Hollingsworth's FG lifts Furman over Samford, 20-17

HOMEWOOD, Ala. (AP) Jon Croft Hollingsworth kicked a 19-yard field goal as time expired and Furman rallied from a 17-point, second-half deficit to beat Samford

HOMEWOOD, Ala. (AP) Jon Croft Hollingsworth kicked a 19-yard field goal as time expired and Furman rallied from a 17-point, second-half deficit to beat Samford 20-17 Saturday.

After Furman tied it at 17 on P.J. Blazejowski's 26-yard touchdown pass to Chad Scott, Reggie Thomas intercepted a Samford pass and the Paladins took over on their own 25 with 6:17 to play.

Furman used a 14-play, 73-yard drive to move to the Samford 2, bleeding the final six-plus minutes before settling for Hollingsworth's game-winner.

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

• Georgia
• Utah
• Alabama
• UCLA
• Notre Dame
• Texas
• Miami (FL)
• Tennessee
• Indiana
• BYU
• Kentucky
• Texas Tech

PREREGISTER TO PLAY

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See Official Rules for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

Antonio Wilcox ran for 133 yards and a score for Furman (4-4, 2-2 Southern Conference).

Samford (3-5, 1-4) limited Furman to just 121 total yards - including 41 yards on 21 carries - in the first half and took a 17-0 lead into the break.

The Paladins, who came into the game averaging just 114.9 yards rushing, ran for 211 yards on 32 carries in the second half.