2000 Samford Football Notes

Transcription

1 2000 Samford Football Notes Game #1 Samford (0-0) vs. Chattanooga (0-0) Thursday, August 31, p.m. (EST) Finley Stadium Davenport Field Chattanooga, Tennessee THE TEAMS SAMFORD, a Division I-AA Independent, is poised to make history as it opens its 85th season of intercollegiate football. After posting its fifth consecutive winning season in 1999, this 2000 team can record six consecutive winning seasons for the first time in school history. Samford has posted five consecutive winning seasons one other time in its history -- from under coaches Bobby Bowden and Herman Bubba Scott. Samford returns nine offensive starters from a 1999 unit that set school single-season rushing records (3,439), rushing attempts (627), touchdowns (41), and rushing yards in a game (463). Defensively, the Bulldogs are very young, returning only three starters from last season s squad. Football began at Samford, then known as Howard College, in 1902, but 1906 was its first officially organized season. Since then, Samford has posted a overall record, including its most famous result in Bulldog history, a 7-7 tie with 1935 defending Rose Bowl champion Alabama. Other outstanding moments in Samford s history include Dixie Conference championships in 1933, 1935 and 1936, and participation in the NCAA Playoffs in 1991 and 1992 under Terry Bowden. CHATTANOOGA, a member of the Southern Conference, finished 5-6 and 3-5 in the SoCon last season. The Mocs return 44 letterwinners, including seven starters on either side of the ball, and four specialists. In 1999, the Mocs set school single-season records for passing yards (3,591), passing touchdowns (28), pass attempts (496) and pass completions (300). THE SERIES Tonight s game will be the 30th meeting between the schools, with Chattanooga leading the series , including wins in the last six meetings. The schools have met two other times in the 1990s, Chattanooga winning in 1998 and in Samford last defeated the Mocs in Chattanooga as Howard University on Sept. 15, 1962, Bobby Bowden s final season opener with the Bulldogs. Howard won and finished the 1962 season 7-2. Nov. 3, SU 63, UTC 0...Birmingham Nov. 16, SU 21, UTC 5...Chattanooga Nov. 7, UTC 29, SU 0...Chattanooga Oct. 30, SU 0, UTC 0...Chattanooga Nov. 12, UTC 56, SU 0...Chattanooga Oct. 24, UTC 14, SU 7...Chattanooga Oct. 22, UTC 26, SU 3...Chattanooga Nov. 17, SU 0, UTC 0...Chattanooga Oct. 11, SU 28, UTC 0...Chattanooga Oct. 10, SU 3, UTC 0...Birmingham Nov. 6, UTC 23, SU 0...Chattanooga Nov. 10, UTC 14, SU 0...Birmingham Nov. 9, UTC 20, SU 14...Chattanooga Nov. 1, UTC 13, SU 9...Chattanooga Oct. 10, UTC 14, SU 0...Chattanooga Oct. 22, UTC 19, SU 0...Birmingham Nov. 26, UTC 6, SU 0...Chattanooga Oct. 23, SU 6, UTC 0...Birmingham Oct. 21, UTC 13, SU 6...Chattanooga Oct. 21, SU 33, UTC 14...Birmingham Nov. 1, UTC 28, SU 0...Chattanooga Oct. 17, SU 7, UTC 7...Anniston, Ala. Oct. 19, UTC 47, SU 7...Chattanooga Sept. 15, SU 22, UTC 12...Chattanooga Nov. 14, UTC 28, SU 13...Chattanooga Nov. 13, UTC 25, SU 10...Birmingham Nov. 4, UTC 28, SU 0...Birmingham Nov. 23, UTC 40, SU 7...Chattanooga Sept. 3, UTC 23, SU 13...Chattanooga Sept. 2, UTC 29, SU 27...Birmingham SAMFORD BULLDOGS 2000 