Nov. 9, 2002
Final Stats
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.---Quarterbacks Robert Craft and Lewis Kuffour teamed up for a school record five touchdown passes to lead Tennessee Tech (3-7) to a 51-44 Division I-AA football win over Samford University (4-5) Saturday.
Craft, the starter, hit receiver Derek Lee on a 59-yard scoring pass and receiver Anton Thomison on a 38-yard touchdown. Kuffour came off the bench to throw scoring passes of 33 and 15 yards to Antonio Carter and 26 yards to Lee. Tech tied its school record for scoring passes set against Southeast Missouri in 2001.
Samford receiver Aryvia Holmes tied his school record for receptions, hauling in 12 passes for 224 yards and two scores. Holmes broke his sixth Samford school record with the 224 receiving yards in a game as well. Holmes caught a 44-yard scorer from quarterback Ray Nelson and a 15-yard touchdown from quarterback Josh Kellett.
Trey Bonner ran 11 yards and Jason Ballard rushed six yards for Tech's other two touchdowns. Josh Foster kicked five extra points, Ballard caught a two-point conversion pass and Tech scored a safety when Samford recovered its own fumble in its end zone.
For Samford, Nelson scored on an 11-yard run, D. J. Stancil on a five-yard run and Efrem Hill on a 16-yard pass from Kellett. Chip Walters kicked field goals of 35, 34 and 31 yards and three extra points for the Bulldogs. Josh Brown caught a two-point conversion pass from Kellett.
Tech jumped to a 37-16 lead late in the first half, but Samford came back to cut the deficit to 44-37 with 10:28 left. Ballard's six-yard touchdown run with 7:06 remaining gave Tech a 51-37 lead and the Golden Eagles held on despite Hill's late scoring reception for Samford with 3:22 left.
The game produced 894 yards of offense and 47 first downs. Tech totaled 436 yards and 21 first downs and Samford 458 yards and 26 first downs.
Game Notes:
*Samford honored its 13 seniors before the game. On senior day, all 13 seniors had their names placed on the back of their jerseys for their final home game of their career.
*Tennessee Tech's Derek Lee scored his eighth touchdown of the season when he caught a 59-yard touchdown on the Golden Eagles first possession.
*Samford quarterback Ray Nelson scored his first rushing touchdown of the season on an 11-yard scramble early in the first quarter.
*Thirty-two points were scored before the first punt of the game came with 7:53 left in the first half. However, a Samford player was blocked into the dead ball and Tennessee Tech recovered.
*Samford's first punt came with 3:28 left in the third quarter. James Robinson returned Ty Neil's 38-yard punt 54 yards to the Samford 26-yard line.
*The five touchdown passes for the Golden Eagles tied the school record for touchdown passes in a game.
*Aryvia Holmes caught seven passes for 127 yards in the first half marking the third time this season he has had 100 receiving yards in the first half.
*Tennessee Tech's 37 first-half points were the most allowed by Samford's defense since the Bulldogs trailed 30-0 at halftime against Baylor.
*Holmes' 15-yard touchdown with 11:32 left in the fourth quarter gave him 11 catches for 196 yards, which was a new career-high. The touchdown cut Samford's deficit to 44-30.
*Matthew Forester intercepted Robert Craft with 10:33 left in the game for his second interception of the season. D.J. Stancil scored five seconds later to cut it to 44-37.
*Samford scored 15 points in 1:04 in the fourth quarter.
*After Tennessee Tech gained 343 yards in the first half, Samford's defense held the Golden Eagles to 42 yards of total offense in the third quarter.
*The 95 points scored between the two teams was the most points in Samford history scored between two teams as well as the most points in Tennessee Tech history. Samford and Alcorn State combined for 90 points in 1994 when the teams finished a 45-45 tie.
*Holmes' 28-yard reception with about four minutes left in the game set a new Samford record for receiving yards in a game. Holmes finished the game with 12 catches for 224 yards. The 12 receptions tied the Samford single-game record which he set last season.
*Sophomore wide receiver Efrem Hill caught his third touchdown of the season for Samford's final score of the game.
