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GREENVILLE, S.C. – Furman did nearly everything except find the end zone. Samford forced three turnovers and kept the Paladins out of the end zone, and the Bulldogs held on for a 13-6 Southern Conference win Saturday at Paladin Stadium on Homecoming.
Samford (2-6, 2-3 SoCon) won for the first time since beating VMI on Sept. 26, snapping a three-game losing streak. However, Furman (2-6, 1-3) lost for the fifth straight time. The Paladins outgained the Bulldogs 313-304, but two field goals were all they had to show for it.
A slow, grinding start
The game never got out of second gear. Samford took the opening possession 70 yards in 11 plays and chewed up 6:11 of the clock before the drive stalled at the Furman 2-yard line. Additionally, Ty Ippolito kicked a 22-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead with 8:49 left in the first quarter.
Ippolito added a 42-yard field goal with 34 seconds left in the quarter to make it 6-0. Then the offenses went quiet. Neither team scored in the second quarter, and Furman went to halftime without a point. Samford held the ball for 32:51 to Furman’s 27:09, and it set the tempo by making the Paladins work for every yard.
Furman fights back
The Paladins did not go away. They opened the second half with a 12-play, 73-yard drive that took 5:53, but it ended with a 24-yard field goal by Nathan Chapman that cut the lead to 6-3 with 3:34 left in the third quarter.
Furman came back with another long drive in the fourth, 10 plays and 61 yards, and Chapman’s 37-yard field goal tied it at 6-6 with 11:12 left. Paladin Stadium was loud, and Furman had the momentum on Homecoming.
The turning point
Then the Bulldogs’ defense took over. Ben Croasdale fumbled, Maxton Woodward forced it and Noah Holton recovered at the Furman 11-yard line. Three plays later, Gabarri Johnson hit Cayden Aukerman for a 14-yard touchdown on third-and-13, and Samford led 13-6 with 6:42 left.
The teams traded three-and-outs, and Furman got one more chance, starting at the Samford 41 with 2:25 left. Freshman quarterback Trey Smith came off the bench and moved the Paladins to the Samford 19 with a 9-yard completion to Daniel Haughton and an 11-yard pass to Ethan Harris. On third-and-7, Trey Lenhardt batted down Smith’s pass. After a timeout, Elijah McDowell broke up the next throw in the end zone, and Samford took over on downs.
“The defense is playing really, really well,” Samford coach John Grass said, according to a school release. It was the first time Samford held a SoCon opponent without a touchdown since a 27-3 win over VMI in 2024.
By the numbers
| Stat | Samford | Furman |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 304 | 313 |
| Passing yards | 206 | 236 |
| Rushing yards | 98 | 77 |
| First downs | 17 | 16 |
| Penalty yards | 55 | 59 |
| Time of possession | 32:51 | 27:09 |
| Turnovers forced | 3 | 2 |
Samford: Johnson was 18 of 26 for 206 yards and a touchdown. Aukerman caught five passes for 68 yards and the score, and Ken Cherry ran 15 times for 64 yards. Max Steve had 13 tackles and a forced fumble, and Dylon Henderson and Jackson Bussey each intercepted a pass.
Furman: Connor Ackerley was 15 of 25 for 216 yards with two interceptions. Haughton had 92 receiving yards and Croasdale led the rushing game with 49. Raleigh Herbert had 16 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, and Eli Lipscomb had two sacks.
A series with a Greenville twist
Furman leads the series 11-8 since 2004, according to Samford’s records, but Paladin Stadium has been kind to the Bulldogs. Samford is now 6-3 in Greenville in that stretch, with wins in 2022 and Saturday. Furman won last year’s meeting 31-13 in Birmingham, Alabama, and the last 10 meetings are split 5-5. The largest margin in the series was a 45-0 Samford win in Greenville on Oct. 25, 2014.
What’s next for Furman
Furman is back at Paladin Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31, against Western Carolina at 2 p.m. It then hosts Chattanooga on Nov. 14 at 6 p.m.
The Paladins have the yards, with 313 against a defense that forced three turnovers. What they need are touchdowns. At 2-6, they have little room left, and field goals are not going to win SoCon games.
Samford hosts Wofford on Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. at Pete Hanna Stadium.
Sources and fact check
- Score and drives: Samford won 13-6, taking the lead on its opening drive with Ippolito field goals of 22 and 42 yards before Furman’s Chapman answered with field goals of 24 and 37 yards to tie it at 6-6. samfordsports
- Turning point: Croasdale’s fumble at the Furman 11 set up Johnson’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Aukerman with 6:42 left, and Samford batted down two passes on Furman’s last drive for a turnover on downs. foxcarolina
- Stats: Samford had 304 total yards to Furman’s 313 and held the ball 32:51 to 27:09, forcing three turnovers. samfordsports
- Series: Samford’s records show eight wins and 11 losses against Furman since 2004, a 6-3 record away from home, a 5-5 split in the last 10 meetings and a 45-0 win on Oct. 25, 2014. samfordsports
- Next games: Furman’s listed home games are Western Carolina on Oct. 31 and Chattanooga on Nov. 14.
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