Schedule 8/31 Chattanooga 6 p.m. 9/7 MURRAY STATE 7 p.m 9/14 TENNESSEE-MARTIN 7 p.m. 9/21 Jacksonville State 7 p.m. 9/30 NICHOLLS STATE 6 p.m. 10/5 North Texas 7:05 p.m. 10/14 Elon 1 p.m. 10/21 GARDNER-WEBB 1 p.m. 10/28 Liberty 12:30 p.m. 11/4 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN (HC) 1:30 p.m. 11/9 Tennessee Tech 7 p.m. All Times Central All Dates and Times Subject to Change CHATTANOOGA MOCS 2000 Schedule 8/31 SAMFORD 7 p.m. 9/7 at UAB 8 p.m 9/16 MISS. VALLEY ST. 1:30 p.m. 9/23 GA. SOUTHERN 7 p.m. 9/30 Wofford 1:30 p.m. 10/14 VMI 7 p.m. 10/21 Western Carolina 1 p.m. 10/28 APPALACHIAN ST 1:30 p.m. 11/4 The Citadel 2 p.m. 11/11 E. TENNESSEE ST. 1:30 p.m. 11/18 Furman 2:00 p.m. All Times Eastern All Dates and Times Subject to Change WHO TO CONTACT SID: CRAIG THRELKELD OFFICE PHONE: (205) HOME PHONE: (205) FAX: (205) SCTHRELK@SAMFORD.EDU ATHLETICS DEPT.: (205)

2 Samford Pronunciation Guide #-- Name 6 -- Aryvia Holmes -- R-VEE-uh Donta Garrett -- don-tay Majuan Griggs -- Ma-WON Jared Chiarella -- Sha-rella Donnte Sheffield -- don-tay Philip Duplantis -- DOO-plan-tis Britt Thames -- TAMES Alex Millender -- Mill -N-der Chad Utz -- Uhtz Opponents Information 1999 Records Chattanooga Murray State UT-Martin Jacksonville State Nicholls State North Texas Elon Gardner-Webb Liberty Charleston Southern Tennessee Tech This Week SAMFORD at Chattanooga Southern Illinois at Murray St. Lambuth at UT-Martin Jacksonville St. at South Florida Central Arkansas at Nicholls St. Baylor at North Texas Elon at Furman Gardner-Webb at Morris Brown E. Tennessee St. at Liberty THE COACHES PETE HURT (Mississippi College, 78, in his seventh year at Samford and overall) is 3-3 in season openers and 0-2 against Chattanooga. He the only coach to guide Samford to five consecutive winning seasons, and his 37 wins place him in a position to surpass Terry Bowden (45) this season as the winningest coach in school history. Hurt spent one season at Samford as defensive coordinator under Chan Gailey before being named the school s 33rd head coach in Prior to his arrival at Samford, Hurt was with the Birmingham Fire of the World League of Professional Football. He has been an assistant at North Texas, Baylor, Lamar and Rice. DONNIE KIRKPATRICK (Lenior-Rhyne, 82) is beginning his first season as head coach of the Mocs. At Chattanooga since 1998, Kirkpatrick was the former offensive coordinator for the Mocs last season and a volunteer assistant with the defensive backs in 98. Kirkpatrick has also served as a graduate assistant coach at Appalachian St., and coached quarterbacks at the University of South Carolina, Eastern Michigan University, and the University of Louisville. ON THE AIR Tonight s game is being broadcast on WVSU-FM (91.1) in Birmingham. Scott Griffin, in his eighth season, calls the play-by-play with Mike Royer serving as color analyst and Tommy Rohling as sideline reporter. The game can also be accessed over the internet from the Samford athletics Web page at The game may also be accessed on cell phones by dialing , Ext Additionally, Samford has recently entered into an agreement with Dick Broadcasting Company of Alabama that provides for seven games this season to be broadcast as simulcasts on WVSU-FM and