JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 7, 2026) – Samford scored a touchdown as time expired to stun the No. 19 ETSU football team, 37-35, on Saturday afternoon at Bank of Tennessee Field at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium. With the loss, the Bucs fall to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in Southern Conference (SoCon) play.
As an offense, the Bucs gained 367 total yards (196 rushing, 171 passing). ETSU's rushing attack averaged 5.2 yards per carry and produced three touchdowns.
TJ Peyton led the way with 21 carries for 89 yards and a score.
Jaiden Daniels (six carries, 79 yards, one touchdown) and
Jason Albritton (eight carries, 45 yards, one touchdown) also had successful days carrying the ball for the Bucs.
Quarterback
Mason Mims finished 16-for-27, throwing for 171 yards and two touchdowns. His top target was
Brandon Winton, who caught four passes for 58 yards and a touchdown.
Charlie Browder hauled in the other touchdown for the Blue and Gold.
Defensively, the Bucs had four defenders record six or more tackles.
Devin Hunter and
Dre Delinois both had eight stops. Hunter's eight-tackle outing set a new career high.
Mike Jenkins was close behind with seven tackles, while
Jarvis Johnson chipped in six. Johnson also had a sack, as did
Josiha Mason.
As Saturday's game began, both defenses were locked in, with the first two drives by each squad combining for just 13 plays and 18 yards. Samford's offense found its first rhythm on its third drive. The Bulldogs got help on a fourth-and-one offsides penalty that kept the drive alive and pushed them into ETSU territory. Samford moved the ball inside the ETSU 30-yard line before kicking a 42-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 2:43 to go in the first quarter.
After managing just seven yards on their first two drives, the Bucs' offense began to find its rhythm. Albritton had an impactful 14-yard reception and split the defense for a 25-yard run, setting ETSU up in the red zone for the first time. Peyton then found pay dirt from eight yards out to give ETSU a 7-3 lead in the closing seconds of the opening frame.
The two teams kept scoring into the second quarter. Samford promptly answered with a 27-yard touchdown on its first drive of the stanza to take the lead, 10-7. ETSU responded almost immediately, as Daniels ripped off a 57-yard touchdown run to put the Bucs back on top, 14-10.
Another Samford field goal, this one from 34 yards out, made it a one-point game midway through the second quarter. ETSU added one more touchdown before halftime, compiling a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took more than four minutes off the clock and ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Albritton. The score gave the Bucs a 21-13 lead at the break.
Trailing by eight points, Samford trimmed the Buccaneer lead with another field goal, this one from 25 yards out, to make it 21-16. ETSU answered on its next drive. Mims delivered a pair of clutch third-down completions to keep the drive alive. The first was a 12-yard strike to
Tyler Griffin to convert a third-and-two. Mims then found Browder on an eight-yard touchdown pass on third-and-seven to boost the Buccaneer lead back to double digits, 28-16.
Samford immediately swung the momentum back with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, trimming the ETSU lead to 28-23. That marked the first kickoff return for a touchdown against ETSU since 2021.
An ETSU fumble in its own territory set the Bulldogs up for their next score. Starting their drive at the ETSU eight-yard line, the Bulldogs used a pair of runs to punch the ball across the goal line and regain the lead, 31-28, with 14:43 remaining.
The defenses locked in once again as the next few drives failed to produce points. ETSU's special teams came up with a big play in the field-position battle when
Luke Stewart's punt was downed at the Samford one-yard line by
Tommy Winton III. A quick stop by the ETSU defense gave the Bucs' offense excellent field position to try to reclaim the lead as the clock dipped below four minutes.
Starting at Samford's 41-yard line, the Bucs put together what appeared to be the game-winning drive. Three completions from Mims to
Brandon Winton proved pivotal, with the final connection resulting in a 10-yard touchdown to put ETSU back on top, 35-31, with 57 seconds remaining.
Needing a touchdown with 57 seconds to go, Samford's offense stepped up in a big way. The Bulldogs converted a fourth-and-two to extend the drive, while two runs by quarterback Gabarri Johnson for 42 yards gave them an opportunity to win the game inside the Bucs' 10-yard line.
Jimmy Bowdry broke up Samford's first pass attempt in the end zone, but the Bulldogs connected on their second try. With three seconds remaining, Gabarri Johnson found Domonique Thomas on a swing pass to the flat, and Thomas crossed the goal line to secure the 37-35 victory.
The Bucs return to action next Saturday with a road trip to Wofford. Kickoff between the Bucs and Terriers is set for 1:30 p.m. in Spartanburg, S.C.
For more information on Buccaneer football, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the football tab.
