Samford Football Welcomes VMI For Homecoming 2022

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – For the first time in nearly a month, the 10th-ranked Samford football team will play at home as the Bulldogs play host to the VMI Keydets for Homecoming 2022.

The Homecoming SoCon showdown is scheduled for a 2 p.m. CT kickoff and can be streamed on ESPN+ on Saturday, Nov. 5.

For this week's complete game notes, Click here. Tickets can be purchased here.

After out-gunning ETSU, The Bulldogs played their most complete game of the season in a 38-3 dismantling of The Citadel. Michael Hiers threw for a trio of scores and the defense allowed the fewest points to a SoCon opponent since 2017.

Samford and VMI are meeting for the 10th time in the two program's history. VMI has won the last three meetings by a combined nine points.

I'm staring out into the night, I'm trying to hide the pain
The Bulldogs were picked to finish sixth in the Southern Conference by the league's coaches and seventh by the media in the two preseason polls released in July.

I'm going to the place where love
Through his first seven 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 34.83 points per game, ahead of Bobby Bowden's 28.57 average. Terry Bowden (1987-1992) averaged 27.92 points per game during his tenure while Bill Gray (2001-06 / 25.68) and Pat Sullivan (2007-14 / 25.50) round out the top five.

And feeling good don't ever cost a thing
Over the last eight seasons under head coach Chris Hatcher, the Samford offense has scored at least 30 points 46 times. The unit has put up at least 40 points 25 times, and at least 50 points a total of 12 times.

And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain
In eight seasons under head coach Chris Hatcher, Samford has made a habit of quick scoring drives. In Hatcher's time at Samford, Samford has had 176 scoring drives of two minutes or less and 75 that have lasted one minute or less.

Well, I'm going home to the place where I belong
Samford features 11 graduate students on its 2022 roster. Nathan East (LB), Bradley Porcellato (P), Torrence Pollard (DB), Emmanuel Flowers (DB), Hakeem Johnson (DB), DeAndre Williams (RB), Dakota Chapman (RB/TE), Tay Berry (DL), Gavin Orr (OL), Kendall Watson (WR), Seth Simmer (DL).

And where your love has always been enough for me
Samford has an all-time record of 13-14 against teams from the state of Virginia, including a mark of 6-3 against Saturday's opponent, VMI.

I'm not running from, no, I think you got me all wrong
Since joining the Southern Conference in 2008, Samford has posted a record of 64-50 in conference games. All-time against each current member of the SoCon, Samford has a mark of 90-80-4, including a 6-3 record against VMI. Samford's all-time record against each current SoCon team is: Chattanooga (10-33-3), The Citadel (9-7), ETSU (7-3), Furman (12-13), Mercer (14-13-1), VMI (6-3), Western Carolina (17-3) and Wofford (15-5).

I don't regret this life I chose for me, but these places and these faces are getting old
Samford has an all-time record of 4-11 in games played on Nov. 5. The last time the Bulldogs played a game on the date was in 2016, a 37-34 loss to The Citadel in overtime. The last time Samford won a game on Nov. 5 was in 1994 when the Bulldogs raced past Morgan State 40-34. The last time Samford won a home game on Nov. 5 was a 13-6 win over Troy State's B team in 1948. Samford has never played a Homecoming game on Nov. 5.

So I'm going home. Well, I'm going home
Graduate Student Nathan East was named first-team Preseason first team All-SoCon Linebacker in July at SoCon Media Days. Fellow Bulldogs Gavin Orr and Bradley Porcellato were named to the second team.

The miles are getting longer, it seems the closer I get to you
Following the victory over The Citadel, head coach Chris Hatcher improved his record to 47-37 at Samford. Hatcher currently sits in with Pat Sullivan (47) for most wins by a coach in program history

I've not always been the best Bulldog or friend for you, but your love remains true
Samford is 55-24-6 all-time on Homecoming including 10-3 since joining the SoCon before the 2008 season. For more Homecoming fun facts, see page 10.

And I don't know why you always seem to give me another try
The 27-17 season-opening win over No. 8 Kennesaw state was Samford's first top-10 victory since downing Wofford 35-20 on Nov. 3, 2018, at Seibert Stadium. Since Chris Hatcher's arrival on Lakeshore before the 2015 season, Samford is 3-1 against top 10 opponents at home.

Yeah! Well, I'm going home
Heading into the VMI game, Samford is riding a six-game win streak, which is the longest by the Bulldogs since the 1992 team had a six-game heater in the middle of the season.

To the place where I belong
The high-flying aerial act of Michael Hiers has the junior ranked top 10 nationally in completion percentage (76%/2nd), completions per game (27.38/3rd), passing efficiency (164/9th), passing touchdowns (23/5th), points responsible for (144/9th) and points responsible for per game (18/10th). Chandler Smith jumped back into the Top 10 for receiving touchdowns with 8. Smith ranks eighth nationally. Emmanuel Flowers checks in eighth nationally, thanks to his pair of fumble recoveries

And where your love has always been enough for me
To go along with the 4-1 start, the Samford Bulldogs have played on three different Family Weekends with the Bulldogs going 3-0. Samford averaged 34 points per game on Family Weekends with 421.7 yards of total offense in the three wins over Tennessee Tech, Western Carolina and Furman.

I'm not running from
Michael Hiers, the reigning SoCon Offensive Player of the Month, passed for a season-best 442 yards on 45-of-51 passing with four touchdowns through the air. The dual threat also rushed for 50 yards and a score in the 55-45 victory over ETSU. The Samford signal caller had separate consecutive completion streaks of 11, 14 and 15 passes in the game, while his 45 completions are the most for an NCAA Division I quarterback this year. His 45 completions found 11 different Bulldog receivers. Williams accounted for 13 points against ETSU with two made field goals along with going a perfect 7-for-7 in point-after attempts. The Louisville, Kentucky native tied his career-long with a 42-yarder to tie the game at three in the opening quarter before booting a 32-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to push the Samford lead to 34-24 heading in the break.

No, I think you got me all wrong, I don't regret this life I chose for me
Following the dub over Furman, Nathan East was named FCS National Defensive Player of the Week by Stats Perform and SoCon Defensive Player of the Week. East, a graduate linebacker, tallied a team-leading 10 tackles in Samford's 34-27 win at Furman on Saturday. The McCalla, Alabama native also forced two fumbles with two quarterback hurries, a pass break up and a sack. His second forced fumble of the game came on an eight-yard sack that set up the game-winning touchdown pass from Michael Hiers to J.R. Tran-Reno. Jaylan Thomas was named SoCon Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 104 yards on five carries with trips of 28, 14 and 44 to the endzone.

But these places and these faces are getting old
With the victory over The Citadel, Samford has recorded four road wins on the season which is the most in the Hatcher era.

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