BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – For the first time in 2023, Gardner-Webb will play inside the confines of Spangler Stadium, hosting an old in-state rival the Elon Phoenix on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 6:00 P.M.
Elon (0-1) at Gardner-Webb (0-1)
Saturday, Sept. 9 – 6:00 PM
Spangler Stadium – Boiling Springs, N.C.
Watch: ESPN+ (Phil Constantino & Mark Covert)
Listen Live: Varsity Network App/gwusports.com/WGNC 1450 AM/101.1 FM (Dave Friedman & Reginald Walker Jr.)
Live Stats
THE GAME
Gardner-Webb kicks off inside Spangler Stadium for the first time this season, hosting in-state rival Elon. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM, with Phil Constantino and Mark Covert handling the call on ESPN+. Dave Friedman and Reginald Walker Jr. handling the online radio call at gwusports.com and The Varsity App. The radio call can also be heard via WGNC 1450 AM/101.1 FM.
SERIES NOTES
Elon leads the series 22-11 all-time. In meetings in the senior college era, (since 1970), Elon won the first 11 games of the series from 1970-1982. Gardner-Webb earned their first win over the Phoenix in 1983, knocking off Elon 17-15. The two teams have split the last six meetings 3-3 since 2001. Tre Lamb’s first win as head coach of the Runnin’ Bulldogs came on Feb. 27, 2021, a 42-20 win over #24 Elon as the ‘Dawgs erased a 20-7 halftime defecit with 35 unanswered points. Last season, GWU held a 24-20 lead over the Phoenix on the road, before Elon held Gardner-Webb scoreless in the second half to knock off the Runnin’ Bulldogs 30-24.
LAST TIME OUT
Gardner-Webb enters this week’s contest 0-1 following a 45-24 loss to FBS Appalachian State. The Runnin’ Bulldogs led the Mountaineers 24-21 with 5:16 left in the third quarter, but three straight GWU drives ended in a turnover, and App State scored 24 unanswered points to pull away. Jayden Brown had a career-high 67 yards receiving on three catches. His three total touchdowns are also a career-high, while his two rushing touchdowns tie a career-high.
SCOUTING ELON
Elon enters the contest 0-1 following a 37-17 loss to ACC foe Wake Forest. The Phoenix trailed 24-0 at halftime, before cutting the lead down to 30-14 entering the fourth quarter. Caleb Curtain returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown, and also added one sack…Elon sacked the Demon Deacons four times last Thursday. The Phoenix led the CAA in sacks last season with 34 total…Jalen Hampton leads the rushing attack on offense for Elon. The redshirt sophomore was a Freshman All-American and Third Team All-CAA selection last season, rushing for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. This year, Hampton has recorded 89 yards rushing, including a 49-yard touchdown at Wake Forest…The Elon rush defense is strong,as the Phoenix held the Demon Deacons below three yards per carry for the game (2.8). The Phoenix held Wake Forest to just 22 yards on 15 carries in the first half….Elon went just 2-for-16 on third downs against the Demon Deacons, but were a perfect 3-for-3 on fourth downs.
WHAT A SCHEDULE
Gardner-Webb faces one of the toughest nonconference schedules in FCS football. The Runnin’ Bulldogs have two nonconference home games, a September 9 collision against RV Elon, and an FCS Playoff rematch on October 21 against #24 Eastern Kentucky. The Runnin’ Bulldogs travel to FBS foes Appalachian State and East Carolina, and will also hit the road against RV Austin Peay. In conference play, the ‘Dawgs will host defending OVC Champion RV UT Martin, while also making trips to Tennessee State (9/16), Bryant (11/5), and Tenneessee Tech (11/12).
THE MAYOR
Running back Narii Gaither (5-10, 181, R-Sr.) now has 2,517 yards rushing for his career, ranking fifth all-time. Gaither is now second on the school’s all-time Division I career rushing list, trailing only Tyrell Maxwell (2,944). Gaither also needs just five receptions to pass fullback Philip Keefe (88) for the most receptions by a running back in school history. Gaither had seven catches last week at App State for 22 yards.
