YSU FOOTBALL Samford prefers to throw ball

The Bulldogs are worried about containing P.J. Mays.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Samford University will play its final football game as a Division I-AA independent Saturday afternoon when the Bulldogs invade Youngstown State's Stambaugh Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
The Bulldogs (4-6) haven't had the season they had hoped for, but then again neither have the Penguins (6-4).
Next season Samford will become a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.
Finale
"It's the last game of the season and we're still trying to make improvements," said Bulldogs coach Bill Gray. "We're trying to go out there every day with a purpose. We have a lot of folks banged up this time in the season, which is understandable. We have a lot of people wearing two different hats.
"It's going to be a huge task this week playing a class program in I-AA football," Gray said. "They have a great tradition. They know how to win, because they've been in some big ball games. At the same time, they're 6-4 and haven't accomplished the things they wanted to accomplish and neither have we."
Last week, Samford lost 48-24 to Southeast Missouri State, allowing 648 yards of total offense.
YSU, which was idle last week, won its last two games against Southern Illinois and Illinois State, assuring the Penguins of their seventh straight winning season.
"We're going to have to do something to try to contain them and stop that tailback [P.J. Mays] on offense," Gray said. "At the same time, our offense has a big challenge trying to move the football and keep our defense on the sidelines.
"It will be great for our kids to play in that kind of environment and see where we need to be heading into the Ohio Valley Conference," he added.
Receiving threat
The Bulldogs like to throw the football and they do it well, mainly because of senior wide receiver Aryvia Holmes, who is the school's career leader in passes caught and yardage gained.
The 5-foot-11, 186-pounder tied his school record for receptions in a season last week with 74. He has 200 career receptions for 2,865 yards and 21 touchdowns. He is one short of the career record for touchdown receptions.
The Bulldogs have used two quarterbacks this season; sophomore Ramon Nelson will be the starter on Saturday. He's completed 81-of-153 passes for 887 yards and three touchdowns, with a pair of interceptions.
Senior Josh Kellett is 110-for-187 for 1,277 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he's been intercepted nine times.
When the Bulldogs run the football, which is not often, the leader is junior Jason Ogletree, who has 416 yards on 95 carries and five touchdowns.
Defense has been a problem for the Bulldogs. They are allowing 416.5 yards per game, which includes 186.9 yards on the ground and 229.6 through the air.
Samford's leading tackler is senior free safety Robert Evans, who has 95 tackles, including five for losses, and is tied for the team lead in interceptions (3) with junior cornerback Leo Randall.
Junior linebacker Derrick Wheeler leads the team in tackles for losses (10), while senior defensive end Blake Hall also has 10 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and four quarterback sacks.
Senior Chip Walters has kicked 11 field goals this year, but has missed six. He's 6-for-7 inside the 30-yard line and 5-of-10 outside the 30.
mollica@vindy.com