Tuesday, May 6, 2014

2014 Football Preview: Samford

This article is part of a series previewing the Terriers' 2014 football opponents. Wofford hopes to snap their two-loss streak to Samford on October 18.

Wofford's hopes for an outright SoCon title in 2012 were dashed with a two-overtime loss to the Samford Bulldogs. Samford fought back from a 24-9 deficit to tie the game with no time left in regulation.  An exchange of missed field goals, a Bulldog touchdown, and a Terrier fumble later, Wofford had no choice but to split the title with Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, only after beating Chattanooga the following week.

Last year, the Bulldogs came out on top by a touchdown in Spartanburg, 34-27.  Under seventh-year head coach Pat Sullivan, Samford finished 2013 with a 8-5(6-2 SoCon) record, splitting a SoCon title with Chattanooga and Furman.

Samford's 2013 Season

Following a ten-point victory at Georgia State to open the season, the Bulldogs entered War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas, to take on a struggling Razorback team.  They gave the Hogs a run for their money, with an impressive showing despite Arkansas' 31-21 win.  Samford beat Florida A&M 27-20 to end the road trip.  Southeastern Louisiana spoiled the Bulldogs' home opener with a 34-31 win, but Samford rebounded the next week to upend Western Carolina 63-23 and clip Georgia Southern the subsequent week to close out the homestand.  Samford then defeated Appalachian State(34-10) and the Terriers(34-27) before dropping two straight, against The Citadel(28-26) and Furman(35-17). An overtime win against Chattanooga(17-14) and a 33-32 edge over Elon concluded the regular season.  The Bulldogs' postseason was short-lived, as they were thumped in the second round, 55-14, by Jacksonville State.

The Game

On October 18, the Terriers hope to snap the losing streak against Samford.  Again, Wofford will need to play smart and carefully with the option without being too bashful. The big plays may be exciting, but it is the small gains and steady movement that will ultimately determine the outcome.

No comments:

Post a Comment