GAME NOTES: Gardner-Webb Heads To Charleston Southern For 11:00 AM Kickoff (ESPN3)
November 04, 2014 | Football
THE GAME
Gardner-Webb hits the road again on Saturday for an early kickoff, traveling to face Charleston Southern in the Low Country at 11:00 am. The game will air live on ESPN3 (Mike Hogewood, Renaldo Wynn) and wgwg.org (Fabian Fuentes, Alex Guest).
SERIES NOTES
Gardner-Webb owns a 9-4 edge in the all-time series with Charleston Southern, with the first meeting coming in 1992 ... The two teams did not meet again after that until 2002, the first season of Big South Conference football action ... Charleston Southern's first win in the series came in dominant fashion – a 38-7 win in Spangler Stadium in 2005 ... GWU has won four of the past five meetings, but lost 28-10 in its most recent trip to Buccaneer Field on November 10, 2012 ... GWU led 10-7 heading into the fourth quarter before a dominant final 15 minutes by Charleston Southern ... The two teams also played at 11:00 am in 2009, with Gardner-Webb holding off CSU for a 27-20 win in Boiling Springs ... That game was televised by SportsSouth and played on a soggy field ... The two teams also met on November 19, 1988 in Boiling Springs, when CSU was playing as a club team ... GWU won that game 42-0 in Spangler Stadium.
THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb head coach Carroll McCray (Class of '83) returned to his alma mater in 2013 and has forged an 11-10 record so far in his time in Boiling Springs. Charleston Southern head coach Jamey Chadwell (ETSU '00) has gone 16-6 since taking over at CSU last season and has 39 wins as a collegiate head coach since 2009, which includes stops at North Greenville and Delta State.
LONG ROAD
Gardner-Webb hasn't fared well away from home of late, going just 1-4 so far in 2014 and winning just five times away from home since 2010 ... The lone conference wins for GWU during that stretch came at Coastal Carolina (2011) and at Presbyterian (2013).
BANGED UP
The injury list has been long for Gardner-Webb in 2014. All-Big South linebackers Tanner Burch and Chad Geter are each out for the season and offensive starters Ashanti McPhee (OL), David Sutton (OL) and Juanne Blount (RB) each missed the VMI game. All told, Gardner-Webb has lost 137 combined quarters of action from starters in 2014, with 83 of those coming from All-Big South Conference selections.
COOKING WITH KENNY
Gardner-Webb All-America receiver Kenny Cook (6-4, 218, RSr.) was back to form in the 47-41 win at VMI on October 18. The Cross Hill, S.C., native hauled in a career-best 12 passes for two touchdowns, and broke school, conference and facilty records for receiving yards with 251 that afternoon. He had catches of 49 yards, 80 yards (TD), 23 yards and 25 yards (TD) – with his 25-yarder in the second overtime winning the game. Cook was named FCS National Receiver of the Week by College Football Performance Awards and FCS National Co-Offensive Player of the Week by the Sports Network. His yardage total is the top mark in all of FCS this season. He posted his third 100-yard effort of the season vs. #2/3 Coastal Carolina, hauling in eight passes for 100 yards. Cook has caught 170 passes for 2,301 yards and 20 scores in just 30 career games with the Runnin' Bulldogs – good for fifth in GWU history in career receptions.
THE OTHER COOK
Gardner-Webb has a fast-rising star in linebacker Aaron Cook (6-1, 218, So.), who has emerged as an All-Big South candidate at the position with the season-ending injuries to standouts Chad Geter (6-2, 238, Jr.) and Tanner Burch (6-3, 250, Sr.). Cook emerged during spring practice as a starter at the Bandit position outside, and has split time between that post and Geter's old Spur position over the past five games. The results have been promising – 71 total tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, one sack and four pass break ups. He had a career-high 14 hits (nine solo) vs. #2/3 Coastal Carolina.
LOCKED AND LOADED
Quarterback Lucas Beatty (6-2, 210, RSr.) moved into third place in Gardner-Webb history with his 266 yards vs. #2/3 Coastal Carolina, passing Hall of Famer Chip Stuart. Beatty has now completed 674-of-1097 passes for 7,563 yards and 39 touchdowns in 35 career starts. He ranks No. 2 in Big South history in completions, attempts and yardage. So far in 2014, Beatty has connected on 171-of-276 passes for 1,952 yards and 13 touchdowns (five interceptions) this season, which includes a Big South-record 430 yards and five touchdowns in Gardner-Webb's 47-41 overtime win at VMI (10/18). Beatty has topped the 300-yard mark through the air a league-record seven times in his career.
UNDER THE RADAR
Defensive end Tyler Hough-Jenkins (6-4, 274, RSr.) has proven to be a solid addition to the starting lineup in his first season in that role full time. The Charlotte, N.C., native has batted down two passes, recovered a fumble – and ranks fourth on the team with a career-best 46 total tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss. A converted offensive lineman – who blocked for GWU quarterback Lucas Beatty at Olympic (N.C.) High – Hough-Jenkins had a career-high 11 stops in Gardner-Webb's game at Wake Forest on September 6, 2014.
MAU WOW
Buchanan Award candidate and All-America nose guard O.J. Mau (6-2, 308, Jr.) is enjoying a productive second full season as a starter up front – totaling 45 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss (minus-19 yards), 2.0 sacks (minus-11 yards) and six quarterback pressures inside. He was particularly active in the win over Charlotte (10/4), shutting off the middle run game and collecting a career-best 11 total hits in the process.
