Sept. 26, 2004
Box Score
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. --- Despite receiving a career performance from starting quarterback Ray Nelson, the Samford University football team fell in a four-overtime thriller against the Southeast Missouri Indians, 51-48, on Saturday. Southeast Missouri's Derek Kutz kicked a 22-yard field goal in the fourth overtime to clinch the victory.
With the loss, Samford dropped to 1-3 on the season, while the Indians improved to 1-3. The matchup was the first Ohio Valley Conference game of the season for both teams.
"Our guys did everything we asked them to do," Samford head coach Bill Gray said. "We asked them to play harder in the second half than they did in the first half, and I think they did that. They continued to fight and make plays. We shot ourselves in the foot two or three times, but we continued to come back from it."
Nelson, the Bulldogs' senior signal-caller, turned in a stellar 31-for-49 passing performance on Saturday and compiled a total of 294 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also established a Samford record for total yards in one game as he also accumulated 198 rushing yards on 28 attempts, for a total of 492 yards of total offense.
With the performance, Nelson became the first Bulldog to rush for over 100 yards since Sept. 21, 2002. Former Samford-great Jason Ogletree last accomplished the feat with a 118-yard performance against Tennessee-Martin.
After fighting for four quarters, the teams headed into overtime tied at 31-31.
Southeast Missouri got the ball first and scored on a one-yard run by Jamel Oliver. Kutz added the extra point to give the Indians a 38-31 lead. Samford answered when Drew Guess scored on a one-yard run of his own. Hal Hughston's point-after knotted the score at 38-38.
In the second overtime, Samford scored on a one-yard run by Nelson, and the PAT by Hughston gave the Bulldogs a 45-38 lead. Oliver scored again for the Indians on a one-yard run, and Kutz's extra point made the score 45-45.
SEMO opened the third overtime with a 42-yard Kutz field goal to take a 48-45 lead. Hughston then answered for Samford with a 23-yard field goal of his own to once again tie the score at 48-48.
In the fourth overtime, Samford made it to the one-yard line, but a fourth-down pass was intercepted, setting up Kutz's game-winning kick.
For Samford, Efrem Hill caught seven passes for 84 yards, and Freddy Young caught eight passes for 41 yards. Josh Brennard and Jeff Moore each caught touchdown passes in the game for Samford. Philip Hyde rushed 16 times for 70 yards.
Samford will return to action on Saturday, October 2, when the Bulldogs play host to Eastern Kentucky. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. at Seibert Stadium.
