Box Score WARREN HANDRAHAN INTERVIEW

PHOTO GALLERY

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Samford redshirt freshman place-kicker Warren Handrahan kicked a 43-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Bulldog football team to a 17-14 win over 17^th-ranked Chattanooga in Samford's Homecoming game Saturday afternoon at Seibert Stadium.
 
"Our kids just kept fighting and scratching," Samford head coach Pat Sullivan said. "It was a great day for Samford. This was a win that was hard-earned, because it was two heavyweights fighting out there today. I think we got their best shot, and they certainly got ours."
 
After Handrahan's kick, the Samford defense held Chattanooga to a field goal try on its overtime possession. The attempt by Nick Pollard, however, hit the left upright, ending the game in a three-point Samford win.
 
With the win, Samford improves to 7-4 overall and 5-2 in Southern Conference play. Chattanooga drops to 8-3 overall and 6-2 in league play. If Samford can pull out a win next Saturday against Elon, the Bulldogs would earn a share of the Southern Conference championship.
 
For Samford offensively, Andy Summerlin completed 13-of-23 passes for 199 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Karel Hamilton caught six passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. Chris Cephus caught one pass for a 92-yard score in the third quarter. Jeremiaha Gates led the Samford running game with 12 rushes for 65 yards.
 
Defensively for Samford, Jaquiski Tartt tied a career high with 17 tackles. Bobby Wilson and Justin Shade had 11 tackles each, and Shade had 2.0 sacks. Jeremy Towns and Trey Wesley had nine stops apiece, and Brandon Wilkinson had 1.5 sacks. Punter Greg Peranich punted six times for an average of 49.7 yards per kick.
 
"It sure was good to get (defensive linemen) Michael Pierce and Jeremy Towns back," Sullivan said. "I thought both of them played outstanding. Brandon Wilkinson came off the edge and made some big plays. I couldn't be more pleased for our guys. I thought our two offensive tackles (Kyle Champion and Gunnar Bromelow) did a great job of blocking against Davis Tull. He's the best defensive player in our conference, and they did a great job of protecting against him."
 
For Chattanooga, Jacob Huesman completed 28-of-34 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked five times by the Samford defense. Marquis Green caught six passes for 60 yards. Tommy Hudson had six catches for 45 yards, while Faysal Shafaat caught six passes for 41 yards and a touchdown.
 
The teams fought to a scoreless tie for all of the first quarter and most of the second quarter. Chattanooga had a chance to take the lead first, but Pollard's 45-yard field goal attempt with 8:30 left in the second quarter was no good. Samford put the first points on the scoreboard when Summerlin hit Hamilton for a six-yard touchdown with 5:05 to go in the second quarter. The score gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.
 
Samford added to its lead when Summerlin hit Cephus for a 92-yard touchdown with 7:04 to go in the third quarter. The play pushed Samford's lead to 14-0. The play was the longest play from scrimmage by the Samford offense this season.
 
On Chattanooga's ensuing drive, the Mocs drove to the Samford 15-yard line. However, on a 4^th-and-six play, the Samford defense stopped Chattanooga for just a two-yard gain to the 13-yard line, and Samford took over from there.
 
Chattanooga scored its first points when Wes Dothard picked off a Summerlin pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown with 13:07 to go in the fourth quarter. The touchdown cut the Samford lead to 14-7.
 
The Mocs tied the score with just under five minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Huesman hit Shafaat for a three-yard score to make the score 14-14 with 4:59 to go. Handrahan had a chance to win the game in regulation, but his 50-yard try went wide left as time expired. The game headed to overtime knotted at 14-14.
 
As a team, Samford finished with 311 yards of total offense, while Chattanooga had 406 total yards. Chattanooga held the ball for 37:32 of the game, compared to Samford's 22:28 total time of possession. The Bulldogs were 7-of-15 on third-down conversions, and the Mocs were 8-of-17.
 
Samford will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 23, when the Bulldogs play host to Elon. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start from Seibert Stadium.