Gardner-Webb Pair Earns Big South Football Weekly Honors
November 25, 2013 | Football
Geter (Irmo, S.C. / Dutch Fork HS) was named Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season and Day (Marvin, N.C. / Marvin Ridge HS) was named Special Teams Player of the Week for the fourth time in 2013.
The pair was instrumental in Gardner-Webb's 20-13 win at Presbyterian Saturday, which came down to strong execution on special teams, timely offense and another staunch defensive effort.
Geter finished Saturday's win over the Blue Hose with a career-high 12 total tackles (11 solo) and a pass break up, helping Gardner-Webb post its best overall record since 2003.
Playing less than an hour from his hometown, Geter was all over the field in the 20-13 win - which was the seventh of the season for Gardner-Webb. The 6-foot-2, 233-pounder had six solo stops in a dominant defensive first half that saw GWU allow just 49 yards of total offense in building a 13-0 lead.
It was another in a long list of strong games for Geter, who wrapped up his first season as a starter with 82 total tackles and a team-high 50 solo stops. He added 9.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six pass break ups and two interceptions - and had a 17-yard fumble return as well.
He earned CSN National Weekly All-Star honors following the win over #11/15 Richmond earlier this season and turned in an exceptional all-around season.
Geter was a key component in a strong defensive unit that wrapped up the regular season ranked No. 6 nationally in total defense, and in the top-25 against both the run and pass. Gardner-Webb also ranked among the nation's best in third down defense, first down defense and pass efficiency defense.
GWU allowed just 296.8 total yards per game this season - the lowest by a defense in Big South Conference history and the lowest by a Gardner-Webb team since moving to NCAA Division I.
Day turned in another spectacular performance as the team's dual-purpose kicker on Saturday, booting a pair of first-half field goals to cap scoring drives and averaging 42.1 yards per punt on a career-high 11 attempts.
Day's punting was perhaps his most important contribution Saturday, as he pinned the Blue Hose inside the 20 four different times and had long, high punts of 56 and 59 yards in the game. His hang time was crucial once again and a booming, 44-yard punt inside the Blue Hose 10-yard line was muffed and then recovered by GWU at the PC one-yard line.
That miscue led to another touchdown and a 20-7 Gardner-Webb lead late in the third quarter.
Day's lone football season in Boiling Springs was memorable, as he led the league in overall punting with a 39.1 yards per kick average and in net punting at 36.8 yards per kick. By season's end, Day had pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 17 times, forced 18 fair catches and boomed seven punts 50 yards or longer.
He handled his placekicking duties at a high level as well, leading the Big South with 14 made field goals and in field goal percentage (77.8 percent). His 14 field goals are the the third-most by a Gardner-Webb kicker in school history and sixth most in Big South Conference history.
In Gardner-Webb's three wins over ranked teams, Day connected on seven of nine field goal attempts - and accounted for all of Gardner-Webb's scoring in wins over Richmond and Wofford.
Gardner-Webb (7-5) finished above .500 for the first time since 2009 and reached at least seven wins for the first time since going 8-4 in 2003.