COMMON GROUND
Gardner-Webb is familiar with several teams from the CAA, holding a 20-41 all-time record against current CAA foes. GWU is 7-18 all-time against the former Big South schools (Campbell, Hampton, Monmouth, NC A&T, and Stony Brook) during their time in the same conference. Notable victories for the Runnin’ Bulldogs against the CAA include Gardner-Webb’s first-ever win over a ranked FCS team on Nov. 11, 2000, knocking off #23 New Hampshire 38-35. GWU also defeated #11 Richmond on Sept. 14, 2013 12-10. The ‘Dawgs went 0-2 against the CAA last season, falling to Elon and #5 William & Mary.
THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb head coach Tre Lamb is the second-youngest skipper in Division I football at age 33. He is 13-16 in his brief tenure, with six of those losses coming to 85-scholarship FBS programs. Tony Trisciani is 20-21 and is now in his fifth year at Elon. Trisciani guided the Phoenix to an 8-4 record last season and a spot in the FCS playoffs. Elon also picked up wins over #14 William & Mary, #17 Richmond, and #25 Delaware in 2022.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
Last week, Jayden Brown had a big game against App State, earning Big South-OVC Offensive Player of the Week honors (9/4). Brown tied his career-high with two rushing touchdowns, as both rushing touchdowns either tied or gave GWU the lead at the time. He also finished with three receptions for a career-high 67 yards and a touchdown, scoring on a 41-yard pass play to give GWU a 24-21 lead with 5:16 left in the third quarter. Brown finished with 45 rushing yards and 67 passing yards for 112 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.
WOWSLEY
Raequan Ousley exploded onto the scene last season, recording 19 pass break ups and earning Third Team All-American honors. His 19 PBUs are the second-most in a single season in GWU history, behind James Harbison, who broke up 20 passes in the 1992 season. Ousley’s 19 PBU’s also ranked inside the top-15 in the FCS
ROAD TRIP
The Runnin’ Bulldogs will once again face long stretches away from Spangler Stadium in 2023. GWU will play just one home game in September, facing RV Elon on Sept. 9. The ‘Dawgs will also have just one home game in November, hosting conference rival Charleston Southern in the regular season finale on Nov. 18. Gardner-Webb does play three home games in October, hosting Robert Morris on Oct. 7, #24 EKU on Oct. 21, and RV UT Martin on Oct. 28
THIRD DOWN PATROL
Gardner-Webb was among the nation’s best on third down last season, ranking No. 21 nationally by allowing a 35.0 percent conversion rate. Last week against App State, the ‘Dawgs held the Mountaineers to just 30.8 percent on third down. That mark ranks third in the Big South-OVC and 28th in the FCS.
WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A TACKLE
For the past two years, William McRainey has been a head hunter for the Runnin’ Bulldogs, recording over 100 tackles the past two seasons. Last year, McRainey led the team with 104 tackles, with 9.0 TFL and 5.5 sacks. McRainey has started all 29 games he has played in since earning the starting linebacker job in the 2021 spring season. This season, McRainey has eight total tackles.
COMING HOME
Since 2000, Gardner-Webb is 17-6 in home openers, holding a five-game winning streak entering Saturday. However, the Runnin’ Bulldogs are just 6-6 against FCS teams in those home openers, as 11 of those contests have been against Division-II or NAIA teams. The last time GWU played a home opener against an FCS team was Feb. 27, 2021 when the ‘Dawgs knocked off #24 Elon, 42-20.
BONJOUR
Gardner-Webb defensive stalwart Ty French (6-3, 230, Sr.) had a career-best season in 2022, breaking the Big South single-season record for sacks with 11.5 through 12 games. French is just the third player in league history to reach double figures in sacks and finished just a half sack from tying the GWU single-season mark set by Chris Mintz in 1999. The Moultrie, Ga., native tied the Big South career record for sacks (25.0) with a sack at Appalachian State, along with 3.0 tackles for loss. French needs four more sacks to reach the Gardner-Webb career mark – currently held by former Green Bay Packer and GWU Hall of Famer Gabe Wilkins (1990-1993). French was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award and was on the final watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award in 2022. He enters the 2023 season on the Buck Buchanan Award List once again.
