GAME NOTES: Gardner-Webb Hosts Virginia State Thursday Night
November 02, 2011 | Football
THE GAME
Gardner-Webb will host Virginia State at 6:00 pm Thursday night on Harris Field at Spangler Stadium. The game will air live on WGWG-FM (88.3), with Fabian Fuentes and David Allen providing the call. The game will also be broadcast on the Big South Network (bigsouthsports.com), as part of the league's video streaming package.
SERIES NOTES
First meeting in the sport of football ... GWU is 11-4-0 all-time against members of the CIAA, with most of that win total coming against nearby Johnson C. Smith (Charlotte) and Livingstone (Salisbury) ... GWU hasn't played a home game against a CIAA school since beating Virginia Union, 22-20, on Homecoming in 2000.
THE COACHES
Gardner-Webb head coach Ron Dickerson, Jr., is in his first season in charge of the Runnin' Bulldogs. GWU is his first head coaching job overall. Andrew Faison is in his 10th season as heac coach at Virginia State, his alma mater ('81). Faison is 54-46 during that time, including a 5-4 mark this season. The Trojans went 8-3 in 2010.
LAST WEEK
Treymaine Schley caught two touchdown passes, one from Lucas Beatty and one from Ricky Rhodes, and Gardner-Webb's defense recorded seven sacks and two interceptions to spark a 14-7 win over Charleston Southern. Lyndon Leslie provided a lift off the bench with four catches for 85 yards, including a 21-yard reception on a flea flicker that set up Gardner-Webb's first score - a 14-yard strike from Beatty to Schley.
DICKSON DELIVERS
With All-Big South tackle Matt Goods sitting out last week with an injury, classmate Maurice Dickson (6-4, 260, So.) came through with a tremendous effort. Playing both end and tackle in the game, Dickson registered a career-high 10 total tackles (four solo), 4.5 tackles for loss and broke a school record with 3.5 sacks. The previous mark was set by Rondell White at Tusculum in 1998 (3.0 sacks). Dickson added four pressures and was named Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. The Hillside, N.J., native leads the Big South with 4.5 sacks in 2011.
PATTERSON PILING UP STATS
Linebacker Marty Patterson (6-3, 235, RSr.) has accomplished many things already during his career in Boiling Springs, but topped his best efforts in the win over Charleston Southern. The preseason All-America selection came through with a career-high 20 total tackles (nine solo) and a tackle for loss in the win, including several big hits. Patterson has 72 tackles in six games played this season, leading the Big South with 12.0 tackles per game. In league play, Patterson has totaled 55 tackles in four league games, averaging 13.8 per contest - which also leads the league. The Mt. Airy, Ga., native has registered 293 total tackles during his career in Boiling Springs, which ranks No. 16 in school history - only 13 hits behind former All-America and NFL linebacker Jim Maxwell.
SCHLEY IS SLY
Sophomore tight end Treymaine Schley (6-3, 220) enjoyed one of his finest games Saturday - one week after posting a career-high total in yardage - hauling in five passes for 50 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career. Schley's 14-yard scoring grab from Lucas Beatty tied the game with 2:00 left before halftime and his nine-yard touchdown catch from running back Ricky Rhodes gave GWU the lead for good with 14:10 left in the game. Schley was named National Tight End of the Week in the Football Championship Subdivision by College Football Performance Awards (CFPA), and now leads the Big South's tight ends with 17 catches for 200 yards and two scores - all career-high numbers to date for Schley. The Ft. Myers, Fla., native has nine catches for 119 yards in the past two games combined.
CAREER DAY
Punter Graham Purvis (5-11, 165, RSr.) was one of several stars in Gardner-Webb's 14-7 win over Charleston Southern last week, punting 11 times for a conference-record 497 yards (45.2 yards per punt). Purvis uncorked two of the longest punts in league history in the same game - booming a 67-yarder (sixth best) late in the first half to pin CSU inside its own 20 with the game tied, 7-7, and launching a school and Big South-record 85 yard punt late in the fourth quarter that forced CSU to try and cover 80 yards for a potential game-tying score. The GWU defense took advantage of the field position and kept the lead safe. Purvis' effort earned the Shallotte, N.C., native Big South Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors Monday morning, and National Special Teams Player of the Week honors Monday afternoon. He is averaging 36.3 yards per kick this season, and has five kicks of 50 yards or better under his belt through eight games.
A GOOD STREAK
Gardner-Webb has won two games in a row in the same season for the first time since starting the 2010 season 2-0 with wins vs. Brevard and at Akron. GWU won two in a row to span the end of the 2010 season and the start of the 2011 campaign, beating VMI to close out '10 and topping Brevard to begin '11. GWU has not won three games in a row since October 18-November 1 of the 2008 season - topping Presbyterian (Oct. 18), VMI (Oct. 25) and Stony Brook (Nov. 1) behind strong quarterback play from then-senior Devin Campbell.
BIG PLAYS A PLUS
Gardner-Webb registered seven "explosive" offensive plays at Coastal Carolina, giving the Runnin' Bulldogs 25 plays of 20 yards or more through seven games in 2011. Last season, GWU recorded just 21 plays longer than 20 yards in 11 games played. The seven plays of 20 yards or more in a single game are the most for Gardner-Webb this season, and one of the top totals for any game in the past five seasons. Gardner-Webb had just seven rushing plays of 20 yards or more all last season, but has recorded nearly double that total (12) through seven games in 2011. Ricky Rhodes has four of those runs to his credit.
