Samford Bulldogs
SoCon
Samford clinched a share of the Southern Conference championship with a thrilling 33-32 comeback victory over Elon. The Bulldogs find themselves ranked 18th in our latest FCS rankings, and feature a balanced, high-powered attack led by former Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan. Samford enters the postseason as winners of six of their last eight games.
2013 Record: 8-4, 6-2
Coach: Pat Sullivan
Big Wins: 10/5 Georgia Southern (44-34), 11/16 Chattanooga (17-14)
Bad Losses: 11/2 at The Citadel (26-28), 11/9 at Furman (17-35)
Strengths:
Two of the top offensive weapons in the FCS can be found on Samford’s roster. Redshirt senior Andy Summerlin is sixth in the FCS with 3,559 yards passing on the season. Summerlin has completed 293-of-454 passes for 25 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Summerlin averages almost 297 yards passing per game. Samford’s passing offense is ranked tenth in the FCS. Running back Fabian Truss is a dynamic all-purpose back who, despite missing a game, carried for 877 yards and eight scores. Truss also has 36 catches for 295 yards and a touchdown. Along with his rushing and receiving numbers, Truss has 23 kick returns for 738 yards and two touchdowns. Bulldog receiver Kelsey Pope has 67 grabs for 783 yards and three touchdowns. Samford has a lot of veteran leadership, as Summerlin, Truss and Pope are all seniors.
Weaknesses:
Samford is a middle-of-the-road defensive team. The Bulldogs rank just outside the top sixty in team defense, allowing 383 yards per game. They are especially susceptible to the run, ranking 83rd in the FCS. Opposing rushers average 190.73 yards per game against Samford. The team ranks 112th in time of possession, keeping the ball for just 27:29 each game. This is largely due to the Bulldog passing attack, but this also means the Samford defense spends a lot of time on the field. This could be worth watching if Samford is matched up against a power running team. One such power running team, The Citadel, defeated the Bulldogs 28-26 earlier in the month. The Citadel carried for 338 yards in that game, and won the time of possession battle 35:42 to 24:18.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Fabian Truss, RB, 877 yards
Passing: Andy Summerlin, QB, 3,559 yards
Receiving: Kelsey Pope, WR, 783 yards
Tackles: Justin Shade, LB, 120
Sacks: Justin Shade, LB, 9.0
Interceptions: Josh Kimberlin, DB, 3; Tae Lewis, LB, 3
2013 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 134.3 (91st in nation, 6th in conference)
Passing Offense: 298.5 (13, 1)
Total Offense: 432.7 (27, 1)
Scoring Offense: 31.3 (34, 1)
Rushing Defense: 190.7 (83, 5)
Pass Defense: 192.8 (24, 3)
Total Defense: 383.5 (62, 3)
Scoring Defense: 25.2 (56, 4)
Turnover Margin: -0.2 (71, 5)
Sacks: 2.36 (35, 1)
Sacks Allowed: 2.00 (63, 6)
Recent Playoff Appearances:
1992 First Round Lost to Delaware
1991 First Round Defeated New Hampshire
1991 Quarterfinals Defeated James Madison
1991 Semifinals Lost to Youngstown State
*all team stats through 11/16
