Runnin' Bulldogs Use Second Half Burst To Pull Away From VMI, 38-7
October 27, 2012 | Football
The Runnin' Bulldogs (2-6, 1-2 Big South) trailed 7-3 after the Keydets scored their lone touchdown on an 80-yard screen pass from Eric Kordenbrock to James Rogers with 13:18 to play before the half.
Beatty got going late in the second quarter, putting Gardner-Webb up 10-7 at the break by capping a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a three-yard strike to Kenny Cook on play action with 1:07 left in the half.
Beatty found freshman Demarcus White on a 64-yard touchdown pass on the fifth play of the third quarter for a 17-7 lead and running back Juanne Blount hit Hudson Smith on a 17-yard touchdown and a 24-7 lead with 10:41 to play in the third.
Beatty capped a 28-0 burst in the quarter with touchdown passes of 24 yards to Cook and 47 yards to White.
Gardner-Webb's defense limited VMI to just seven total yards in the decisive third quarter and just 92 yards in the second half. The Keydets (2-6, 1-3 Big South) had just one yard rushing on 15 carries after three quarters, and finished with 41 yards on the ground for the game.
The Runnin' Bulldogs forced four turnovers (two fumbles, two interceptions) in the game used outstanding efforts from punter Bo Lindsey (46.8 yard average on five punts) and returner J.J. Hubbard (112 return yards on four attempts) to control field position.
GWU totaled 400 yards on the day with Beatty completing 24-of-32 passes for 328 yards and his four touchdowns. White caught the first two touchdowns of his career, hauling in three passes for 113 yards to pace the receiving corps.
Deonte Swinton had eight catches for 73 yards, Cook had five catches for 65 yards and two scores and tight end Seth Cranfill broke the school's single-season receptions mark for tight ends with three catches for 51 yards. His third catch - a 25-yarder - broke Jason Bright's 2001 mark of 32 receptions.
Kenny Little carried 13 times for 54 yards to pace the rushing attack and Blount added 33 yards on nine carries to go with his first career touchdown pass.
Tanner Burch collected 12 total tackles (eight solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery to pace Gardner-Webb's spirited defensive effort. Azziz Higgins came off the bench to record six tackles in the fourth quarter alone and Maurice Dickson had 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. End Shaquille Riddick batted down two passes and recorded three quarterback pressures to assist an effort that produced seven tackles for loss, five sacks, 10 pass break ups and seven pressures overall.
VMI had 217 of its 309 yards in the first half, with Kordenbrock finishing the afternoon completing 19-of-35 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown. Rogers caught five passes for 103 yards and the 80-yard touchdown and Derrick Ziglar led the ground game with 32 yards on nine carries.
Michael Johnson recorded 13 tackles (four solo) to lead the Keydets on defense. Charlie Jones, Shawn Chapman and Justin Smith each had sacks to pace an effort that saw VMI record 12 tackles for loss. Jones had 3.5 tackles for loss (six total hits).
Gardner-Webb remains in Boiling Springs for its next game, hosting Coastal Carolina at 1:30 pm on November 3. That game will air live on ESPN3 and WGWG-FM (88.3 / wgwg.org).
| Box Score (PDF) |
