Oct. 9, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford football team practiced for a little over an hour in shells Thursday afternoon in Seibert Stadium. The workout was the final full practice for Saturday's Southern Conference home opener against second-ranked Appalachian State.

"We've finished up now," Samford head coach Pat Sullivan said. "We've done all we can do and now it is time to go play the game."

Appalachian State has won the last three Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) national championships. The game marks the first time Samford has taken on a defending national champion since Nov. 17, 1990, when the Bulldogs played at Georgia Southern.

"Appalachian State is the measuring stick of our conference and of our division," Sullivan said. "It starts with Armanti Edwards, their quarterback who is an outstanding player. But, they have an awful lot of good players."

Sullivan said the team is looking forward to playing in an exciting atmosphere Saturday afternoon at Seibert Stadium.

"We'll look forward to playing this game and seeing where we are," Sullivan said. "I hope our guys will go out there and play to the best of their ability. If they'll do that, then we can live with the results."

Samford will have a final walk-through Friday afternoon 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/.