Steve Irvine’s Five Storylines For Samford vs. CHATTANOOGA
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - November 16, 2024
SAMFORD VS. CHATTANOOGA
Site, kickoff time: Finley Stadium, 12:30 p.m. CT
Record: Samford 3-6 overall, 2-3 SoCon; Chattanooga 6-4 overall, 5-2 SoCon
Five storylines
1. Will Samford play like a team who has nothing to play for? The Bulldogs are mathematically eliminated from pretty much all of the team goals. Fighting for a conference title and a possible spot in the FCS playoffs is long ago off the table. Samford is in sixth place in heading into Saturday’s game. Where will the motivation come from? Perhaps the chance to play spoiler against a Chattanooga team that trails conference-leading Mercer by a game heading into the final conference game of the regular season for the Mocs.
2. Can Samford knock off another nationally ranked team? Unquestionably the highlight of a difficult Samford season was the Bulldogs win over then-No. 7 ranked Mercer. Samford scored 42 first half points, got a pair of late defensive touchdowns and walked away with a 55-35 win over Mercer. Samford hasn’t won and Mercer hasn’t lost since that game. Chattanooga comes into Saturday’s game ranked No. 19 in the country. Can Samford pull off another upset?
3. What is wrong with the Samford offense? Samford head coach Chris Hatcher is not accustomed to his team’s offense struggling to find their way into the end zone. However, he’s living with that this season. The Bulldogs average 21 points per game this season but have only scored one offensive touchdown in the past three games.
4. Will turnovers be a factor? Chattanooga is plus-14 in the turnover margin over the past seven games. The Mocs are third in the country with 16 interceptions and fourth in overall turnovers gained with 23. Samford quarterback Quincy Crittendon threw eight interceptions in the first nine games. As a team, Samford is plus-one in turnover margin.
5. Can Samford linebacker Noah Martin continue his stellar play? The preseason All-American linebacker continues to prove himself as one of the top defenders in the country. Martin is averaging 9.8 tackles per game, which is 11th best in the country. Martin, who is a Chattanooga native, is playing for the final time in college in his hometown. He’ll carry a little extra motivation in this one.