight games, including a 10-0 shutout in 1993 and last season's 32-7 win in Martin.
* Pete Hurt is 5-0 against UT-Martin. He is the only coach to guide Samford to five consecutive winning seasons, and his 38 wins place him in a position to surpass Terry Bowden (45) this season as the winningest coach in school history.
* The Bulldogs are 24-11-1 at Seibert Stadium under head coach Pete Hurt. Samford's best home record under Hurt came in 1998, when they won all five home games and finished 6-5. The Bulldogs are 1-0 at home in 2000, but last season the Bulldogs went 3-3 at home and lost the home opener 29-27 to Chattanooga.
Samford's overall record at home is 102-47-4 (.664), and the Bulldogs are 31-11-0 (.731) at home in night games.
* Thursday night the Bulldog defense will line up across from starting quarterback Robert Hines, the grandson of former Bulldog great and Florida State Head Coach Bobby Bowden. Hines is the son of current Clemson assistant coach Jack Hines.
