Five Things to Watch as Samford Visits Furman
By Steve Irvine
October 24, 2026
SAMFORD VS. FURMAN
Day, site, kickoff time: Saturday, Paladin Stadium, 1 p.m. CST
Records: Samford 1-6 overall, 1-3 SoCon; Furman 2-5 overall, 1-2 SoCon
Five storylines
Will it be a revolving door at quarterback for Samford?: Gabarri Johnson has been Samford’s starter and finisher at quarterback. This past Saturday in a home loss to Mercer, though, Johnson got the start but was unable to finish after getting banged up in the first half. The Bulldogs cleared out their quarterback rotation after he left with Charlie Gilliam, Coulter Cleland and Will Shields all getting time. Statistically speaking, Gilliam had the most success, completing 14 passes in 23 attempts for 123 yards with an interception. Cleland scored on a 10-yard run in the fourth quarter. It will be interesting to see what happens at quarterback for the Bulldogs.
Can Samford get off to a better start?: Digging an early hole has been common for Samford this season. In the loss to Mercer, Samford quickly fell behind 21-0. Samford outscored Mercer, 21-10, the rest of the way but the early hole was too costly. Samford head coach John Grass reminded his team often this week that they need to find ways to start quicker. “I got to do a better job of making sure we’re mentally ready to play,” Grass said. “Physically, we’re ready to play. We’ve had really good weeks of prep and practice and stuff. I got to figure out what makes this bunch tick mentally and get off to a better start.”
Will Samford running back Ken Cherry lead the running game once again? Cherry had 13 carries for 108 yards against a strong Mercer rush defense last week. It was Cherry’s first 100-yard game of his career and the first by a Samford running back this season. Before that, the most recent time a Samford player rushed for more than 100 yards was when quarterback Quincy Crittendon had 209 yards on 23 carries during a 47-42 loss to Western Carolina in the final game of the 2024 season. The most recent 100-yard game by a Samford running back came in that same game when Micah Kelly had 104 yards on five carries. Grass said his goal is for his team to have at least a pair of 100-yard rushers in a game.
How much of an impact will Samford kicker Ty Ippolito have in the game? The Samford kicker has the three longest field goals in program history. The previous record was 52 yards by Cameron Yaw in 2012. Ippolito had field goals of 58 and 54 yards at Tennessee Tech and made a 53-yard attempt last week at home against Mercer. “Anytime you get inside the 40, he’s got a chance to make one,” Grass said. It also helps to have a reliable kicker in close games. Take away the lopsided loss at Tennessee and every one of Furman’s losses have been by one score. The Bulldogs will need every point they can muster if they hope to steal a close game on the road.
Will turnovers make an impact in the game? Furman is among the best in FCS football in creating turnovers. The Paladins forced 15 turnovers – nine interceptions, six fumble recoveries – in the first seven games. That puts them tied for fifth in the country in turnovers gained. Samford, on the other hand, has just five turnovers, which is 110th in the nation in turnovers gained. Offensively, though, they have very similar numbers. Samford turned the ball over 10 times and the Furman offense has nine turnovers. Minimizing turnovers will be critical for both teams on Saturday.