By Steve Irvine
November 13, 2026
WESTERN CAROLINA VS. SAMFORD
Day, site, kickoff time: Saturday, Pete Hanna Stadium, 2:30 p.m. CST
Records: Samford 4-6 overall, 4-3 SoCon; Western Carolina 5-5 overall, 3-3 SoCon
Five storylines
Will this one come down to the final play once again?: It’s crazy to think that back-to-back Samford victories came on the final play of the game. Ty Ippolito’s field goal provided the winning points against Furman and Domonique Thomas caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Gabarri Johnson to win at East Tennessee State. It’s hard to imagine that it will happen a third time in a row but the most important thing is the Bulldogs are prepared if needed. The more times you find ways to win a game the more it becomes a habit. Both games included an incredible drive to set up the winning score.
How much will the running game be a factor?: Samford doesn’t have gaudy rushing numbers. In fact, the Bulldogs average just 83 rushing yards per game and opponents rush for 187 yards per contest. But Samford has gotten some timely running success during the three-game winning streak. Western Carolina likes to throw the ball but the Catamounts complement that with more than 140 rushing yards per game. It will be helpful if Samford can make the Western Carolina offense one dimensional.
To win will Samford need to score a bunch of points like last week? The Catamounts annually have one of the top offenses in the SoCon under head coach Kerwin Bell. This season, Western Carolina is third in the SoCon in scoring offense (29.2 points per game) and total offense (394.3 yards per game). Quarterback Lex Thomas is 226-of-355 for 2,391 yards with 10 touchdown passes and two interceptions. He also rushed for 344 yards with five touchdowns thus far. Josh Perry has 534 rushing yards with seven touchdowns. This has the feel of a high-scoring game.
How much time will freshman quarterback Will Shields see on Saturday? Gabarri Johnson should see the bulk of the time on Saturday. Shields, the talented freshman, got some playing time in last week’s win and he responded by throwing a touchdown pass to fellow freshman Kevonte Corbin. It would be surprising if Shields doesn’t get some more playing time on Saturday.
Will this game come down to a field goal? Two of the best kickers in the SoCon will be at Pete Hanna Stadium on Saturday. Western Carolina kicker Bryan McCollum is 16-of-17 this season, including a game-winning 36-yarder with four seconds left in a 27-26 win at Furman on Halloween. Ippolito hasn’t been as accurate, hitting 16-of-23, but he is 3-of-4 from 50 or longer, including a school-record 58-yard kick. Both teams are well equipped with a clutch kicker if this one comes down to a field goal.