DOING WELL CALDWELL
Last week at App State, Matthew Caldwell burst onto the scene, going 30-for-46 for 231 yards and a touchdown. His 30 completions is tied for the eighth-most in a single game. The record belongs to Lucas Beatty, who completed 35 passes at Charlotte on Oct. 5, 2013. On the Runnin’ Bulldogs first scoring drive of the game against the Mountaineers, Caldwell went 7-for-7 for 67 yards, completing an eight-play, 75-yard drive, the longest of the season so far for the Runnin’ Bulldogs. Caldwell also rushed for 18 yards in the contest.
GETTING IT DONE ON AND OFF THE FIELD
For the first time ever, Gardner-Webb has a player nominated for the William V. Campbell trophy in McRainey. The Shallotte, N.C. native is the reigning Big South Scholar Athlete of the Year, graduating in July with a 3.55 GPA while majoring in Economics and Finance. He is also an Eagle Scout, and has helped the GWU football team with service projects at elementary schools in Shelby and Boiling Springs. The William V. Campbell trophy is considered the “Academic Heisman,” with past winners such as Peyton Manning, Tim Tebow, Christian Wilkins, and Justin Herbert.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Jayden Brown was the first-ever Big South-OVC Football Association Offensive Player of the Week, announced on Sept. 4, 2023. Brown’s 112 all-purpose yards lead the conference after week one, as do his three touchdowns. His scoring tally also ranks second in the FCS.
WHEN THE MAYOR IS IN THE OFFICE
Gardner-Webb played just ten games last season with All-America running back Narii Gaither at full speed, going 7-3 in those contests. GWU averaged 37.3 points and 495.1 yards of total offense per game over those 10 games. Gaither averaged 101.9 rushing yards per game on those ten dates with seven touchdowns. He had six 100-yard games, and went for 245 yards in the win at Eastern Kentucky – the top rushing performance in Gardner-Webb’s Division I history (since 2000).
HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT
In his first three seasons at Gardner-Webb, Tre Lamb has never had a losing record at home, going 8-4 inside Spangler Stadium. The last home game for the Runnin’ Bulldogs was one to remember, as Gardner-Webb knocked off NC A&T 38-17 to win their first Big South Championship since 2003 and qualify for the FCS Playoffs for the first time in program history. Since moving to the Division-I level in 2000, the Runnin’ Bulldogs are 74-48 at home, winning 15 straight home games from Oct. 6, 2001-Sept. 18, 2004.
NATIONAL NOTICE
Ty French and Jayden Brown earned FedEx Ground FCS National Offensive and Defensive Honorable Mention honors for their play last week at App State. It is the first national honor of any kind for Brown, while it is French’s first since he was FCS Freshman Honorable Mention during the spring 2021 season after the Presbyterian game.
A LONG TIME COMING
Before the 2022 season, Gardner-Webb last secured the Big South’s three major postseason awards in the same season in 2002, when Jeremy Martin (Offensive Player of the Year), Mario Williams (Defensive Player of the Year) and Steve Patton (Coach of the Year) were honored. Keppy Baucom was also named Big South Freshman of the Year in 2002. That solo award is now split into two different awards – Offensive and Defensive Freshman of the Year.
ALL THE LISTS
This preseason, Ty French and Narii Gaither have found themselves on several preseason award Watch Lists. Gaither is on the Walter Peyton Award Watch List for best offensive player in the FCS, while French slides in on the Buck Buchanan Watch List for best defensive player. Both athletes earned preseason All-American honors from STATS, along with teammate Raequan Ousley. French also became the first GWU player since Chad Geter in 2016 to earn a spot on the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watchlist.
WE’RE BACK, A DEFENSE STORY
The Runnin’ Bulldogs return 10 of their 11 starters from last season’s defense. GWU led the conference in interceptions (16), forced turnovers (24), and third-down defense (32.1) last season. The Runnin’ Bulldogs also led the Big South in sacks with 38 total for an average of 2.9 sacks a game. Ty Anderson was one of just four players in the conference to tally a pick six, recording a 45-yard interception return at Marshall (10/1). The GWU defense also forced three redzone turnovers last season, the third-most in the Big South.
UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb returns to the road and opens Big South-OVC Football Association play, heading to Nashville, Tenn. to face Tennessee State in a conference showdown on Saturday, Sept. 16. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM eastern.
