Nov. 5, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford football team practiced for about an hour in shorts and helmets Thursday afternoon at Seibert Stadium. The Bulldogs put the finishing touches on their game plan for Saturday's Homecoming game against Georgia Southern.

Samford enters the game with a record of 3-5 overall and 1-4 in Southern Conference play. Saturday's game will mark the Bulldogs' first home game since Oct. 10.

"We've been on the road for a couple of weeks and now we come home to play Georgia Southern," Samford head coach Pat Sullivan said. "They are really a good football team and they look like they are peaking at the right time. We have our work cut out for us, but we are looking forward to Saturday."

Samford and Georgia Southern are meeting for the fifth time, with the Eagles holding a 3-1 advantage in the series. Samford won last year's meeting by a score of 27-17 in Statesboro, Ga.

Georgia Southern is currently 4-4 overall and 3-2 in SoCon play. The Eagles took last week off after a 52-16 loss at Appalachian State on Oct. 24. Sullivan said he has been impressed with what he has seen from the Eagles.

"They are a young offensive team," Sullivan said. "From this time a year ago, their offensive line has really improved. At quarterback, (Lee) Chapple is a very good, efficient player. Their running back, Adam Urbano, is a good player. They are playing with a bunch of young guys at receiver, but they have a lot of ability, and now, eight games into the year, they are not freshmen anymore.

"On defense, the thing that jumps out overall is their team speed," Sullivan said. "Their secondary and linebackers can really run. They have two new guys up front who are playing really well too. So, we will have our hands full and our offensive line will have to play well."

Saturday's game against Georgia Southern is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff from Seibert Stadium. The game can be heard locally on WVSU-FM 91.1, or worldwide on the internet at www.samford.edu/wvsu.