Oct. 24, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford football team practiced for about two hours in full pads Tuesday afternoon at Seibert Stadium. The Bulldogs will travel to Nashville, Tenn., to take on Tennessee State Saturday night.

Tennessee State is led by running back Javarris Williams and quarterback Antonio Heffner. Williams is currently averaging 126.1 rushing yards per game, ranking him second in the Ohio Valley Conference. Heffner currently leads the OVC, averaging 200.1 passing yards per game.

"He is the real deal," Samford head coach Bill Gray said of Heffner. "He makes their offense go. We have a big challenge trying to contain him. But, they have speed at other positions too. They have a good football team."

Samford (3-5, 1-4 OVC) and Tennessee State (4-3, 3-0 OVC) will be playing for just the fourth time in football, with Samford holding a 2-1 advantage in the series. Last season, Samford defeated Tennessee State, 31-11, at Seibert Stadium. The only prior meeting in Nashville came in 2004, with Samford winning, 42-36, in overtime.

Samford will practice again Wednesday afternoon at 3:45 p.m. at Seibert Stadium. Saturday's game is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff from LP Field.