GAME NOTES: No. 20 Wofford @ Samford (3.6.21)
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford University returns to Seibert Stadium on Saturday, March 6, as the Bulldogs (1-2, 1-2 SoCon) host the defending Southern Conference champions No. 20 Wofford College (1-1, 1-1 SoCon). Kickoff is slated for 12 PM and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+. 

The Bulldogs and Terriers are meeting for the 18th time in the series with Samford holding a 12-5 advantage in the standings. The two teams last met on Sept. 14, 2019, with the Bulldogs claiming a 21-14 victory at to No. 21 Wofford in Spartanburg, S.C. Samford out-gained the Terriers 383-283 behind 224 yards passing rushing.

Samford is coming off a heartbreaking, 44-37, overtime loss at No. 17 Furman last Saturday in Greenville, S.C. The Bulldogs scored in every phase of the game, but could not hold off a surging Paladins comeback in the second half.

No. 20 Wofford (1-1, 1-1 SoCon) is coming off an idle week that saw the Terriers miss their match up at East Tennessee State (1-0, 1-0 SoCon) due to COVID-19 protocols. Wofford was held to 199 yards of total offense en route to a 24-13 loss at Chattanooga in its last outing.

Chris Edmonds, a sophomore safety from Crestview, Fla., was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after recording 7.0 tackles, 1.0 TFL, and two INTs, returning one 45 yards for a touchdown. He leads the SoCon and ranks 3rd in NCAA FCS in interceptions (3).

Samford enters the week ranked 8th in NCAA FCS in scoring offense (36.3) and 11th in total offense (475.0).

A.J. Toney enters the week leading the SoCon with 23 receptions, ranking 11th nationally, for 232 yards and TD.
 

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SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION

• Samford and Wofford are meeting for the 18th time on the gridiron this Saturday at F. Page Seibert Stadium in Birmingham. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 11-11, including a 4-4 mark under head coach Chris Hatcher and a 6-5 overall road record in Greenville. 
• The two teams last met on Sept. 14, 2019, with the Bulldogs claiming a 21-14 victory at to No. 21 Wofford in Spartanburg, S.C. Samford out-gained the Terriers 383-283 behind 224 yards passing rushing by Chris Oladokun, who completed 17-of-25 passes with a touchdown while rushing for 77 yards and another score. 
• No. 20 Wofford (1-1, 1-1 SoCon) is coming off an idle week that saw the Terriers miss their match up at East Tennessee State (1-0, 1-0 SoCon) due to COVID-19 protocols. Wofford was held to 199 yards of total offense en route to a 24-13 loss at Chattanooga in its last outing.
• The Terriers enter Saturday's game averaging 22.0 points and 286.5 yards per game. Wofford ranks fourth in the SoCon in scoring offense and scoring defense (19.0) while rushing for 174.5 yards per contest.
• Five different Terriers have scored rushing touchdowns this season with freshman tailback Irvin Mulligan leading Wofford with 130 yards on the ground through two game. The Beaufort, S.C., native rushed for a career-high 90 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries at Mercer.
• Sophomore defensive lineman Michael Mason enters the weekend with 10 tackles, 4.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks. 

 

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WASHINGTON STRIKES AGAIN: In Saturday's 44-37 overtime loss at 17th-ranked Furman, Montrell Washington returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown. With Samford leading, 10-7, Washington fielded the punt at the Samford 45-yard line and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 17-7 advantage.

SPREADING THE BALL AROUND: A total of 12 different Samford players have caught passes through Samford's first two games of the 2021 spring season. A.J. Toney leads the group with 23 catches for 232 yards and a touchdown. Ty King has 14 catches for 214yards and a touchdown so far. 

OVERTIME THE NORM: Saturday's overtime loss at Furman was the first OT game for the Bulldogs, but it's something the team has gotten used to over the last couple of seasons. During the 2019 season, Samford played four games that went beyond regulation. The Bulldogs went 1-3 in those OT games, playing to extra time against Tennessee Tech, The Citadel, VMI and Mercer. The four overtime games tied an FCS record, set by the 2007 Georgia Southern team, also coached by Chris Hatcher.   