PUSH 'EM BACK
Gardner-Webb ranks No. 3 nationally in tackles for loss, helped indeed by last weekend's 11-tackles for loss effort vs. Charleston Southern. GWU also had a season-high seven sacks and 11 quarterback pressures in that game - just two sacks shy of the league's single-game mark for a team. The rotation up front of Preston Pemasa (6-2, 250, So.), Matt Goods (6-2, 275, RSo.) Dylan Taylor (6-0, 265, Jr.), Jordan Woods (6-3, 245, Sr.), Maurice Dickson (6-4, 260, So.), Maurice Bryan (6-2, 265, RJr.) and Tyler Hough-Jenkins (6-4, 270, RFr.) forms one of the deepest defensive lines in the nation.
A MAN OF MANY TALENTS
Running back Ricky Rhodes (5-7, 175, RJr.) has been expected to wear many hats in 2011 for the Gardner-Webb offense, coming into the season as a slot receiver and part-time running back. The Richmond, Ky., native has been forced into full-time duty at running back due to injuries, however, and has responded well. One area Rhodes may not have expected to impact was quarterback rating, but in the past two weeks he has been as efficient as possible - passing the football. Rhodes has completed each of his two pass attempts for 14 yards and a pair of scores, forging an astronomical quarterback rating of 488.80 for the season. Rhodes also ranks second on the team with 91 rushing attempts for 357 yards and a score - and is averaging 130.4 all-purpose yards per game.
BIG FRONT LINE
Gardner-Webb's offensive line has drawn solid reviews during preseason camp, coming together nicely as a unit under new position coach Dwayne Ledford. The starting five: left tackle Harrison Martin (6-6, 285, RJr.); left guard Jamie Dunaway (6-4, 290, Jr.); center Austin Sargent (6-3, 290, Jr.); right guard Jeff Harris (6-2, 291, RSo.) and right tackle Steve Demilio (6-5, 290, RJr.) average a solid 6-foot-4, 289-pounds per man and have at least three years each in a college weight program under their belts.
RUNNING CRAZY ON OPENING NIGHT
Gardner-Webb hit the ground with a physical approach in its season opener, and produced two 100-yard rushers in the same game for the first time since October 12, 2002. Kenny Little darted for a career-high 131 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries and Juanne Blount barrelled his way to 102 yards on 14 carries - pacing a 220-yard team effort on the ground. The last duo to rush for 100 yards in the same game was quarterback Jeremy Martin and running back Chris Foster - the team's current position coach - against Elon in 2002. The game marked the first 100-yard game of Little's career and the fourth for Blount - who played a major role as a freshman in 2010.
NO TURNOVERS IN WINS
In Gardner-Webb's three wins this season, the Runnin' Bulldogs have not committed a turnover - owning an impressive plus-5 edge in turnover margin during those games. GWU has forced two turnovers in each of the last two weeks.
STAFF EXPERIENCE
Gardner-Webb's current coaching staff has a combined 143 years of coaching experience among them, with much of that coming on the college level. Current GWU coaches have held full-time positions at BCS conference schools Pittsburgh, Colorado, Penn State, Clemson, Georgia, West Virginia, Wake Forest and Ole Miss - with two climbing as high as coordinator at that level. Defensive line coach Ron Dickerson, Sr., was an FBS-level head coach in the mid-1990s at Temple.
PRESEASON TRADITION CONTINUES
Gardner-Webb placed four men on preseason FCS All-America squads during the summer months, adding to a long tradition of preseason honors for Runnin' Bulldogs players. Receiver James Perry III and guard Jamie Dunaway each earned honorable mention honors from Consensus Draft services. Linebacker Marty Patterson was a fourth-team selection by Phil Steele and a third-team selection by College Sporting News. Long snapper Hudson Smith was also a third-team selection by College Sporting News (CSN). Patterson was a preseason All-America choice for the second season in a row. Since 2003, Gardner-Webb has seen 18 players earn preseason All-America honors - with at least one on a preseason team in each of the past eight seasons.
THIS WEEK IN THE BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE
In other Big South Conference action this week: Stony Brook travels to Charleston Southern (1:30 pm); VMI travels to No. 22 Liberty (3:30 pm) and Presbyterian hits the road again for a matchup against reeling Coastal Carolina 6:00 pm) in Conway.
TOOMER TIME
Freshman cornerback Ivan Toomer (6-1, 180) ended one Charleston Southern drive with a diving interception in the end zone Saturday, and had another end zone pick negated by an offsides call late in the fourth quarter. The Homestead, Fla., rookie played the entire second half at corner due to an injury that depleted depth at the position - finishing with four total tackles (two solo) on the day.
ON THE AIR
Gardner-Webb's football games this season can be heard live on WGWG-FM (88.3), the school's 50,000-watt flagship station. Fabian Fuentes and David Allen will provide the call for the Runnin' Bulldogs in 2011. Log onto to wgwg.org for a live audio stream via the internet as well.
BIG SOUTH NETWORK
The Big South Network, presented by State Farm, will carry all of Gardner-Webb's home football games and all Big South Conference games live as part of the league's subscription-based video streaming package. Interested parties may register for an account at bigsouthsports.com.
UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb will remain at home to face streaking Stony Brook at 1:30 pm on Saturday, November 12. The Sea Wolves have won two in a row against the Runnin' Bulldogs, including a win in Boiling Springs on Homecoming 2009. †
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