Hunter Smith Named Big South Special Teams Player of the Week
September 25, 2006 | Football
Gardner-Webb kicker Hunter Smith was named Big South Conference
Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday by the league
office.
Smith, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior, knocked in two field goals in
two attempts Saturday night to account for all of Gardner-Webb's
scoring in a loss to No. 2 Appalachian State. Smith booted a
29-yarder and a season-long 45-yarder in the game, and has now made
four field goals in a row after missing a 49-yarder vs. Tennessee
Tech in Week Two.
The Greensboro, N.C., native is currently No. 8 among active career
leaders nationally with 32 field goals made in 35 career games.
Smith also ranks among the nation's top-15 among active career
leaders in attempts (46) and percentage (69.6). He has made 38
extra points in a row, and has knocked in 47 of his last 49 PAT
attempts.
Smith, who ranks sixth in GWU history with 191 career points, and
fifth with 32 field goals, has made 14 of his last 18 field goal
attempts, dating back to the 2005 season (78 percent). Smith is
tied for fourth in career PAT makes, needing just one more to pass
Carlisle Koonts. Smith is 88 points from taking over the top spot
on Gardner-Webb's career scoring list - currently held by former
All-American Jeff Parker.
Smith ranks 16th nationally in field goals made per game so far
this season (1.33). He is a two-time All-Big South Conference
selection.
Gardner-Webb (2-2) will have another tough road test in its next
game, as the Bulldogs travel to face Southland Conference member
Southeastern Louisiana at 7 pm ET in Hammond, La. The game will be
broadcast live on WGWG-FM (88.3) and on gwusports.com, the official
website of Gardner-Webb athletics.
NOTES
Ranked Foes
Gardner-Webb's two losses this season have now come to opponents
ranked in the top-25, as UT-Martin moved into the top-20 in the
Weekly Football Gazette rankings on Sunday (No. 18). Appalachian
State, a consensus No. 2 in the national polls, topped GWU this
past Saturday.
Record Crowd
Gardner-Webb saw a Spangler Stadium-record of 8,490 fans for
Saturday's game with Appalachian State, filling the 7,500-seat
facility and the 1,000 additional temporary seats brought in for
the ASU game. Saturday's attendance was the 17th-best for the
weekend nationally at the I-AA level. Gardner-Webb's previous
attendance mark was 6,311 fans - set on Sept. 25, 2004 against No.
25 Western Carolina.
