BOILING
SPRINGS - Gardner-Webb will honor its 1992 NAIA football national
finalist team during Saturday's homecoming game against VMI.
Kickoff
for Saturday's game is set for 1:30 pm in Ernest W. Spangler
Stadium.
The
1992 team posted what stands as the most dominant season in
Gardner-Webb football history 20 years ago, rolling to a 12-2
record, a South Atlantic Conference title and a berth in the NAIA
National Championship Bowl - played in Spangler Stadium.
Head
coach Woody Fish's team featured eight All-Americans, the NAIA
National Offensive Player of the Year (John Craven) and the NAIA
National Defensive Player of the Year (James Harbison). Fish and
seven of his players from that team have already earned a spot in
the Gardner-Webb Athletics Hall of Fame.
The
Runnin' Bulldogs of 20 years ago still hold 35 combined team and
individual records. The 'Dogs averaged a sizzling 461.0 yards of
total offense, ran 1,076 plays in 14 games and piled up 315 first
downs. Defensively, Gardner-Webb picked off 40 passes, returned
seven for touchdowns, registered 47 quarterback sacks and an
eye-popping 140 tackles for loss.
Gardner-Webb barreled through South Atlantic Conference play in
1992, outscoring its opponents by an average of 42.7 to 17.4. GWU
defeated five nationally-ranked foes in league play en route to a
7-0 mark.
Against
Wingate, quarterback John Craven passed for a school-record 487
yards and six touchdowns to spark a 69-33 win in Spangler Stadium.
Gardner-Webb racked up a school-record 804 yards of total offense
in that game.
Gardner-Webb hosted three NAIA playoff games in Spangler Stadium,
defeating Concord (WV) and Shepherd (WV) before falling to Central
State (OH), 19-16, in the Championship Bowl.