GAME NOTES--SAMFORD VS. CHATTANOOGA (PDF)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford football team will return home to play host to the Chattanooga Mocs Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Pete Hanna Stadium. The game can be seen live on ESPN+.
 
Samford enters the game with a record of 1-6 overall and 1-4 in Southern Conference play. The Bulldogs earned a 24-22 win at VMI last weekend. Chattanooga is currently 3-4 overall and 2-1 in league play. The Mocs earned a 42-38 win against ETSU last Saturday.

Samford and Chattanooga are meeting for the 50th time, with Chattanooga holding a 34-12-3 series lead. Last season, the teams played at Chattanooga, with Samford earning a 36-13 win. The series dates back to 1906 when Chattanooga was known as Grant University and Samford was known as Howard College. Samford won that first meeting, 63-0 at West End Park in Birmingham. The teams have been co-members of the Southern Conference since Samford joined the league in 2008. Since Samford joined the SoCon, Chattanooga leads the series, 12-4.
 
The last time out, Samford earned its first win of the 2025 season with a dramatic 24-22 win at VMI last Saturday. Freshman kicker Jake Garner kicked a 37-yard field goal to give the Bulldogs the winning 24-22 lead with 1:28 to go. For Samford in the game, freshman quarterback Brady Stober completed 34-of-43 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Preston Bird led all Samford receivers with nine catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. Calvin Jones caught nine passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. Stober also led the team in rushing with 13 carries for 45 yards. The Samford defense was led by Jaden Mosley with 12 tackles. Malik Thornton had eight tackles, followed by Carson Sloan with seven tackles.
 
HATCHER'S OFFENSES PRODUCE
Through the last 10-plus seasons, Samford head coach Chris Hatcher's offenses have averaged more points than under any other head coach in program history. Entering Saturday's game, Hatcher's teams have averaged 31.9 points per game, scoring 3,775 points in 118 games. His average is 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.
 
PUTTING UP POINTS
Over the last 10-plus seasons under head coach Chris Hatcher, the Samford offense has scored at least 30 points 54 times. The unit has put up at least 40 points 30 times, and at least 50 points a total of 15 times.
 
QUICK STRIKES
In the 10-plus seasons under head coach Chris Hatcher, Samford has made a habit of quick scoring drives. In Hatcher's time at Samford, the Bulldogs have had 216 scoring drives that lasted two minutes or less and 102 that have lasted one minute or less.
 
SAMFORD AT PETE HANNA STADIUM
Samford has an all-time record of 185-92-4 in games played at Pete Hanna Stadium. This season, Samford has five home games on its schedule, and the Bulldogs are currently 0-3 in those contests. Last season, Samford posted a record of 3-3 in home games. In 10 seasons under head coach Chris Hatcher, Samford has a record of 38-19 when playing at home.
 
SAMFORD AGAINST TENNESSEE TEAMS
Samford has an all-time record of 93-91-9 against teams from the state of Tennessee, including a mark of 12-34-3 against Saturday's opponent, Chattanooga. Samford has played the following teams from Tennessee: Austin Peay (8-1), Bethel (2-0), Carson-Newman (6-11), Chattanooga (12-34-3), Cumberland (1-0), ETSU (8-4), Knoxville College (1-0), Maryville (6-3-1), Memphis Navy (2-4), Sewanee (8-7-2), Tennessee (0-2), UT Martin (16-4-1), Tennessee State (2-3), Tennessee Tech (14-12), Tennessee Tech "B" Team (1-1), Tennessee Wesleyan (1-2), Union (5-1-1) and Vanderbilt (0-2).
 
SAMFORD IN THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
Since joining the Southern Conference in 2008, Samford has posted a record of 75-65 in conference games. All-time against the current members of the SoCon, Samford has a mark of 101-92-4, including a 12-34-3 record against Chattanooga. Samford's all-time record against each current SoCon team is Chattanooga (12-34-3), The Citadel (10-9), ETSU (8-4), Furman (12-15), Mercer (16-15-1), VMI (10-3), Western Carolina (17-6) and Wofford (16-6).
 
ON THIS DATE
Samford has an all-time record of 4-5-1 in games played on Oct. 25. The last time Samford played a game on the date was in 2014 in a 45-0 win at Furman. The first time Samford played on Oct. 25 was in 1902 in just the second game ever for the program, defeating Marion Institute, 6-0 at West End Park in Birmingham.
 
MOSLEY LEADS THE SOCON
Samford senior linebacker Jaden Mosley currently leads the Southern Conference in tackles after the first seven weeks of the season. Through the first seven games, he has a total of 67 tackles, the highest total in the league. His 9.6 tackles per game average also leads the SoCon.
 
SAMFORD DUO AMONG THE BEST
Samford wide receivers Jaden Gibson and Preston Bird are both ranked in the top five in the Southern Conference in receptions. Bird ranks third in the league with 42 receptions, while Gibson ranks fourth in the SoCon with 39 receptions.
 
BULLDOG OFFENSE RANKS HIGH IN THE SOCON
Entering Saturday's game the Samford offense ranks high in the Southern Conference in a couple of different statistical categories. The Bulldogs rank second in the Southern Conference in passing yards per game, averaging 292.9 passing yards per game. In total passing yards, Samford also ranks second in the league with a total of 2,050 yards so far this season,
 
STOBER EARNS SOCON AND NATIONAL HONORS
Samford freshman quarterback Brady Stober earned a conference honor and a national honor following a stellar performance in his first collegiate start at VMI last weekend. Stober was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Week and he was tabbed by Stats Perform as its National Freshman of the Week. In the 24-22 win at VMI, Stober completed 34-of-43 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns. He threw touchdown passes from 15, 22 and 27 yards out in the victory.
 
Saturday's game can be seen live on ESPN+. For links to follow all of Samford's games this season, click on the following link: 2025 SAMFORD FOOTBALL SCHEDULE.
 
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For the latest news and information on Samford football, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordFootball (Facebook), @SamfordFootball (Instagram) and @SamfordFootball (Twitter).