BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –Samford junior quarterback Quincy Crittendon rushed for 209 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 203 yards and one touchdown, but the Bulldogs' second-half comeback fell just short in a 47-42 shootout loss to Western Carolina in the final game of the 2024 season Saturday afternoon at Pete Hanna Stadium.
 
The Bulldogs trailed, 37-14 at halftime, but closed to within two points in the fourth quarter but could not get over the hump as they fell, 47-42. Samford ends its season with a mark of 4-7 overall and 3-4 in Southern Conference play. Western Carolina improved tom 7-5 overall and 6-2 in league play. The Catamounts will find out their postseason fate at the FCS Playoff Selection Show Sunday.
 
"I'm really proud of our effort," Samford head coach Chris Hatcher said. "We had a lapse there at the end of the second quarter that put us down 23. Having a season like we've had it would have been very easy to come out and lay an egg in the second half, but I'm proud of our effort. We pulled within two, had an opportunity to win the game late, but couldn't get it done."
 
Crittendon rushed 23 times to gain his career-high 209 yards, and he scored on runs of 48 yards, 31 yards, 19 yards and one yard. He completed 20-of-35 passes for 203 yards and he threw a touchdown pass for six yards to E. Jai Mason, while also throwing three interceptions.
 
Mason caught four passes for 61 yards and a touchdown for Samford. Brendan Jenkins had six catches for 59 yards in the game. Preston Bird hauled in four passes for 57 yards. Behind Crittendon in the running game, Micah Kelly rushed five times for 104 yards and a touchdown.
 
For the Samford defense, Noah Martin had 14 tackles, 13 solo stops, including three tackles for a loss and one sack. Martin also forced a fumble. Nick Jackson had a fumble recovery, while Seth Parker had an interception for the Bulldogs.
 
Western Carolina quarterback Taron Dickens completed 36-of-46 passes for 408 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. A.J. Colombo led all receivers, catching nine passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Ken Moore Jr. led the team in tackles with six and he had an interception. Jordy Lowery intercepted two passes for the Catamounts.
 
The two teams swapped interceptions on the two opening drives, and Western Carolina started from the Samford 28-yard line after its pick. On 3^rd and 11, Dickens hit De'Andre Tamarez for a 29-yard touchdown pass to give the Catamounts a 7-0 lead with 9:43 to go in the first quarter. Western Carolina struck again when Dickens hit Isaiah Johnson for a six-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-0 with 5:44 left in the opening period.
 
Samford put its first points on the scoreboard early in the second quarter. Crittendon scored on a 48-yard run to cut the lead to 14-7 with 13:50 left in the period. Western Carolina's Christian Lowery kicked a 37-yard field goal to push the lead to 17-7 with 8:49 left in the second quarter. Crittendon scored on a 31-yard run to cut the lead to 17-14 with 4:20 left in the second quarter.
 
WCU's Dickens hit Colombo for a 14-yard touchdown pass, but the PAT was missed to make the score 23-14 with 2:22 left before halftime. Samford drove deep into WCU territory, but Jordy Lowery intercepted a Samford pass and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown to make the score 30-14 with 21 seconds left in the second quarter. On the final play of the second period, WCU's C.J. Williams returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown to send Western Carolina to halftime with a 37-14 lead.
 
On the opening drive of the third quarter, Crittendon hit Mason for a six-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 37-21 with 13:55 left in the third period. On the ensuing drive, Jackson recovered a WCU fumble at the Catamounts' 28-yard line. Two plays later, Crittendon scored on a 19-yard run to cut the lead to 37-28 with 13:04 left in the third quarter. Kelly scored on an 85-yard run to cut the Western Carolina lead to 37-35 with 3:24 to go in the third quarter.
 
Western Carolina's Jalynn Williams scored on a one-yard run to make the score 44-35 with 13:45 left in the fourth quarter. Christian Lowery kicked a 23-yard field goal to push the lead to 47-35 with 5:07 left in the game. Crittendon added his fourth rushing touchdown of the game when he scored from one yard out to cut the lead to 47-42 with 33 seconds left. The on-sides kick was recovered by Western Carolina, sealing the Catamounts' win.




 
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