Preseason Previews: Game #2 - Samford Bulldogs

In Western Carolina's 2023 second game and the Catamount's Southern Conference opener, the Cats host the Samford Bulldogs, in a "White Out Whitmire" game.  WCU will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1983 Catamount football team that advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship game. The traditional WCU Freshmen run will take place just before kickoff and it is also the second-annual High School Band Day.

The Bulldogs finished the 2022 season with an 11-2 overall record and an outright SoCon Conference Championship.

Game #2 

       Samford Bulldogs

When: Saturday, September 9, 2023

Time: 2:30 pm (ET)
Where: Bob Water Field, Whitmire Stadium, Cullowhee, NC
Radio: Catamount Sports Network

   -Play-by-Play: Gary Ayers • Color Daniel Hooker • Producer: Jeff Bryson

TV / video:  ESPN+
Live Stats: WCU Live Stats

Game Notes:  Western Carolina   -   Samford    -   SoCon Notes

Colors: Red and Blue

Bulldog Message Board: The Dog Pound 

The Series: The Cats are 3-17 overall against the Bulldogs since winning the first outing back in 1969. Samford owned an eleven-game winning streak against Western until 2015 when the Cats broke that streak in Cullowhee with a 56-36 win over the Dogs. However, the Cats have lost the last 5 games to the Bulldogs, three away and two in Cullowhee. The Cats are 2-7 overall against Samford in games played in Cullowhee.  

Last game played vs. Samford: Sep. 24, 2022 - McCollum Connects on Four Field Goals in 35-12 Setback at #21/22 Samford - Western Carolina amassed 456 yards of total offense including 310 yards through the air and 156 rushing yards on Saturday but were held out of the endzone in settling for a career-best four Richard McCollum field goals as No. 21/22 Samford handed the Catamounts a league-opening 35-12 setback at Seibert Stadium. 

Chris Hatcher's record vs. Western Carolina: 9-2
Kerwin Bell's record vs. Samford: 0-2

Head Coach: Chris Hatcher. Chris Hatcher was named Samford’s 36th head football coach on Dec. 11, 2014. Entering his eighth season at Samford in 2022, Hatcher boasts a career record of 161-93 in 22 years as a college head coach, having previously coached at Murray State, Georgia Southern, and Valdosta State. 

Hatcher's Record at Samford (Years): 51-38 (9th season)
Career Record (Years):  172-95 (24th season)

Hatcher's Record vs. WCU:  9 - 2

Last Season's Record - 2021-22 (Samford): 11-2 overall, 6-0 home, 5-2 away, 8-0 SoCon

Offensive Formation: Multiple
Defensive Formation: 4-3

Offensive Starters R/L: 6 / 5

Defensive Starters R/L: 3 / 8 

Special Teams Starters R/L: 2 / 4 

Letterwinners R /L: 46 / 30

In SoCon preseason polls, the Bulldogs tied with Furman for the top spot in the coache's poll.  Samford placed seven players on the preseason All-SoCon squads, including six on the first team. Samford enters this season ranked No. 8 in the HERO Sports preseason national poll and No. 13 in the Athlon Sports poll.

With a top-ten ranking in one of the preseason polls, the Bulldogs are looking to return as the SoCon Champion in 2023. Samford returns 4 first-team all-conference players, QB Michael Hiers, WR Chandler Smith, LB Garrett Morris (2022 All-Ivy at Penn), and CB Kamron Smith (2022 All-Big South at Charleston Southern). 

Hero Sports ranked QB Michael Hiers as the best-returning quarterback in the FCS. Hiers was an instant success for the Bulldogs last season, completing 77% of his passes (353/461) for 3,544 yards, 36 touchdowns, and four interceptions while adding three rushing TDs. Hiers threw for more than 300 yards twice and more than 400 yards two more times in the final five regular-season games as Samford completed an undefeated regular season vs. FCS opponents.

The transfer portal was good to Samford last season, they brought in about 15 D1 transfers, 10 from the FBS. However, their best transfer came from a lower division, starting QB Michael Hiers (Northwest Mississippi Community College). The Bulldogs again picked up several portal transfers again for this season. Nine transfers consisting of  3 FBS transfers, and 6 FCS transfers. I find it interesting that the Samford roster carries 52 seniors/grad students.  This is a very experienced team.

Wide receiver RJ Starkey and LB Garrett Morris are from Penn, RB Damonta Witherspoon was an All-OVC player at Murray State, and CB Kamron Smith was a 2022 Sophomore All-American and a First Team All-Big South selection at Charleston Southern. 

If there is a weakness in the 2023 edition of the Bulldogs, its their defense. In 2022, Samford finished 45th in FCS scoring defense (25.5 PPG), 80th in rushing defense (173.7 YPG), and 111th in passing defense (261.5 YPG). The Bulldogs return only four starters on that unit — DL Joseph Mera, LB Noah Martin, LB Thomas Neville, and DB Fred Flavors. Martin led Samford last season with 92 tackles and 7.5 TFLs.

2022 Samford Statistics (13 games)

Rushing Offense: 1694 yards
Yards per game: 130.3
Yards per rush: 3.7 yards
Rushing 1st downs: 132
TDs rushing: 17
Passing Offense: 3957 yards or 304.4 yards per game
Passing 1st downs: 164
Passing Att-Comp-Int: 391-524-4
TDs Passing: 40
Total Offense: 5651 yards or 434.7 yards per game
Fumbles - Lost:12 - 8
3d Down Conversions: 99 of  204 (49%)
4th Down Conversions: 13 of 21 (62%)
Field goal attempts: 9 - 13
PAT-Attempts: 51 of 53
Red Zone Scores:  40 of 47 (85%)
Red Zone Touchdowns: 32 of 47 (68%)
On-Side Kicks: 0 - 1
Penalties-Yards: 76 - 690