In the first home game of the 2019 season, Samford defeated in-state opponent Alabama A&M 55-21. With the victory, the Bulldogs are 2-2 on the season.
Samford was led offensively by a steady combination of Chris Oladokun and Jay Stanton.
Oladokun passed for 250 yards and 3 TDs on the night, adding 95 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown.
Jay Stanton chipped in with 116 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 15 carries. He added 23 receiving yards and a TD as well.
Oladokun, a two-time Southern Conference Player of the Week selection, had a shaky start, completing only 9/18 passes and throwing two interceptions in the first quarter.
Alabama A&M took an early 7-0 lead on a 72-yard fake punt run from junior punter Spencer Corey.
After a 6-yard Oladokun TD run and a Mitchell Fineran field goal, Samford managed to gain a 10-7 lead by the end of the first quarter.
In early second quarter action, Alabama A&M stormed down the field, capping off their first drive of the quarter with an Aqeel Glass touchdown pass, a four-yard completion to Joseph Burke, giving the A&M Bulldogs a 14-10 lead.
A Samford QB change ensued as junior QB Liam Welch entered the game in the middle of the second quarter.
In his first drive of the game, Welch threw two incompletions and was unable to convert on fourth down, immediately sending Samford’s defense back on the field.
After an Alabama A&M three-and-out of their own, Samford’s Montrell Washington sparked the Bulldog offense with a 49-yard punt return.
Oladokun re-entered the game at QB and immediately impacted the game with a 13-yard carry. Stanton capped off the quick offensive possession with a five-yard rushing TD, giving Samford a 17-14 lead.
Samford extended their advantage to 24-14 after A&M’s Glass threw a red zone interception that was returned 95 yards by junior Ty Herring.
Samford would take a 31-14 lead into halftime after Chris Oladokun found senior Robert Adams for a 13-yard TD moments before the end of the second quarter.
Samford opened up a 20-point lead in the third quarter after a 29-yard Fineran field goal.
Alabama A&M came up empty on their next possession which lasted seven minutes, turning the ball over on downs inside the red zone.
Just before the end of the third quarter, Samford added seven more as Oladokun found Washington on an 82-yard touchdown reception.
Alabama A&M responded with a TD of their own in the fourth, a 10-yard passing conversion from Glass to Ryan Stoves, cutting Samford’s lead to 41-21.
After a failed onside kick attempt from Alabama A&M, Samford capitalized on good field position with a 37-yard carry from Oladokun, followed by a two-yard touchdown run from Stanton, giving the Bulldogs a 48-21 lead.
A second 49-yard Washington punt return set up another Oladokun TD pass, this time a 15-yard completion to Stanton, putting Samford up 55-21.
After stopping Alabama A&M on one last fourth-down try, Welch and Ty Hatcher, son of coach Chris Hatcher, entered the game and sealed the deal for Samford with a set of QB kneels.
Samford will return to action against The Citadel at home on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m.
Gunnar Sadowey is the sports editor for the Crimson. He is a senior from Elkhart, IN. Gunnar is currently a journalism and mass communications major with a print concentration and a German minor.
Man we woulda won by 39 if my boy Adam “A-Train” Thomas was in there snappin tha heat off on them punts! Great win Bulldogs, lets show them Citadel boys who daddy is next week.