The first full weekend of competition in the fall season was a successful one for the Samford Bulldogs.

The football team opened its season with a 31-21 come-from-behind win Friday night over Georgia State University in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The win, which was broadcast by ESPN3, marked the first win for Samford over a Division I-FBS (formerly I-A) team in the modern history of the program. For his efforts in the win, Fabian Truss was named the Southern Conference and National Special Teams Player of the Week. Also, Jaquiski Tartt was named the Southern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week. More than 1,000 Samford fans, including the Samford Marching Band, cheerleaders and dance team, were in Atlanta to cheer the Bulldogs' victory.

The soccer team earned its second win over a Southeastern Conference team in the first week of the season. After taking down the University of Tennessee, the soccer Bulldogs edged out cross-state rival Auburn, 1-0 Friday night at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium. Malcanisha Kelley scored the game-winning goal to give the Bulldogs the win.

The volleyball team hosted a season-opening tournament at the Pete Hanna Center over the weekend and went 3-1 to open the season. The Bulldogs earned wins over Presbyterian College (3-0), Georgia State (3-0) and Mercer University before falling to sixth-ranked University of Minnesota (3-0). Erin Bognar was named the SoCon’s Freshman of the Week following the tournament.

The Samford cross country teams opened the season Saturday with a dual meet with the University of Alabama at Veterans Park in Hoover. Samford's men defeated Alabama in the 5k course but the Crimson Tide women earned the edge in the two-mile race over the Bulldogs. Layton Dorsett led the men’s team, while Rachel Roberts was the top Samford finisher on the women’s side.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.