SCORING IN ALL THREE PHASES: In last week's 44-37 overtime loss at No. 17 Furman, Samford scored in all three phases of the game. Chris Edmonds intercepted a pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. Montrell Washington returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown. The Samford offense also produced two touchdowns, a one-yard run by Jay Stanton and an 85-yard touchdown pass from Liam Welch to Ty King. 

PUTTING UP POINTS: Over the last five-plus seasons under head coach Chris Hatcher, the Samford offense has scored at least 30 points 32 times. The unit has put up at least 40 points 18 times, and at least 50 points a total of nine times. 

QUICK STRIKES: Samford had three scoring drives took two minutes or less, and two of those drives took less than a minute in last week's game at No. 17 Furman. In five-plus seasons under head coach Chris Hatcher, Samford has made a habit of quick scoring drives. In Hatcher's time, the Bulldogs has had 119 scoring drives of two minutes or less and 54 that have lasted one minute or less.

TY KING HAS BIG DAY: Samford wide receiver Ty King turned in a big day in last Saturday's contest at No. 17 Furman. He caught four passes for 115 yards and a touchdown in the game. King caught an 85-yard touchdown pass from Liam Welch in the third quarter, giving the Bulldogs a 34-20 advantage.  

SOCON LEADERS: After the first three weeks of the spring season, as a team, Samford leads the Southern Conference in scoring offense, averaging 36.3 points per game. Individually, a few players rank at the top of the league as well. A.J. Toney leads the conference in receptions per game (7.7), while Mitchell Fineran leads the league in scoring by kick (8.3 ppg.). Ty King leads the league in all-purpose yards per game (187.3 ypg.), while Chris Edmonds is the league-leader in interceptions (3).   

FINERAN TURNS IN STRONG DAY AT FURMAN: Mitchell Fineran was good on all three of his field goal attempts last week at No. 17 Furman. His career-long field goal entering the game was 46 yards. During the game, he made a new career-long 50-yard field goal, and he also made one from 46-yards out, and another from 22 yards away. 

EDMONDS MAKES BIG PLAYS: In the first three games of the season, sophomore safety Chris Edmonds has already produced four turnovers. In the season opener at ETSU, he forced a fumble and recovered it, ending the Bucs' first offensive drive. In the team's home-opening win over Western Carolina, he got his first interception of the season against the Catamounts. Last week at No. 17 Furman, he produced two more interceptions, including one he returned 45 yards for a touchdown. 

SAMFORD AGAINST SOUTH CAROLINA TEAMS: Samford has an all-time record of 37-28-1 against teams from the state of South Carolina, including an 12-5 mark against Saturday's opponent, Wofford. Coach Hatcher is 7-1 all-time versus the Terriers. 

AGAINST SOUTHERN CONFERENCE TEAMS: Now in its 13th season as a member of the Southern Conference, Samford has a record of 53-44 in league games. Last season, the Bulldogs went 4-4 in league contests.

HATCHER'S OFFENSES PRODUCE: Through his first five seasons, Samford head coach Chris Hatcher's offenses have averaged more points than under any other head coach in program history. Entering the season, Hatcher's teams have averaged 33.6 points per game, ahead of Bobby Bowden's 28.57 average. The average is also the highest in the SoCon during the last five seasons. Below is a list of the top five head coaches in points per game in school history.

1. Chris Hatcher (2015-Pres.) 33.6
2. Bobby Bowden (1959-62) 28.57
3. Terry Bowden (1987-92) 27.92
4. Bill Gray (2001-06) 25.68
5. Pat Sullivan (2007-14) 25.50

SAMFORD WELCOMES SEVERAL NEW COACHES: The Samford football coaching staff received a major overhaul in the offseason. The defensive side saw the most changes, with Nick Benedetto coming in as the new defensive coordinator. Additionally Kevin Corless was hired as the team's linebackers coach and Alex Garcia will coach the team's defensive tackles. Offensively, Mitch Stewart will serve as the team's offensive coordinator, coaching the wide receivers, while Mack Helms will coach the team's offensive tackles.