IVAN'S ISLAND
Cornerback Ivan Toomer (6-1, 203, RJr.) has been tasked with anchoring an inexperienced secondary in 2014, and has been up to the challenge. The former Homestead (Fla.) High standout has posted 47 total tackles (31 solo), 2.0 tackles for loss and has a team-best eight pass break ups while drawing man coverage on the opposition's top receiver most games. Toomer also has an interception, which he returned 25 yards for a touchdown in Gardner-Webb's home opener.
ROOKIE PATROL
Defensive end Laron Glenn (6-2, 272, Fr.) made his first career start against #2/3 Coastal Carolina, and held his own against one of the top offensive lines in the FCS. The Charlotte, N.C., native collected seven tackles (four solo), had a tackle for loss and hurried the quarterback a team-best three times. Glenn has 16 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, one sack and four quarterback hurries so far in 2014.
RUNAWAY TRAIN
Tight end Seth Cranfill (6-4, 246, RSr.) continued his assault on the Gardner-Webb and Big South record books vs. #2/3 Coastal Carolina, catching three passes for 86 yards and a score. His 75-yard catch and run to paydirt in the second quarter marked the longest touchdown reception ever for a Big South tight end – and was the second-longest pass play of Lucas Beatty's career. Craznfill also moved into sole possession of first place in Gardner-Webb's record book, passing All-Big South tight end Jason Bright for tight end receptions. Cranfill now has 83 catches for 858 yards and five touchdowns. In addition to pacing Gardner-Webb's record book for tight end receptions, Cranfill now ranks 20th overall on the GWU receptions list – regardless of position.
MAJOR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
Gardner-Webb's coaching staff has garnered significant experience – both as players and coaches – at the highest level of college football. Head coach Carroll McCray has spent time at both South Carolina and Mississippi State as offensive line coach. Defensive coordinator Randall McCray spent time at South Carolina as a graduate assistant, and has been a position coach at both Wisconsin and Pittsburgh. The younger McCray also worked as defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State, among other Division I stops during his career. Running backs coach Brett Hickman worked as a graduate assistant at East Carolina. Quarterbacks coach Brett Nichols played at South Carolina, receivers coach La'Donte Harris played at Clemson, assistant head coach / offensive line coach Kenny Ray played at Southern Miss and defensive line coach Issac Mooring played at North Carolina.
ANOTHER NOTE ON THE TIGHT ENDS
Tight end Mike Estes (6-4, 234, RSo.) is quietly putting together a career-best year himself, forming one of the top duos in the FCS with running mate Seth Cranfill. Estes has caught a career-high 20 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown – and has 38 career catches for 525 yards and two scores in two seasons. He and Cranfill have combined to catch 51 passes at the position this season. The third tight end in the rotation, Jordan Jones (6-4, 215, RSo.) has three catches for 11 yards and a score to his credit.
AROUND THE BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE
THIS WEEK | Saturday, November 8
Gardner-Webb at Charleston So, 11:00 am
#2/3 Coastal Carolina at Charlotte, Noon
Presbyterian at #4 Ole Miss, Noon
Monmouth at Liberty, 3:30 pm
LAST WEEK | Saturday, November 1
Charleston Southern 27, Monmouth 0
Liberty 28, Presbyterian 7
#2/3 Coastal Carolina 38, Gardner-Webb 14
#TURF
Since moving to NCAA Division I in 2000, Gardner-Webb has played 40 games on artificial turf. The Runnin' Bulldogs have not fared well in those games, going a combined 12-29 on the faux green. With the installation of its own new artificial surface in place, Gardner-Webb's first four games in 2014 were on turf – and eight total games (3-4 so far in 2014). GWU is 1-1 on natural grass so far this season. Two of the team's final three games will be played on turf this season.
HUBBARD TO THE HOUSE
Gardner-Webb return ace J.J. Hubbard (5-7, 168, Sr.) swung momentum quickly in his team's favor in the win over Charlotte (10/4), taking a kickoff back 95 yards to give the Runnin' Bulldogs a 7-3 lead. Hubbard wound up with four kickoff returns for 144 yards, adding a 26-yard return later in the game that set his team up near midfield. Hubbard's touchdown return was the third of his career, tying him for the Big South Conference all-time mark with two other return men. Hubbard has returned 99 career kickoffs for 2,265 yards (22.9 yards per return) and has totaled 3,336 career all-purpose yards with 12 total touchdowns (5 rushing, 4 receiving, 3 kickoff return).
GETER DONE FOR 2014
All-Big South linebacker and All-America candidate Chad Geter will miss the remainder of the 2014 season, Gardner-Webb announced on September 24. The 6-foot-2, 238-pound junior will apply for a medical redshirt and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining when he returns in 2015. Geter did not play in the win over Wofford, only the second full game he had missed in two seasons as a starter. He was the team's leading tackler with 23 hits through three games – and has 135 total tackles and 14.5 tackles for loss in his 25 career games played.
BURCH OUT FOR 2014
Preseason All-America inside linebacker Tanner Burch will miss the entire 2014 season after suffering an injury during the week of preparation for the season opener at No. 18/21 Furman. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound senior has a redshirt season remaining after playing in each of his first three seasons and will return as a fifth-year senior in 2015. Burch has led the team and ranked among the Big South leaders with 100-tackle campaigns in both 2012 and 2013 and has averaged nearly 10 hits per game in contests against nationally-ranked teams for his career.
UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb returns home for Senior Day, hosting Presbyterian at Noon on November 15 (ASN). †