on WAPI(AM 1070) and WJOX(AM 690). The following is a breakdown of where Samford football can be found this season. Sept. 7 Samford vs. Murray St. WAPI/WVSU 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 Samford vs. UT-Martin WAPI/WVSU 6:30 p.m. Sept. 21 Samford at Jacksonville St. WAPI/WVSU 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30 Samford vs. Nicholls State WAPI/WVSU 5:50 p.m. Oct. 5 Samford at North Texas WAPI/WVSU 6:30 p.m. Oct. 14 Samford at Elon WVSU 12:30 p.m. Oct. 21 Samford vs. Gardner-Webb WVSU 12:30 p.m. Oct. 28 Samford at Liberty WVSU Noon Nov. 4 Samford vs. Charleston Southern WJOX/WVSU 1:05 p.m. Nov. 9 Samford at Tennessee Tech WAPI/WVSU 6:30 p.m. SAMFORD - CHATTANOOGA 1999 STATISTICALCOMPARISONS TEAM SU Offense: Multiple UTC Offense: Multiple SU UTC Rushing Offense Passing Offense Total Offense Scoring Offense SU DEFENSE: 4-3 TTU DEFENSE: 4-3 Rushing Defense Passing Defense Total Defense Scoring Defense TOP RETURNING INDIVIDUALS SAMFORD Rushing Att Yds TD Josh Kellett Passing A-C-I Yds TD Josh Kellett Receiving Rec Yds TD Aryvia Holmes Defense UT-A TOT Other Matthew Forester sack, 1 FR UTC Rushing Att Yds TD Charles McNeil Passing A-C-I Yds TD Chris Sanders , Receiving Rec Yds TD Cos Dematteo Defense UT-A TOT Other Josh Cain TFL, 1 INT, 2 FR

3 SAMFORD UNIVERSITY 2000 FOOTBALL QUICK FACTS UNIVERSITY INFORMATION Location: Birmingham, Alabama Enrollment: 4,473 Founded: 1841 President: Dr. Thomas E. Corts Nickname: Bulldogs Colors: Red and Blue Director of Athletics: Bob Roller Affiliation: NCAA I-AA Conference: Independent Stadium: Seibert Stadium Capacity: 6,700 Playing Surface: Natural Grass TEAM INFORMATION 1999 Record: Postseason: None Lettermen Ret.: 38 (21 Off., 17 Def., 0 Spec.) Lettermen Lost: 13 (6 Off., 6 Def., 1 Spec.) Starters Ret.: 12 (9 Off. 3 Def., 0 Spec.) Starters Lost: 10 (3 Off., 6 Def., 1 Spec.) Type Offense: Multiple Type Defense: 4-3 COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Pete Hurt (Mississippi College, 78) Record at Samford: (5 years) Overall Record: Same Assistant Coaches: Joel Williams Off. Coordinator, QB s Bill Gray Asst. Head Coach, RBs Richard Koehler Def. Coord. (Running Game), Linebackers Carroll McCray Offensive Line Mike O Toole Def. Coord. (Passing Game), Defensive Backs John Watkins Defensive Line Jerry Fabian Defensive Line Assistant Eric Skipwith Wide Receivers Tommy Rohling Strength and Conditioning Director of Athletic Training: Wayne Kendrick Assistant Athletic Trainers: Robb Hensarling, Dara Trotter, Bryan Koch IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS SID Phone: (205) SID Fax: (205) Athletic Department: (205) Athletic Department Fax: (205) Director of Athletics: (205) Football Office: (205) Athletic Training: (205) Press Box Numbers: (205) , 2144 SAMFORD S TIES TO THE VOLUNTEER STATE Tonight s game is the first of three games for Samford against schools from the state of Tennessee. Samford will host UT-Martin on Sept. 14, then travel to Cookeville, Tenn., to face Tennessee Tech on Nov. 9. Samford has four players from the Volunteer state: senior tailback Terry Salter (Nashville), senior guard John Moran (Franklin), and two redshirt freshmen guards from Murfreesboro -- Mitch Welborn and Jay