Sept. 17, 2005

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GREENVILLE, S.C. - Despite career performances from quarterback Jefferson Adcock and receiver Jeff Moore, the Samford football team was defeated by the 10th-ranked Furman Paladins, 45-23, Saturday night at Paladin Stadium.

"It was a tough loss, but we will bounce back," Samford head coach Bill Gray said. "These are tough guys and they will work hard and bounce back next week."

Adcock passed for a career-high 351 yards, completing 31-of-56 passes including one touchdown. Moore caught 10 passes for a career-high 130 yards.

Furman (2-1) got on the board first when Ryan Joyce scored on a nine-yard run with 10:31 to go in the first quarter. Scott Beckler's PAT gave the Paladins a 7-0 lead. The Paladins struck again quickly when Ingle Martin hit Daric Carter for a three-yard touchdown with 7:59 to go in the second quarter. With Beckler's extra point, the Paladins' lead was pushed to 14-0.

Samford (1-2) came back with a touchdown of its own when quarterback Jefferson Adcock scored on a one-yard run with 3:06 to go in the opening period. Shannon Fleming's extra point cut the Paladins' lead to 14-7. Samford made the score 14-10 when Fleming booted a 23-yard field goal with 7:32 to go in the second quarter.

Furman scored again when Cedrick Gipson scored on a 42-yard run with 5:31 left before halftime. The PAT gave Furman a 21-10 lead. Samford came back again when Adcock hit Ossie Buchannon for a three-yard touchdown with 1:15 to go in the second quarter. Fleming missed the PAT and Furman's lead stood at 21-16.

Furman scored first in the second half when Jerome Felton scored on a two-yard run with 9:37 to go in the third quarter, and the PAT gave Furman a 28-16 lead. Samford came back when Justin Ray scored on a two-yard run with 2:44 to go in the third quarter. The PAT made the score 28-23. The scoring drive was kept alive when Samford converted a fourth-and-12 play in Furman territory. Furman came right back when Carter scored on a 57-yard run with 2:05 left in the third quarter. The extra point made the score 35-23.

Furman made the score 38-23 when Beckler kicked a 27-yard field goal with 9:56 to go in the fourth quarter. The Paladins added one final score when Felton scored on a three-yard run with 3:51 to go in the game to make the final score 45-23

Samford will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 24, when the Bulldogs open Ohio Valley Conference play at Eastern Illinois. The game is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff from Charleston, Ill.