Samford Returns Home To Face Furman Saturday Afternoon

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - September 26, 2025

Complementary football continues to elusive at Samford. But the Bulldogs are coming off their best offensive performance of the season.

Samford quarterback Quincy Crittendon threw for a career-high 456 yards and wide receivers Jaden Gibson and Calvin Jones had big days in a 50-35 loss to Western Carolina. Gibson, a Virginia transfer, had nine catches for 122 yards and Jones, who transferred from Western Carolina to Samford, had seven catches for 108 yards with three touchdowns. As a team, the Bulldogs piled up 576 yards and 34 first downs.

However, the Samford defense couldn’t control Western Carolina quarterback Taron Dickens, who had 624 yards in total offense and threw six touchdown passes. Western Carolina had 733 yards in total offense. It was the worst defensive day of the season for the Bulldogs, who have played well on that side of the ball at times.

“We need to find a way to play all complementary football,” said Samford head coach Chris Hatcher, whose team plays host to Furman in a Southern Conference game at 3 p.m. on Saturday. “We need all three phases humming on the same afternoon and hopefully this week vs. Furman we can make that happen.”

The good news is that Samford (0-4) probably won’t see another quarterback as good as Dickens, who was playing for the first time this season after being suspended for the first three games. It’s also encouraging to see the offense play up to expectations for perhaps the first time this season.

“The biggest thing to me was just the touches that all the different positions got at wide receiver,” Hatcher said. “I believe that out of seven out of our top eight receivers all got catches in the game. So, that ball distribution will pay big dividends down the road for us.”

It begins with Crittendon, who has done some good things this season but has more interceptions (five) than he has touchdowns (three) thus far.

“Well, Quincy, by far, that was the best game he had played,” Hatcher said. “He made good decisions, he limited the negative plays. He's starting to get a good rapport with his wide receivers.”

He needs to carry that forward against a Furman team that is 2-1 and has yet to play a game decided by more than four points. The Paladins have wins over William & Mary (23-21) and Campbell (28-24) and dropped a 39-38 decision in overtime to Presbyterian. Quarterback Trey Hedden threw for 756 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in the first three games.