Oct. 9, 2004

Box Score

MURRAY, Ky. - The Samford football team dropped its third-straight three-point game, falling 24-21 at Murray State on Saturday. Senior quarterback Ray Nelson became the school's all-time leading passer in the game. He now has 6,734 career passing yards, breaking Bart Yancey's record of 6,500 yards from 1993-96.

For the game, Nelson completed 28-of-60 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown. The 60 attempts tie the school record Nelson set against Jacksonville State last season. Cortland Finnegan, who ranks second in the conference in tackles per game, sat out the game with an injury from last week's overtime loss.

Murray State (3-3, 2-1 OVC) took the opening drive and drove 70 yards for a touchdown. The scoring play came on a seven-yard pass from Adam Fisher to Daniel Rumley with 11:39 to go in the opening quarter. Morgan Riley added the extra point to give the Racers a 7-0 lead.

The Racers increased their lead to 10-0 when Riley kicked a 23-yard field goal with 14:12 left in the second quarter.

After a missed Samford (1-5, 0-3 OVC) field goal, the Racers drove down the field again and scored on a two-yard run by Chad Cook with 56 seconds remaining in the first half. Riley's extra point pushed the MSU lead to 17-0.

The teams headed to halftime with the Racers leading 17-0. In the first half, Nelson completed 11-of-19 passes for 96 yards. MSU's Cook rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries in the first half.

After a Murray State fumble early in the third quarter, Samford struck for its first points of the game. Nelson scored on a 16-yard run with 10:26 to go in the third. Hal Hughston added the PAT to cut the Murray State lead to 17-7.

Murray State drove deep into Samford territory on its next possession, but Quinton Griffin picked off a pass by Fisher to end the threat.

Murray State's DeSean Hammons fumbled a Samford punt later in the third quarter, and the Bulldogs recovered the football on the MSU three-yard line at the 5:57 mark of the period. On the second play after the fumble, Nelson took it in for a three-yard touchdown. Hughston added the extra point to make the score 17-14 with 5:50 to go in the third quarter.

Cook then scored on a 32-yard touchdown run with 3:18 left in the third quarter. Riley's PAT increased MSU's lead to 24-14.

After Justin Ray blocked a Murray State punt, giving Samford the ball on the MSU 34-yard line, Nelson hit Efrem Hill on a 34-yard touchdown pass with 6:42 remaining in the game. Hughston's PAT cut the Murray State lead to 24-21.

The Bulldogs drove to the Murray State 29-yard line, but an interception ended the Bulldogs' drive and made the final score 24-21.

Samford will return to action on Saturday, October 16, when the Bulldogs play host to the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks. Kickoff for the game is set for 1:00 p.m. at Seibert Stadium.