GWU Rolls Past Savannah State, 66-0, Saturday Afternoon
November 03, 2007 | Football
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb rushed for a
season-high 366 yards and saw seven different players score
touchdowns in a 66-0 rout of Savannah State Saturday afternoon at
Spangler Stadium.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (5-4) managed 607 total yards on the day,
despite throwing just one pass in the second half and playing every
man dressed and available for action against the Tigers (1-8). GWU
managed 29 first downs on offense, and limited Savannah State to
just four. The Bulldogs' defense held the Tigers to just 22 yards
on the ground (28 attempts) and only 79 total offensive yards.
The loss was the second worst in Savannah State's football history,
and was the worst loss since Bethune-Cookman topped the Tigers 98-0
in 1953 ¬– a span of 54 seasons.
Gardner-Webb set new program marks against a Division I opponent
for most total yards (607), most rushing yards (366), most
touchdowns (9), most points (66) and largest victory margin
(66).
Stan Doolittle played just one half on Saturday,
but was an efficient 20-of-28 for 247 yards and four touchdowns.
His second scoring strike found an unusual target – as
All-America defensive end Brian
Johnston put the ‘Dogs in front by three scores with his
first career touchdown catch as a short-yardage tight end.
Johnston, who played just one quarter and two series in the game,
has taken six snaps at tight end in the last two weeks. He finished
with five hits, 2.0 tackles for loss and two pressures in his
limited duty Saturday.
Doolittle also hit Duvaughn Flagler twice for scores, with the
final hook-up going 46 yards to paydirt with 13:21 to play before
halftime – and a 28-0 lead. Evan Kay tacked on a field goal,
Patrick Hall scored on a 10-yard run and Dobson
Collins caught a 13-yard scoring pass to send GWU to the locker
room up 45-0.
Only Hall, the Bulldogs' freshman running back, played in the
second half among those offensive regulars.
Utility man Brandon Jackson – who has lined up at
running back, receiver and quarterback this season – bolted 80
yards untouched to give GWU a 52-0 lead with 10:07 to play in the
third quarter, and went 45 yards up the gut for another score and a
59-0 lead with 12:24 to play in the game.
Fourth-string back Jermaine Grandison finished the scoring
with a 20-yard run up the middle with 4:42 to play in the game
– his first career touchdown on just his seventh career carry,
with all seven coming on Saturday.
Jackson finished with 128 yards and two scores on just four carries
to pace the Bulldogs' rushing attack – which saw four running
backs pick up at least 50 yards for the first time since the
program moved to Division I. Hall finished with 73 yards on 12
carries, David Montgomery carried nine times early for 72
yards and a score and Grandison managed 68 yards on seven
attempts.
Flagler caught four passes for 106 yards and two scores, and became
the first player in Big South Conference and Gardner-Webb
University history with three 50-catch seasons to his credit. Nine
different receivers caught passes Saturday, and seven different
ball carriers recorded attempts.
Savannah State got 13 tackles – all in the first half –
from 6-foot-4, 215-pound free safety Javorris Jackson.
True freshmen Marty Patterson and Jeffrey
Williams each had eight hits to pace Gardner-Webb's defense,
with Williams collecting 1.5 tackles for loss. Mario Brown had
seven stops, a sack and 2.0 tackles for loss and Alfred
Artis made six bone-crunching hits on kickoff returns for the
‘Dogs. Oluwadamilola Teniola had a career-high five
hits, including 2.5 for loss and a sack in a nice performance.
Gardner-Webb will return to Big South Conference action next
Saturday, as it treks to Conway, S.C., to tangle with three-time
league champion Coastal Carolina at 7 pm ET in Brooks Stadium. The
Chants have topped Gardner-Webb four times in a row.
Johnston gave GWU a 21-0 lead with his first career touchdown catch – lining up a tight end again for the second week in a row.
| Box Score: GWU 66, Savannah State 0 |
