GWU Football Trio Earns Weekly Awards From Big South Conference
October 02, 2006 | Football
CHARLOTTE - Gardner-Webb's youthful squad pulled out a 28-21 win
over favored Southeastern Louisiana, and three underclassmen earned
Big South Conference weekly awards on Monday morning.
Linebacker Mario E. Brown (6-2, 234, So.), punter Michael Hanna
(6-2, 223, So.) and running back David Montgomery (5-7, 155, Fr. )
each played major roles in the win, and were honored by the league
office as a result.
Brown, a former star at J.L. Mann (S.C.) High in Greenville, was
named Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Week.
He broke the Big South Conference's single-game record for tackles,
making 25 stops (15 solo) to go with 3.0 tackles for loss (minus-8
yards), two quarterback pressures and a 21-yard interception return
that set up Gardner-Webb's first touchdown.
Brown made four of his stops on the game-clinching defensive stand,
with his tackle on a third-and-5 inside the GWU 10-yard line
proving one of the most important of his 25 hits. Brown sniffed out
a screen pass and held that gain to just one yard, forcing a fourth
down and goal pass that failed - sealing the win for
Gardner-Webb.
Brown's interception in the third quarter, with GWU trailing 10-0
and on its heels, gave the Bulldogs' offense a first down at the
SLU 14-yard line. The Bulldogs scored on the next play, swinging
momentum strongly in their favor.
Brown leads GWU with 51 tackles and three interceptions through
five games, and ranks No. 18 nationally in both tackles per game
(10.2) and interceptions per game (0.6).
Hanna earned his second Big South Conference Special Teams Player
of the Week honor in the past four games, punting six times for an
average of 44.8 yards - and pinning SLU inside their 20-yard line
twice to give the GWU defense plenty of turf to defend. Hanna's
efforts helped hold the Lions to an average field position start of
their own 18-yard line in the game. His two longest punts were 52
yards and 48 yards.
Hanna ranks No. 2 nationally in punting, averaging 45.0 yards on 22
attempts. The former Collins Hill (Ga.) High standout has pinned
the opposition inside the 20 five times on the year, and has boomed
six punts longer than 50 yards in five games.
Montgomery was named Big South Conference Freshman of the Week
after rushing for 93 yards on just six carries Saturday, with three
big carries in the late stages of the game that led to a pair of
Gardner-Webb scores.
The Sugar Hill, Ga., native (North Gwinnett HS) had the biggest run
of his career with the game tied, 21-21, and less than five minutes
remaining in the fourth quarter. Montgomery took a first-down
option pitch and raced sideline to sideline, dodging tacklers on
his way to a 73-yard run down to the SLU three-yard line before
being forced out of bounds.
Teammate Philip Peoples scored the winning touchdown two plays
later. Montgomery had runs of 10 yards and eight yards on the
Bulldogs' previous offensive drive, setting up another Peoples'
touchdown run that gave GWU a 21-13 lead in the fourth quarter.
Montgomery, who averaged 15.5 yards per rush Saturday, is the third
different GWU freshman to earn Big South Freshman of the Week
honors this season. He has rushed 17 times for 142 yards (8.1 yards
per rush) this season.
Gardner-Webb (3-2) will enjoy an open date before returning to
action on Saturday, Oct. 14, at home against Glenville (WVa.)
State. Kickoff for that contest is set for 6 pm ET in Spangler
Stadium.
| Week 6 Big South Football Report |
