Oct 18, 2003

Final Stats

MARTIN, Tenn. - Samford quarterbacks Ray Nelson and Kevin Tooker combined for a school-record 516 yards passing to lead the Bulldogs to a 57-22 Ohio Valley Conference victory at Tennessee-Martin Saturday afternoon.

For the game, Nelson was 12-for-24 for 303 yards and two touchdowns, while Tooker was a perfect 11-for-11 for a career-high 134 yards and two touchdowns. Efrem Hill caught a career-high 11 passes for 223 yards, also a career high. Two of Hill's catches went for touchdowns.

Samford (5-2, 3-1 OVC) struck first when Nelson hit Ossie Buchannon on an 84-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the game. Ty Neil's extra point gave Samford an early 7-0 lead with 14:35 to go in the first quarter. Neil increased the Bulldogs' lead to 10-0 when he hit a 44-yard field goal with 8:48 to go in the opening period. UT-Martin (2-6, 1-3 OVC) put its first points on the board when Brady Wahlberg hit Sanders Trent on a 60-yard touchdown with 8:29 left in the first quarter. The extra point was blocked, and the score was 10-6. The scoring continued in the first quarter when Nelson hit Hill on an 81-yard touchdown at the 7:26 mark. Neil's point after made the score 17-6.

Martin's Justin Glover scored on a one-yard run with 5:24 to go in the second quarter. The point after by Brent Harris cut Samford's lead to 17-13. Harris kicked a 19-yard field goal with seven seconds left in the second quarter to make the score 17-16 at halftime.

Neil increased the Bulldogs' lead to 20-16 with a 32-yard field goal with 8:27 left in the third quarter. Fred Gilliam scored on a seven-yard touchdown run with 2:19 to go in the third quarter, and Neil's point after gave Samford a 27-16 lead.

Samford scored again on the first play of the fourth quarter on a trick play when Tooker tossed a pass to Hill, who then hit Buchannon on a 79-yard touchdown with 14:47 to go in the game. Neil's extra point made the score 34-16. UT-Martin came right back when Jason Coleman returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. The pass to try for a two-point conversion was intercepted by Cortland Finnegan in the end zone and returned the distance for two points for the Bulldogs to give Samford a 36-22 lead. Tooker then hit Hill on a 10-yard touchdown with 9:25 left in the game to increase the Samford lead to 43-22. Samford added two more touchdowns to make the final score 57-22.

Samford will play host to the Tennessee State Tigers for Homecoming on Saturday, October 25. Kickoff for the game is set for 2:30 p.m. at Seibert Stadium.