BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Nov. 8, 2025) – The ETSU football team jumped out to a 21-0 lead on the road at Samford on its way to a 38-14 victory over the Bulldogs. With Saturday’s win over Samford, ETSU improves to 5-5 overall and 3-3 in SoCon action.
Jacolby Criswell returned to the lineup for the Blue and Gold after missing a pair of games. Criswell finished the night 19-for-30 passing for 261 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The graduate quarterback also ran for 31 more yards on six carries (5.1 avg.).
Devontae Houston had another stellar game out of the ETSU backfield. Houston ran for 151 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 18 carries (8.4 avg.). With those pair of rushing scores, Houston is up to 10 rushing touchdowns in 2025, and he is the fifth Buc tailback to rush for 10 or more touchdowns in a season joining Quay Holmes, George Searcy, Jacob Saylors, and Brandon Walker.
Nine different Buccaneer receivers caught a pass in the win. In terms of yards, Xavier Gaillardetz led the charge with 113 yards on three receptions and a touchdown. Not far behind was freshman Jeremiah Harrison with four catches for 95 yards. Karim Page and Charlie Browder also hauled in receiving touchdowns against the Bulldogs.
Defensively, the Bucs held Samford 312 yards on the night. ETSU’s defense also held the Bulldogs to 56 rushing yards on 37 carries. That rushing total was aided by a season-high six sacks from the Buccaneer defense. Ty Anderson had two sacks, while Trevor Moffitt, Kaven Call, Chris Davis Jr., and Nick Hunter had one a piece. William Wells hauled in his first career interception, while Dre Delinois was team’s leading tackler in the win with eight stops.
Next Up – The Bucs will hit the road for the final time in 2025 next Saturday when they visit rival Western Carolina. Kickoff in the annual Blue Ridge Border Battle is set for Noon from Cullowhee.
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