Campbell, Smith Earn Big South Weekly Honors After Sparking Comeback
October 23, 2006 | Football
CHARLOTTE - Gardner-Webb quarterback Devin Campbell was named
Choice Hotels / Big South Conference Offensive Player of the Week,
and kicker Hunter Smith was named league Special Teams Player of
the Week following the Bulldogs' win at Liberty.
Campbell, a 6-foot-4, 188-pound sophomore from Greenville, S.C.
(Wade Hampton HS) led his third game-winning, fourth-quarter drive
of the season for GWU on the road at Liberty, and was razor sharp
in the Bulldogs' second half rally. Campbell captained the
Bulldogs' 27-point outburst in the final 30 minutes, rallying the
'Dogs from a 17-0 halftime hole for a 27-24 win.
In the final two quarters, Campbell completed 22-of-30 passes for
267 yards and two touchdowns, helping GWU score on each of its five
possessions in the half against the nation's No. 4 scoring defense.
Only Division I-A and top-25 Wake Forest had scored more than 14
points on the Flames this season, netting 27 points in a half as
well in Winston-Salem earlier this year.
Campbell saved his best for last, completing 5-of-7 passes for 62
yards on the game-winning, 65-yard drive that culminated in a field
goal with five seconds left. The drive began at the GWU 11-yard
line, and Campbell hit passes of 12, 23, 9, 4 and 14 yards to lead
the way upfield.
The first-year starter finished the day completing 26-of-41 passes
for 293 yards and two touchdowns, as GWU piled up 313 yards and 17
first downs in the second half.
Campbell had a string of eight-straight completions earlier in the
half that spanned the third and fourth quarters, setting a new
career high in that category. He also moved into ninth place on
Gardner-Webb's career passing list, leaping over Dennis Stilley
(1975-1978), with his current total of 2,019 yards. Campbell's
career completion percentage of 56.1 is second in Bulldog
history.
He has thrown for a career-high 1,312 yards and nine touchdowns
through seven starts this season.
Smith, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior from Greensboro, N.C., boomed
home two 40-plus yard field goals in the fourth quarter at Liberty,
including the game-winning 40-yard kick with :05 seconds left to
give GWU the 27-24 win.
Smith kicked a 44-yard field goal to tie the game at 24-24 with
9:03 remaining - and had to hit that effort twice after offsetting
penalties forced a re-kick. He also was a perfect 3-of-3 on PATs to
finish with nine points, and averaged 57.5 yards on his six
kickoffs with one touchback.
Smith now has 10 career field goals of 40 yards-or-longer, most in
Big South history. He ranks No. 8 on the NCAA's active career
leaders list with 35 field goals made and is 7-of-8 in that
category this season - including the two longest makes in the Big
South Conference in 2006 from 45 and 44 yards. Smith has also
booted a perfect 14-of-14 PAT attempts in 2006.
Smith's nine points on Saturday pushed him past future Hall of
Famer William Andrews, Jr., into fourth on the GWU career scoring
list. Smith is no the third-rated kicker in school history in that
category, trailing former All-Americans Jeff Parker (278) and Andre
Kwasnick (243) with 211 points.
Gardner-Webb (5-2, 1-0 Big South) will have little time to relax,
as an improved VMI squad rolls into town on Saturday for a 1:30 pm
ET kickoff. After a tough start, the Keydets have lost last-minute
games a combined eight points to preseason Big South favorites
Coastal Carolina and Charleston Southern in consecutive weeks.
Saturday will be Homecoming in Boiling Springs, and community fans,
students and alumni are encouraged to show up in force to support
the Bulldogs in Spangler Stadium. For ticket information, call
(704) 406-4340.
