Oct. 15, 2011

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Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford sophomore running back Fabian Truss rushed for a career-high 191 yards and three touchdowns, and the Bulldog defense forced six turnovers on the way to a 43-31 Southern Conference win over Elon Saturday afternoon at Seibert Stadium.

"This was a dog fight," Samford head coach Pat Sullivan said. "They are a good football team and we knew that going in. Our guys hung in there, and when they could have folded, they bowed up and that is something we are starting to learn to do. If we can continue to do that, it will give us the chance to continue to have these kinds of wins."

The win was Samford's third in a row and the Bulldogs improve to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in Southern Conference play. Elon drops to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in league play. The 43 points are the most Samford has scored in the Southern Conference game in its three-plus seasons in the league. The win was the Bulldogs' first over Elon since 2001.

Truss rushed 26 times for his career-high total. He had a long rush of 62 yards in the game. Jonathan Sillers rushed eight times for 81 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Dustin Taliaferro completed 16-of-21 passes for 115 yards in the win. Riley Hawkins led Samford's receivers with eight catches for 89 yards.

Defensively for Samford, Corey White had 12 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. Darion Sutton, Omar Johnson and Keith Shoulders each had an interception for the Bulldogs. Ben Carpenter and Michael Prendergast each recovered a fumble in the win.

Cameron Yaw made all three of his field goal attempts for Samford, making kicks of 21, 29 and 20 yards. Yaw also averaged 60.7 yards on nine kickoffs. Greg Peranich averaged 41.5 yards on four punts.

For Elon, Thomas Wilson completed 35-of-60 passes for 312 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. Aaron Millette had 15 receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown for the Phoenix. Joshua Jones led the Elon defense with 11 tackles. Blake Thompson had an interception for the Phoenix. In addition to Wilson's four interceptions, the Phoenix lost two fumbles in the game as well.

Samford jumped on top first on the Bulldogs' opening drive of the game. Yaw kicked a 21-yard field goal to put the Bulldogs on top, 3-0, with 11:50 to go in the first quarter. The field goal capped a nine-play, 62-yard drive that took 3:10 off the clock.

The Bulldogs scored again on their next drive. Sillers scored on a two-yard run to finish a 13-play, 80-yard drive that took 4:17 off the first-quarter clock. Yaw's extra point gave Samford a 10-0 lead with 5:13 to go in the first quarter.

Elon got on the scoreboard when Wilson hit Millette for a five-yard touchdown with 14:15 left in the second quarter. Adam Shreiner added the extra point to cut the Samford lead to 10-7. Elon's scoring drive was 15 plays, 80 yards and lasted 5:58.

Samford answered on its next drive when Truss scored on a 64-yard touchdown run with 10:15 left in the second quarter. Yaw's extra point gave Samford a 17-7 lead. Truss' run was the longest play from scrimmage for the Bulldogs this season.

Kelsey Pope scored on a 14-yard run with 3:59 to go in the second quarter. Yaw's extra point pushed Samford's lead to 24-7.

Elon scored twice before halftime. Christian Dennis caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Wilson with 1:52 to go in the second quarter, and Shreiner added the PAT to make the score 24-14. After a Samford fumble, Shreiner kicked a 50-yard field goal with nine seconds to go before halftime to cut the Samford lead to 24-17.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, Samford's Carpenter recovered an Elon fumble, giving the Bulldogs the ball at the Elon 35-yard line. The Bulldogs scored on a three-yard run by Truss with 13:03 left in the third quarter. Yaw's PAT made the score 31-17.

Samford's Shoulders picked off a Wilson pass on the second play of Elon's first possession of the third quarter, giving Samford the ball at the Elon 31-yard line. Yaw kicked a 29-yard field goal to give Samford a 34-17 lead with 10:24 to go in the third quarter.

Elon fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Prendergast recovered the ball at the Phoenix's one-yard line. The Bulldogs were unable to punch it in, but Yaw added a 20-yard field goal to make the score 37-17.

Elon's Gary Coates blocked a Peranich punt and A.J. Harris returned it 16 yards for a touchdown with 2:55 to go in the third quarter. Shreiner added the PAT to cut the Samford lead to 37-24. The Phoenix added one more score in the third quarter. Dontay Taylor scored on a two-yard run with 16 seconds to go in the third quarter and Shreiner's PAT pulled Elon to within six points at 37-31.

Samford, however, answered with Truss' third score of the day, this one on a one-yard run with 8:15 left in the fourth quarter. Yaw's extra point made the score 43-31. The Bulldog defense held the Phoenix scoreless in the fourth quarter to preserve the win.

Highlights from the game will be available on the Bulldog Big Screen at www.samfordsports.com within 48 hours of the game.

Samford will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 22, when the Bulldogs play at Appalachian State. The game is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. (CT) kickoff from Boone, N.C.