Sept. 6, 2001

BIRMINGHAM - Samford football takes a scheduled Saturday off this weekend, and according to Head Coach Pete Hurt, the break comes at a good time for the Bulldogs.

"Having the off week has given us some extra time to go back and work on some basics," said Hurt. "We have gotten two good days of work in pads this week, working on simple things with the younger players and correcting some mistakes that we learned from the game against Chattanooga. It's not like having two-a-days again, but we are getting the extra work in before our next game."

Along with having the time to practice without having to prepare for a specific team, Hurt's troops can use the time off to heal. Samford experienced the usual bumps and dings from its first game, but several Bulldogs who missed Thursday's game or played sparingly will benefit from the extra week without contact.

Samford will practice Thursday and Friday and take Saturday off before beginning game week preparation for Tennessee Tech on Sunday night.