Oct. 7, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford football team practiced for about two hours in full pads Tuesday afternoon at Seibert Stadium. The Bulldogs are preparing for Saturday's Southern Conference home opener against second-ranked and three-time defending national champion Appalachian State.

Samford head coach Pat Sullivan said the Bulldogs have a big challenge this week, taking on the defending national champions.

"Appalachian State has set the bar for everyone in our conference," Sullivan said. "They have outstanding players and outstanding coaches. They are a heck of a football team."

Appalachian State (3-2, 1-0 SoCon) is led by two-time All-America quarterback Armanti Edwards, who leads the SoCon in pass efficiency at 142.9. ASU, as a team, leads the league in scoring offense and total offense.

For Samford (3-2, 1-1 SoCon), Chris Evans leads the SoCon in rushing, averaging 115.8 yards per game, while Riley Hawkins is the league leader in kick return average at 28.0 yards per return. Samford, as a team, leads the league in scoring defense and total defense.

"I'm not sure exactly where we are," Sullivan said. "I know our guys are getting better each week. We are still a young football team, we are a work in progress. But, we are looking forward to playing them and just seeing exactly where we are."

Saturday's game marks the first time that Samford has faced a defending national champion since Nov. 17, 1990, when the Bulldogs faced Georgia Southern. The game also marks the first time since Sept. 11, 1994 that the Bulldogs have faced a top-five ranked team, when Samford took on Furman.

The Bulldogs will practice again Wednesday at 3:45 p.m., and again Thursday at 3:45 p.m. at Seibert Stadium.

Saturday's game against Appalachian State is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff from Seibert Stadium. The game can be heard live on the Samford Football Radio Network. The flagship station for the network is WVSU-FM 91.1. The game can also be heard worldwide on the internet at www.samford.edu/groups/wvsu/.