GWU Falls To NC State, 45-14, Saturday Night
September 20, 2009 | Football
RALEIGH - Gardner-Webb fell behind NC State early Saturday night, and fell 45-14 in Carter-Finley Stadium.
The Wolfpack (2-1) got two short touchdown runs from Tony Baker early in the game, then Russell Wilson heated up - converting several key third downs and a fourth-down play as the hosts took a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
NC State added 10 points in the second quarter, but the two teams played relatively even in the second half - as Gardner-Webb put a pair of touchdowns, one in the third quarter and one in the fourth.
Wilson passed for a career-best 345 yards and four touchdowns in the game. Tight end George Bryan hauled in a career-best six catches for 89 yards and two of those scores. NC State finished with 477 yards of total offense (365 passing).
GWU (2-1) got on the board with 6:30 to play in the third, with Marquis Sanders darting around end for an 18-yard score, trimming the NC State lead to 38-7. The 'Dogs recovered an onside kick immediately following the score, but had a long rush by Philip Peoples deep into Wolfpack territory negated by a personal foul blocking penalty - forcing a punt.
Wilson converted a fourth-down play for his fourth touchdown pass of the game to start the fourth quarter, putting the Wolfpack up 45-7. The Richmond, Va., sophomore broke Andre Woodson's NCAA record for consecutive passes without an interception on that same drive.
Gardner-Webb's final score came on a Stan Doolittle sneak with just under three minutes to play for the final margin.
The Runnin' Bulldogs limited NC State to just 112 yards rushing - not allowing the Wolfpack to pass the century mark until a 19-yard rush by Brandon Barnes with less than a minute to play.
Doolittle completed 14-of-22 passes for 112 yards in the game without an interception. Philip Peoples led the ground game with 36 yards on nine carries, as Gardner-Webb was held to a season-low 213 offensive yards.
Mario Brown paced the GWU defense with 10 tackles (five solo) and Keron Phelps collected a career-high seven hits and a pass break up in his first career start. Gardner-Webb played the entire game without starting free safety Lyndrez Leslie, and much of the game without starting strong safety Chris James - both sidelined with nagging injuries from last week at Western Carolina.
Defensive tackle Matt Goods collected 1.5 of Gardner-Webb's four quarterback sacks in the game.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will enjoy an open date next weekend before opening Big South Conference play on Saturday, October 3 at VMI in Lexington, Va.