Adkins. MUST-SEE THURSDAYS THIS FALL FOR THE BULLDOGS Tonight s game against Chattanooga is the first of six Thursday night games for Samford in The Bulldogs first two home games are against Murray St. on Sept. 7 and UT-Martin on Sept. 14, then they travel to Jacksonville St. on Sept. 21. North Texas hosts the Bulldogs on Oct. 5, and Samford s last regular season game is on the road on Thursday, Nov. 9, against Tennessee Tech. BULLDOGS START THREE FRESHMEN When Samford opens its 85th season of football tonight, three true freshmen will start for the Bulldogs and many more are expected to see plenty of action, especially on defense. Left defensive end Will Grogan, defensive tackle Demarius Jackson and punter Ty Neil will see their first collegiate action as starters. Neil is also the backup place kicker to Chip Walters, also new to Samford by way of the University of Tennessee. Other freshmen who could play outside of special teams include defensive linemen Blake Hall and Chip Adams, linebacker Derrick Wheeler, strong safety Will Lawler, punter Jonathan Reynolds, halfback Adrian Horstead, quarterback Thomas Brown, guards Jay Adkins and Andrew Gunn. BREWER AND WRIGHT NEXT FOR BULLDOG RECORDS While the Bulldogs will certainly miss all-time leading rusher Jerome Russell, seniors Rashad Brewer and Kadell Wright are poised to lead the Bulldog running attack this season. Brewer and Wright are also ready to leave their marks on the Samford record books. Below is a list of the rushing and scoring career leaders in Samford history and where Brewer and Wright place on those lists. RUSHING PLAYER, YEARS ATT YDS YPC TD 1. Jerome Russell, Brady Jones, Surkano Edwards, Bobby Jackson, Rashad Brewer, 1997-present Damian Hines, Shorty Smith, Anthony Jordan, Jim Lovette, George Versprille, SCORING PLAYER, YEARS TD EP-1 EP-2 FG PTS 1. Michael O Neal, Brady Jones, Bobby Jackson, Jerome Russell, George Versprille, Surkano Edwards, Damian Hines, Kadell Wright, 1997-present Jim Lovette, Rashad Brewer, 1997-present

4 HURT CHASING TERRY BOWDEN With seven wins in 99, Samford Head Coach Pete Hurt moved into second place on the school s career wins list, passing Howard College alumnus and current Florida State Head Coach Bobby Bowden. Hurt, in his seventh year at the helm, is in his career. Bobby Bowden, who coached at Samford (then known as Howard College from ), went 31-6 during his tenure and is still the all-time leader in winning percentage (.838) in Samford history. Former Samford and Auburn coach and ABC broadcaster Terry Bowden, who guided the Bulldogs from , is the all-time winningest coach in school history with 45 wins. Listed below are the top 10 coaches according to victories in Samford history. FACTS ABOUT CHATTANOOGA Name (Years) Career Wins 1. Terry Bowden ( ) Pete Hurt (1994-present) Bobby Bowden ( ) Eddie McLane ( ) Wayne Grubb ( ) Billy Bancroft ( ) John Lee Armstrong ( ) Chester Chet Dillon (1919, ) (tie) J.B. Longwell (1909, 1911, ) (tie) Earl Gartman ( ) Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee Enrollment: 8,682 Founded: 1886 Colors: Navy, Old Gold and Silver Affiliation: NCAA Division I-AA Conference: Southern Stadium: Finley Stadium Davenport Field Capacity: President: Dr. Wade J. Gilley