Nov. 6, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford football team practiced for about an hour and a half in shorts and helmets Tuesday afternoon at Seibert Stadium. The Bulldogs are preparing for Thursday evening's game against Tennessee State, which will be televised live on ESPNU.

Samford head coach Pat Sullivan said his team is looking to finish strong in its final home game of the 2007 season.

"It's awfully important for a lot of reasons," Sullivan said. "First of all, it's our seniors' last game. The second thing is, you want to end on a positive note so it will carry over into your off-season and recruiting.

"Honestly, we have had two really tough losses in our last two home games," Sullivan said. "We've played well enough to win, but we just couldn't get over the hump."

Sullivan said the Bulldogs face a tough challenge with Tennessee State.

"We have a tough game coming up with Tennessee State," Sullivan said. "They are very talented. Their running back, Javarris Williams, is third in our conference in rushing. Their defensive end will be a draft choice, and one of their corners will be a draft choice.

"They have good players, so we are going to have to play to the best of our ability to have a chance," Sullivan said. "Our guys a little beat up this time of year. We took the pads off this week and just let them come out in shorts with the short week. I am anxious to see how they play."

The team will hold a walk-through Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Seibert Stadium.

Thursday's game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start from Seibert Stadium. The game can be heard live on the Samford Radio Network. The flagship station for the network is WVSU-FM 91.1.

The game can also be heard worldwide on the internet at www.al.com/wvsu, and it can be viewed on the internet at www.ovcsports.tv.