By: Joey Mullins
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Over the last several weeks, we at SamfordSports.com have been taking a look back at some of the biggest wins by Samford teams throughout the years in a series sponsored by America's First Federal Credit Union. Today, we will continue the series by looking at the football program's first win over an FBS program in the modern era of the program.
On Aug. 30, 2013, the Samford football team opened the season with a stunning 31-21 win over Georgia State in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The win marked the first for Samford over an FBS team since the program was reinstated in 1984.
Samford scored touchdowns in all three phases of the game, scoring on a kick return, an interception and two offensive touchdowns.
Samford trailed, 14-7 at halftime, but came back with an impressive second half to earn the victory.
Senior running back and kick returner Fabian Truss had a big day in the win. Truss returned three kickoffs for 149 yards, including a 100-yard return for the touchdown on the opening kickoff of the game. Truss returned two punts for 53 yards, and he rushed 26 times for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Senior quarterback Andy Summerlin completed 19-of-31 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown in the win. Emmanuel Obajimi caught four passes for 37 yards. Karel Hamilton had two catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. On special teams, Warren Handrahan made a career-long 48-yard field goal to help put the game away in the fourth quarter.
Defensively for Samford, Bobby Wilson had 10 tackles and an interception. Jaquiski Tartt had an interception he returned 33 yards for a touchdown, to go along with his five tackles.
For Georgia State, Ronnie Bell completed 28-of-51 passes for 391 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Albert Wilson caught eight passes for 167 yards and a touchdown.
Truss put Samford on the scoreboard right away, returning the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. The return marked the first time a Samford player had returned a kickoff for a touchdown since Truss' 97-yard return at Gardner-Webb the previous season. Handrahan added the extra point to give Samford a 7-0 lead with 14:43 to go in the first quarter.
Georgia State came back to tie the score midway through the first quarter. Bell hit Kelton Hill for a 21-yard touchdown, and Will Lutz kicked the extra point to make the score 7-7 with 7:17 left in the opening period.
The Panthers took the lead on their first drive of the second quarter. Bell hit Hill for a 17-yard score with 12:48 to go before halftime. Lutz' PAT gave GSU a 14-7 lead.
The teams went to halftime with GSU leading, 14-7.
The Bulldogs tied the score when Tartt returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown. Handrahan's extra point made the score 14-14 with 4:44 left in the third quarter.
Samford took the lead for good on its first drive of the fourth quarter. Truss scored on a two-yard run with 14:05 left in the final period. Handrahan added the PAT to give Samford a 21-14 lead.
The Bulldogs added another touchdown when Summerlin hit Hamilton for a 31-yard touchdown with 11:21 to go. Handrahan's extra point made the score 28-14. Handrahan then kicked a 48-yard field goal with 4:36 left to push Samford's lead to 31-14.
Georgia State added one final score late in the fourth quarter. Bell hit Wilson for a 40-yard touchdown with 2:45 left in the contest. Lutz added the PAT to make the final score 31-21.
As a team, Samford finished with 298 yards of total offense, while Georgia State tallied 463 total yards. The Bulldogs rolled up an impressive 385 yards on six kick returns. The Bulldogs held the ball for 29:02 of the game, while GSU had the ball for 30:58.
