2007 SCHEDULE

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb will play the toughest football schedule in its history in 2007, with heavyweights Mississippi State and Ohio University highlighting the opposition.

GWU will open the season on Saturday, Sept. 1, at Ohio, marking the first time that the Bulldogs have done battle with a Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) program. The Bulldogs' game at Mississippi State will be played on Saturday, Sept. 22, in Starkville, Miss.

Gardner-Webb's five-game home schedule opens with Jacksonville (Fla.) University on Saturday, Sept. 8, at 6:00 pm ET and includes dates with Austin Peay (Sept. 29, 6 pm), Charleston Southern (Oct. 27, 1:30 pm), Savannah State (Nov. 3, 1:30 pm) and Liberty (Nov. 17, 1:30 pm). The Oct. 27 game vs. Charleston Southern will be held on Homecoming Weekend.

In addition to the road games at Ohio and Mississippi State, Gardner-Webb will travel to face defending Division I FCS (formerly I-AA) champion Appalachian State (Oct. 6), preseason top-10, and Southern Conference contender Wofford (Oct. 13), VMI (Oct. 20) and defending Big South Conference champion Coastal Carolina (Nov. 10).

"We are excited with the opportunity to battle two teams from bowl conferences such as the SEC and MAC, in addition to our traditionally challenging schedule of top Division I FCS programs," said GWU Vice President for Athletics Chuck Burch. "We hope to represent a consistently improving Big South Conference well in our non-league games, and compete for a championship once conference play begins in mid-October."

Gardner-Webb returns 19 starters on offense and defense from a team that finished with a 6-5 record (2-2 Big South) last season.