Athletic Director: Oval Jaynes SAMFORD FOOTBALL DEPTH CHART OFFENSE Center 77 Brandon Myhand (6-4, 311, Sr.) 70 Mike Hamilton (6-2, 280, Sr.) Right Guard 73 John Moran (6-3, 290, Sr.) 78 Jay Adkins (6-5, 309, Fr.) Right Tackle 72 Chris Benton (6-3, 260, Sr.) 54 Caleb Ross (6-2, 260, Sr.) Left Guard 64 Jim Dudley (6-3, 280, Sr.) 53 Andrew Gunn (6-4, 280, So.) Left Tackle 75 Philip Duplantis (6-3, 268, Sr.) 68 Mitch Welborn (6-5, 280, Fr.) Tight End 48 Ryan Buchanan (6-3, 250, Jr.) 81 Daniel McClurkin (6-3, 227, So.) Wide Receiver 5 Jon Pointer (6-1, 182, Sr.) 6 Aryvia Holmes (5-11, 183, So.) Quarterback 4 Josh Kellett (6-1, 190, So.) 18 Thomas Brown (6-1, 190, Fr.) Tailback 21 Gary Reed (5-9, 170, Jr.) 28 Rashad Brewer (5-6, 170, Sr.) Fullback 33 Kadell Wright (6-0, 210, Sr.) 42 Garrick McCarty (6-2, 212, So.) Halfback 25 Terry Salter (5-8, 170, Sr.) 1 Adrian Horstead (5-11, 165, Fr.) DEFENSE Nose Guard 59 Brent Robinson (6-0, 308, Jr.) 56 Garrett Murray (6-0, 290, Fr.) Left Defensive End 86 Will Grogan (6-2, 212, Fr.) 74 Blake Hall (6-4, 235, Jr.) Right Defensive End 99 Lamar Whitaker (6-2, 240, Sr.) 89 Chip Adams (6-3, 226, Fr.) Defensive Tackle 93 Demarius Jackson (6-0, 267, Fr.) 55 Marcus McBride (6-0, 274, Fr.) Weakside Linebacker 90 Lewis Cole (6-1, 213, Sr.) 80 Britt Thames (6-2, 198, Fr.) Middle Linebacker 2 Matthew Forester (6-3, 234, So.) 10 Clay Romano (6-2, 215, Jr.) Strongside Linebacker 40 Jason Long (5-10, 200, Sr.) 17 Derrick Wheeler (6-0, 182, Fr.) Right Cornerback 12 Michael Williams (5-7, 172, Sr.) 24 Russell Delk (5-10, 180, Fr.) Left Cornerback 14 Donta Garrett (5-10, 190, So.) 7 Mitch Williams (5-8, 174, Sr.) Free Safety 13 Robert Evans (5-11, 175, So.) 26 Matt Jackson (5-11, 188, Fr.) Strong Safety 46 Jonathan Clark (6-4, 202, Jr.) 3 Will Lawler (6-2, 195, Fr.) THE BRIARWOOD CONNECTION Looking for a feeder program in the Alabama high school ranks for Samford football? Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham has now surpassed Central High of Tuscaloosa. Last season the Bulldogs had eight players from Tuscaloosa Central, and this season eight players on the current roster hail from BCS, including starting middle linebacker Matthew Forester. Included on the roster are freshman defensive back Matt Jackson, backup tight end Daniel McClurkin, wide receiver and holder Rob Shaw, 2000 signees Daniel Black and Jason Ogletree, and walk-ons Jeff Flannery and Matthew Downs. ROAD WARRIORS Seibert Stadium wasn t Home Sweet Home for the Bulldogs in 99, so they made themselves at home on the road, posting a 4-1 record away from Birmingham. Victories at Austin Peay (51-0), UT-Martin (32-7), Western Carolina (35-32) and Nicholls State (28-24) gave the Bulldogs a winning percentage of.800 on the road, a far cry from their 1-5 road record (.166) in 98. QUICK STARTERS; STRONG FINISHERS Samford scored on its first possession in eight of its 11 games in 99. The only games in which the Bulldogs failed to score on the opening possession were against Eastern Kentucky and Murray State. Additionally, the Bulldogs outscored the opposition in the second half and dominated opponents in the third quarter. Samford s 335 points in 1999 obliterated the 203 scored during the 1998 season.

