ALGOOD, Tenn. (Interstat) — Tennessee Tech defeated Samford 45-19 on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in an NCAA Football Championship Division game at Tucker Stadium. The Golden Eagles improved to 3-0, while the Bulldogs dropped to 0-3.

Tennessee Tech set the tone early, building a 17-6 lead after the first quarter and carrying a 31-16 advantage into halftime. The Golden Eagles added 14 points in the third quarter while limiting Samford to three points, and neither team scored in the fourth. The final margin reflected Tennessee Tech’s control on both sides of the ball, as the home team turned several short fields and special-teams opportunities into points.

The Golden Eagles opened with 17 points in the first quarter and added 14 in the second. Samford countered with six points in the first and 10 in the second, but the Bulldogs trailed 31-16 at the break. Tennessee Tech kept the pressure on with 14 points in the third quarter. Samford managed three points in the second half. The Bulldogs could not produce the stops or explosive plays needed to close the gap.

Qua Ashley gave Tennessee Tech an early spark with a 56-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Carter Brown added the extra point, and Brown later connected on a 49-yard field goal. Tre’ Holloway scored on a 4-yard run in the second quarter, then delivered a pivotal special-teams play in the third quarter when he returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown. Tennessee Tech also got a touchdown run from its offense and a defensive effort that kept Samford out of the end zone for much of the afternoon.

Samford’s Ty Ippolito was reliable for much of the game, hitting field goals from 54, 22 and 28 yards. The Bulldogs also found the end zone on a 7-yard run by G.Johnson, with Ippolito adding the extra point. Samford appeared to have a punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter, but the play was nullified by a holding penalty. The Bulldogs later had a 39-yard field goal attempt from Ippolito that missed in the fourth quarter.

Jax Leatherwood, a 6-foot-8 quarterback from San Diego, California, was among Tennessee Tech’s key performers. Gabarri Johnson, a 5-foot-11 quarterback from Tacoma, Washington, was listed among Samford’s key contributors. Eric Weatherly, a 5-foot-7 running back from St. Johns, Florida, was also a notable performer for the Golden Eagles. Tennessee Tech’s Alex Dawkins, a 6-foot-1 defensive back from Columbus, Mississippi, and Leon Thomas were among the team’s important contributors. Hudson Tucker, a 6-foot-2 defensive lineman from Kingsland, Georgia, and Idris King, a 6-foot-1 defensive lineman from Lakeland, Florida, were also part of Tennessee Tech’s key group. Anthony Busa, Eric Taylor, Greg Turner III, Joe Hall III, Jameson Wharton, Amari Mcarthur, Gabe Nunez, Aidan Littles, Tre’ Holloway, Marcus Harris II, Ahmad Haston, M.J. Flowers, Chase Lanham, Ethan McLaurin, Trey Patrick, Alex Edwards, Robert Dickerson, Jamarr Jones, Cee Rhodes, Omari Philyaw, Thomas Johnson, Kanstin Brooks, Carter Brown, Seth Vaughn, Drew Scott, Josh Hand, Will Johnson, A.J. Crawford, Kaleb Brown and Tyrese Whitaker also represented Tennessee Tech among the game’s key performers.

For Samford, Maddox McKim, a 6-foot-4 linebacker from Brentwood, Tennessee, was among the defensive leaders listed. Jalen Nelson, a 6-foot-1 safety from Flowood, Mississippi, and Max Steve, a 5-foot-9 safety from Dacula, Georgia, were also key performers. Trey Lenhardt, Spencer Conn, LaShon Young, Bryon Martin, Maxton Woodward, Preston Bird, Cayden Aukerman and Marquise Henderson were part of Samford’s notable group. Greg Williams and Walker Turner also were listed among the Bulldogs’ key performers.

The game marked the third straight loss to open the season for Samford. The Bulldogs previously fell to Southern Illinois 22-18 on Sept. 3 and to North Alabama 22-10 on Aug. 29. Tennessee Tech improved to 3-0 after earlier wins over Chattanooga 24-9 on Sept. 5 and Monmouth 38-14 on Aug. 29. The Golden Eagles have opened the season with three wins, while Samford continues to search for its first victory.

Tennessee Tech finished with 45 points, the most it has scored this season, after posting 38 against Monmouth and 24 against Chattanooga. Samford, meanwhile, has scored 18, 10 and 19 points in its first three games. The Bulldogs moved the ball at times but could not keep pace with Tennessee Tech’s scoring bursts. The Golden Eagles’ defense limited Samford’s biggest plays and forced the Bulldogs to settle for field goals on multiple possessions. Samford’s special teams had a costly penalty wipe out a potential touchdown return, and the Bulldogs missed a fourth-quarter field goal that could have narrowed the gap.

Tennessee Tech’s offense relied on a balanced approach, with contributions from Leatherwood, Weatherly, Holloway and others. The Golden Eagles’ line created running room for Ashley on his long touchdown, and the defense protected the lead after halftime. Samford’s Johnson guided the offense and scored on the ground, while Ippolito handled the kicking duties. The Bulldogs’ defense got efforts from McKim, Nelson, Steve, Lenhardt, Conn and Young, but Tennessee Tech’s quick strikes proved too much.

Samford will next host Virginia Military Institute on Sept. 26. The Bulldogs then travel to UAB on Oct. 3 and Chattanooga on Oct. 10 before returning home to face Mercer on Oct. 17. Tennessee Tech will next travel to Wofford on Sept. 26. The Golden Eagles then visit Western Carolina on Oct. 3, host Furman on Oct. 10 and Eastern Kentucky on Oct. 17, and travel to Citadel on Oct. 24. Both teams remain in the NCAA Football Championship Division, and the result gives Tennessee Tech early momentum while Samford continues a challenging nonconference and conference stretch.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Tennessee Tech 62, Samford 13. Its ELO system had projected Tennessee Tech with a 96.5 percent probability to win. The actual result was closer than the projection, but the Golden Eagles still posted a decisive home victory.