The Citadel
1-1 , 1-0
Samford
0-2 , 0-1
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Citadel | 0 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 40 |
| Samford | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
Five Turnovers, JGB Career Day Carry The Citadel past Samford in SoCon Kickoff, 40-13
9/6/2025 7:11:00 PM | Football
"We are a blue collar team, we take pride in that and thrive on having that blue collar mentality and we showed that today," head coach Maurice Drayton. "We practice creating turnovers every day in practice and it was great to see the defense capitalize and put points on the board."
KEY NOTES
-- Offensively, Cobey Thompkins led the way with 76 rush yards on 13 carries, notably breaking off a career-long 25-yarder on a key Bulldogs scoring drive to end the first half, while also racking up 155 yards through the air on 9-of-11 passing with one score
-- Additionally, Quentin Hayes contributed a solid 59 yards on the ground as well with one touchdown -- an 18-yard scamper to cap The Citadel scoring -- while finishing 1-of-2 in the passing game for 13 yards and another touchdown
-- For the receiving corps, Graves-Billips dominated the Samford secondary with a six-catch, 139-yard performance for a pair of touchdowns, setting a new single-game career best for total yards while matching his top outing in scoring receptions
-- Defensively, Tyrik McDaniel and Darryle Ware paced the squad with 11 tackles apiece, with the former swiping an interception deep in Samford territory and former registering one tackle-for-loss on the day; additionally, Bradlee Jones recorded a banner day across multiple facets of the game, logging seven tackles, one pass breakup and a 59-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown on a botched Samford fake field goal
-- On the turnover front, Camden Gray picked off the host Bulldogs late in the first half at The Citadel five-yard line, Lee Alexander Jr. grabbed another interception to open the third quarter and true freshman Sayre Smothers notched a textbook 31-yard scoop and score following a Nolan Jones strip late in the same period
-- On the defensive front, Chris Benton chalked up 1.5 sacks while Chris Iverson and Kellen George each collected one sack apiece
-- Of particular note, The Citadel secured the program's first road victory over Samford since 2015
-- Additionally, the Bulldogs registered the team's first fumble recovery return for a touchdown -- two, in fact -- for the first time since the 2016 campaign
-- Two true freshmen -- J'Hari Mosley & George -- plus Reese Patterson all made their collegiate debuts while Thompkins and Smothers posted their first career starts
LIVE TWEETS
THOMPKINS TO JAVONTE FOR THE TD BANK TOUCHDOWN!!!
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 6, 2025
A 43-YARD ABSOLUTE DIME from the redshirt freshman QB caps a five-play, 75-yard drive for your Bulldogs, lifting The Citadel to their first lead of the day and on the year 💎🏈
The Citadel -- 7
Samford -- 6#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/dmg6Inm4SP
BEND. NEVER. BREAK.
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 6, 2025
A barrage of defenders penetrating the backfield benefits Tyrik McDaniel in coverage, as the grad transfer picks off a THIRD interception late here in the third!
The Citadel -- 13
Samford -- 6
3Q | 6:22#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/ks7cb4iolY
SAYRE SMOTHERS, TAKE. A. BOW.
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 6, 2025
The true freshman takes advantage of a FOURTH straight Samford turnover courtesy of a Nolan Jones strip, scooping and scoring for a 31-yard TD Bank touchdown fumble recovery!
The Citadel -- 20
Samford -- 6
3Q | 3:03#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/5aBWmczTlE
A Samford fake field turns sour IN A HURRY, as Melvin Ravenel breaking up the pitch allowed Bradlee Jones -- reigning @SoConSports 100m champ -- to TAKE. IT. TO. THE. HOUSE. for a 59-yard TD Bank touchdown!
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 6, 2025
The Citadel -- 27
Samford -- 6
4Q | 13:48#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/vxgQtd57YB
HAYES TO JAVONTE FOR A TD BANK TOUCHDOWN!!!
— The Citadel Football (@CitadelFootball) September 6, 2025
JGB continues to give the Samford secondary serious issues, creating space in the back corner of the end zone for a 13-yard receiving score, good for his second of the day!
The Citadel -- 33
Samford -- 13
4Q | 4:34#FireThoseCannons pic.twitter.com/T0XO0RgeqS
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
CIT 0, SAM 3
SAM - Garner,Jake 40 yd field goal 7 plays, 13 yards, TOP 01:17
CIT 0, SAM 6
SAM - Garner,Jake 20 yd field goal 12 plays, 60 yards, TOP 04:25
CIT 7, SAM 6
CIT - Graves-Billips,Javonte 43 yd pass from Thompkins,Cobey (Barnes,Ben kick) 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:31
CIT 10, SAM 6
CIT - Barnes,Ben 40 yd field goal 7 plays, 57 yards, TOP 00:36
CIT 13, SAM 6
CIT - Barnes,Ben 28 yd field goal 6 plays, 15 yards, TOP 03:17
CIT 20, SAM 6
CIT - Smothers,Sayre 31 yd fumble recovery (Barnes,Ben kick)
CIT 27, SAM 6
CIT - Jones,Bradlee 59 yd fumble recovery (Barnes,Ben kick)
CIT 27, SAM 13
SAM - Evans,CJ 5 yd run (Garner,Jake kick), 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:31
CIT 33, SAM 13
CIT - Graves-Billips,Javonte 13 yd pass from Hayes,Quentin () 5 plays, 55 yards, TOP 01:39
CIT 40, SAM 13
CIT - Hayes,Quentin 18 yd run (Barnes,Ben kick), 4 plays, 27 yards, TOP 01:32