5 NEW KICKERS ARE HOPE TO STOP LOSING CLOSE ONES Samford s four losses in 1999 came by a combined 13 points, including three games by three points or less: Chattanooga (29-27), nationally-ranked Eastern Kentucky (17-16), nationally-ranked Elon in double overtime (34-31) and Murray State (34-27). So head coach Pete Hurt had five kickers in camp this fall to make sure he has the kicking/special teams game covered. Sophomore transfer Chip Walters and freshmen Ty Neil, Jared Chiarella, Jonathan Reynolds and Justin Davis have all competed for the place kicking and punting duties. Walters will be the starting place kicker, backed up by Neil, while Neil will also serve as the No. 1 punter, backed up by Reynolds. MOCS RECEIVERS COULD SEE DOUBLE IN SECONDARY If you see Chattanooga receivers doing a double take tonight, it might be because they see identical twins Michael and Mitch Williams in the game together. Senior cornerback Mitch Williams, who was actually the starting quarterback prior to an injury last season, moved to the secondary in the spring of 99 and is the current backup to Donta Garrett. Mitch s brother, Michael, has played in 33 consecutive games since both redshirted in 1996, and started at corner every game in 99. VETERAN OFFENSIVE LINEMEN MAKE PRESEASON LIST A pair of the five seniors across the Bulldog offensive line have been named to the Sporting News Preseason Division I-AA All-America team. Tackle Philip Duplantis was listed as a preseason first-team selection, and center Brandon Myhand earned membership to the second team. One of the most veteran offensive lines in Division I-AA, the quintet of Chris Benton (27), Jim Dudley (30), Philip Duplantis (33), John Moran (28) and Brandon Myhand (33) have played in 151 total games for the Bulldogs. Additionally, Duplantis has started every game in his Samford career. HELMETS BEAR NEW LOGO After changing helmets last season from white to blue, Samford s helmets now reflect the new logo used by all of Samford athletics. The new logo, which was unveiled on June 21, 2000, was created to provide Samford athletics with a single identity. Director of Athletics Bob Roller says the logo fits into the plan of using one single logo to market each of the 17 men s and women s sports. This new logo will build a better brand and create licensing and merchandising opportunities for Samford athletics, said Roller. The new bulldog was designed by Samford University s graphic design team of Scott Camp and Sharon Duckworth, and replaces the former logo Samford used for a decade. NEW WEB SITE PART OF SAMFORD S GROWTH In early August, Samford University also launched its new athletics Web site -- samfordsports.com -- joining more than 80 other colleges and universities who are members of the FANSonly network. Samfordsports.com, the official athletic Web site of Samford University, features comprehensive athletic information on every varsity sport including the latest news and features, schedules, results, athlete and coaches bios, live game stats and broadcasts, audio and video clips, and fan-friendly interactive programming. FOR THE LATEST STATISTICS AND INFORMATION, VISIT SAMFORD FOOTBALL ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT: samfordsports.com THE LAST TIME CHATTANOOGA 29, SAMFORD 27 September 2, 1999 Seibert Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama Attendance: 6,340 Chris Sanders threw for 358 yards and tossed three touchdowns as Chattanooga piled up 498 yards of total offense and snapped Samford's nine-game home winning streak. Sanders, an SMU transfer, tossed a 78- yard TD pass to Ron Strickland in the first quarter, a 25-yard score to Jamal Randolph for the go-ahead touchdown in the second quarter. Sanders completed his night with an 80-yard pass in the third quarter to Stepfon Hawkins. Samford scored on its first possession as Rashad Brewer scored on a 10-yard run. Garrick McCarty added a 5-yard run in the first quarter to give the Bulldogs a 14-3 lead before UTC scored 26 unanswered points. Jim Whaley added a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter for Samford and Tony Tucker returned a fumble 44 yards to close the gap to 29-27, but a personal foul against the Bulldogs on third-and-10 allowed UTC to run out the clock. SCORE BY QUARTERS Score UTC SU SCORING SUMMARY SU -- Brewer 10 run (Holmes kick) UTC -- FG Vick 24 SU -- McCarty 5 run (Holmes kick) UTC -- Strickland 78 pass from Sanders (Vick kick) UTC -- FG Vick 41 UTC -- Randolph 25 pass from Sanders (run failed) UTC -- Hawkins 80 pass from Sanders (Vick kick) UTC -- FG Vick 20 SU -- Whaley 9 run (Holmes kick) SU -- Tucker 44 fumble recovery (pass failed) TEAM STATISTICS UTC SU First Downs Rushing Yds (Net) Passing Yds (Net) Passes Att-Comp-Int Punts (Number-Avg) Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Possession Time 30:53 29:07 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING - UTC: Harrell 11-79, McNeill 17-65, Tinker 2-7, Sanders 3-(-11). SU: Kellett 14-52, Russell 9-45, Whaley 12-42, McCarty 6-28, Brewer 3-24, Reed 3-21, Mit. Williams 2-7. PASSING - UTC: Sanders SU: Kellett ; Mit. Williams RECEIVING - UTC: Strickland 6-159, Randolph 5-63, Hawkins 3-101, Harrell 2-6, Tinker 1-11, Earl 1-9, McNeill 1-7, Beasley 1-5, Funke 1-(-3). SU: A. Holmes 2-19, Pointer 1-40, Reed 1-19, Russell 1-18.