FINAL GAME BOOK (PDF)

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Furman running back Devin Wynn scored on a nine-yard run in overtime to give the 17^th-ranked Paladins a 44-37 lead over Samford, and a Bulldog turnover ended Samford's OT possession as the Paladins escaped with the Southern Conference win Saturday afternoon at Paladin Stadium.
 
The teams entered overtime knotted at 37-37. Wynn scored on Furman's second play of the extra period. On Samford's possession, the Bulldogs had a 1^st-and-goal at the two-yard line. Furman's Matt Sochovka forced Jay Stanton to fumble and Hugh Ryan recovered for the Paladins at the two-yard line, ending the contest in a 44-37 Paladin victory.
 
With the loss, Samford falls to 1-2, all in SoCon play. Furman improves to 2-1, also all in league play.
 
For Samford in the game, Liam Welch completed 16-of-21 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown. Ty King caught four passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. A.J. Toney had six receptions for 77 yards. Stanton led the Samford running game with 18 carries for 86 yards and a touchdown.
 
The Samford defense was led by Chris Edmonds with two interceptions, including one returned for a 45-yard touchdown, to go along with his seven tackles. Ty Herring was the team's leading tackler with 16, including eight solo stops and one forced fumble.
 
The Furman, Hamp Sisson completed 11-of-27 passes for 277 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Ryan DeLuca caught four passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Miller had three catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns for the Paladins. Nick Kuzemka led the Paladins with nine tackles, including six solo stops.
 
Samford received the opening kickoff, but Furman's Braden Gilby forced a Samford fumble, and the Paladins' Austin Jones recovered the fumble at the Samford 20-yard line. Five plays later, Furman's Sisson scored on a four-yard run to give the Paladins a 7-0 lead with 12:21 left in the first quarter.
 
Samford knotted the score when Edmonds intercepted a Furman pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown to make the score 7-7 with 6:59 left in the first quarter. Late in the first quarter, the Samford defense stopped Furman on a 4^th-and-1 at the Paladins' 34-yard line.
 
Three plays later, Mitchell Fineran kicked a 50-yard field goal to give Samford a 10-7 lead with 4:42 left in the opening quarter. After the Samford defense forced a three-and-out, Montrell Washington returned the Furman punt 55 yards for a touchdown to make the score 17-7 with 2:18 to go in the first quarter. On the final play of the first quarter Stanton scored on a one-yard run to push the Samford lead to 24-7 at the end of the first period.
 
On the first drive of the second quarter, Furman's Timmy Bleekrode kicked a 36-yard field goal to cut the Samford lead to 24-10 with 10:04 left in the second quarter. Furman's Sisson hit Miller for a 10-yard touchdown pass to make the score 24-17 with just 31 seconds to go before halftime.
 
Samford put the first points on the board in the third quarter when Fineran kicked a 22-yard field goal to make the score 27-17 with 10:06 left in the third quarter. Furman's Bleekrode kicked a 24-yard field goal to cut the Samford lead to 27-20 with 8:32 to go in the third quarter.
 
On the first play of Samford's ensuing drive, Welch hit King for an 85-yard touchdown pass to push the Bulldogs' lead to 34-20 with 8:14 left in the third period. Bleekrode added a 32-yard field goal to cut the lead to 34-23 with 3:01 to go in the third quarter.
 
Fineran kicked his third field goal of the game, this one from 46-yards out, to increase Samford's lead to 37-23 with 13:53 left in the fourth quarter. Furman's Sisson hit DeLuca for a 31-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 37-30 with 6:12 to go in the fourth quarter. Sisson hit Miller for a 73-yard touchdown pass to tie the score at 37-37 with 2:59 left in regulation. Neither team could score for the remainder of the fourth quarter and the teams headed to overtime with the score knotted at 37-37.
 
Samford will return home to host the Wofford Terriers, next Saturday, March 13. The game is set for a 12 p.m. start from Seibert Stadium.
 
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