Sept 20, 2003
Final Stats
SAN DIEGO - The Samford football team fell behind early, came back to tie the game in the third quarter, but eventually fell to Division I-A San Diego State, 37-17, at Qualcomm Stadium Saturday night.
The 17 points were the most scored by Samford (2-1) against a Division I-A opponent, breaking the previous record of 16, in a 59-16 loss to Southern Mississippi in 1994.
The Aztecs (3-1) got on the board quickly when quarterback Matt Dlugolecki threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to DeAngelo Nedd with 13:15 to go in the first quarter. J.C. Mejia added the point after to give San Diego State a 7-0 lead.
San Diego State made the score 14-0 when Dlugolecki hit Devin Pitts on a 33-yard score at the 2:58 mark in the opening period. Mejia added the extra point for the Aztecs.
Samford got its first points when Ray Nelson hit Josh Brennard for a three-yard touchdown with 14:10 to go in the second quarter. The score was only the second offensive touchdown given up by the Aztecs this season. Ty Neil added the point after to cut the Aztecs' lead to 14-7.
San Diego State added a 30-yard field goal by Mejia with nine seconds to go in the first half to send the teams to the locker room with the Aztecs holding a 17-7 advantage.
Neil cut the lead to 17-10 with a 26-yard field goal with 9:36 to go in the third quarter.
Cortland Finnegan tied the game when he returned a fumble 51 yards for a touchdown with 7:30 to go in the third quarter. Neil added the point after to tie the game at 17-17.
The Aztecs took the lead back for good with 2:44 left in the third quarter when Lynell Hamilton scored from the one-yard line. Mejia added the point after to make the score 24-17.
SDSU increased its lead to 30-17 early in the fourth quarter when Hamilton caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Dlugolecki. The point after was missed to keep the Aztecs' lead at 13.
San Diego State added a touchdown on a four-yard run by Fale Poumele with four seconds remaining in the game. Mejia's point after made the final score 37-17.
For Samford, Efrem Hill caught eight passes for 87 yards. Nelson completed 18-of-36 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. Nelson also rushed for 47 yards on 13 carries on the night. Finnegan led the team in tackles with 13.5, including 12 solo tackles.
San Diego State was led by Hamilton with 31 rushes for 220 yards and a touchdown. Dlugolecki hit 20-of-39 passes for 234 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Samford will play its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference game when it plays host to Southeast Missouri State on September 27. Kickoff for the game is set for 6:00 p.m. at Seibert Stadium.
