Samford took on Mercer in their final regular season match-up. This game determined whether Samford was the undisputed SoCon champion. Samford defeated the Mercer Bears in a double overtime nail bitter by a score of 50 – 44. Samford ends the regular season with a record of 10 – 1 overall and 8 – 0 in SoCon play. The 10 – 1 record ties the 1991 team for the best regular season record in program history and is also the first time Samford has gone undefeated in SoCon play.
Touchdowns in this game came early and often. Samford opened up the game with two early touchdowns but so did the Bears and at the end of the first, the score was 17 – 14 in favor of the Bears.
In the second quarter, Samford’s Zach Williams kicked a pair of field goals to put the Dogs up 20 – 17 going into the half.
Mercer tied it up in the third quarter with a field goal of their own, but Samford jumped back ahead after an eight-yard touchdown run by Jaylan Thomas to give the Dogs a 27 – 20 lead.
Scoring picked back up in the fourth quarter. Michael Hiers scored on a one-yard run to give the Dogs a 34 – 20 lead over the Bears. On the next play from scrimmage, Mercer’s Payton hit James for a 55-yard touchdown pass to make the score 34-27. Williams kicked a 40-yard field goal to give Samford a 37-27 lead. Mercer’s Fred Payton scored on a five-yard run to make the score 37-34 with 5:31 left in regulation and set the stage for the thrilling finish.
Mercer had the ball first-and-goal at the two-yard line with less than a minute left. Samford’s defense stopped the Bears on three straight plays, but a pass interference call gave the Mercer Bears new life. Samford then stopped them again three consecutive times and forced Mercer to take a field goal. The score is 37 – 37 going into overtime.
Samford’s first overtime possession, Michael Hiers threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Judd Cockett to take the lead 44 – 37. The Bears responded with a touchdown run of their own to tie the game again going into the second overtime.
Mercer started with the ball in the second overtime and Samford’s defense held the Bears to a 38-yard field goal attempt, but Fred Flavors blocked the kick turning the ball over to the offense.
On Samford’s possession in the second overtime, Quincey Crittendon came in for an injured Hiers. After completing a pass for no gain Crittendon scored from 25 yards out giving Samford the 50 – 44 win over Mercer.
The Bulldogs move on to the playoffs this weekend with a game at home against Southeastern Louisiana. They will play at Sibert Stadium at 2 pm on December 3rd.
