GAME NOTES: Gardner-Webb Travels To Face Kennesaw State (4-1) Saturday Afternoon (ESPN3)
October 14, 2015 | Football
Game Notes (PDF) | @GWUFootball | WatchESPN Link
THE GAME
Gardner-Webb will hit the road again on Saturday at Big South and FCS newcomer Kennesaw State (4-1), with kickoff set for 1:00 pm in Fifth Third Bank Stadium. The game – selected as the Big South Conference Game of the Week – will air live on ESPN3 (WatchESPN.com) with Evan Lepler and Renaldo Wynn providing the call. Audio will also be available on wgwg.org, with Fabian Fuentes and Alex Guest on the air from the Peach State.
SERIES NOTES
First meeting ... Gardner-Webb has played four first-year FCS programs since moving to Division I itself in 2000, posting a 3-1 mark against Florida Atlantic (W, 38-19/2001), Florida International (W, 14-10/2002), Coastal Carolina (W, 38-7/2003) and Charlotte (L, 55-53/2013) ... The Runnin' Bulldogs played three of those four games on the road – at FIU, at CCU and at Charlotte.
METRO ATLANTA NOTES
Gardner-Webb has played two football games in metro Atlanta since moving to NCAA Division I FCS in 2000, going 1-1 in those contests ... GWU beat Morris Brown 24-19 on September 2, 2000 – its first Division I game – in Alonzo Herndon Stadium ... The Runnin' Bulldogs returned to Atlanta on October 11, 2008 and dropped a 10-7 decision to Georgia Tech in Bobby Dodd Stadium ... Six of the 11 Georgia products on Gardner-Webb's current roster played high school football in one of the seven largest counties in metro Atlanta: Running back Josh Bettistea (Acworth, Ga. / Allatoona HS); Cornerback D.J. Allen (Riverdale, Ga. / Riverdale HS); Cornerback Ali Edwards (Sugar Hill, Ga. / North Gwinnett HS); Linebacker Donte' Gordon (Buford, Ga. / Buford HS); Linebacker Azziz Higgins (Snellville, Ga. / South Gwinnett HS) and Defensive end Jebrai Regan (Woodstock, Ga. / Woodstock HS).
THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb head coach Carroll McCray (Class of '83) returned to his alma mater in 2013 and has forged an 13-16 record so far in his time in Boiling Springs. Kennesaw State boss Brian Bohannon is off to a 4-1 start in his first head coaching position after a successful run as an a Division I assistant at Georgia Southern, Navy and Georgia Tech. Bohannon's first full-time coaching position came in Boiling Springs, N.C., when he served under offensive coordinator Mike Ledford and head coach Woody Fish as Gardner-Webb's receivers coach in 1996.
A TOUGH ROAD
Gardner-Webb is just 3-17 in its last 20 road contests, dating back to the 2012 season ... GWU is 0-2 this season with a competitive loss at FBS South Alabama (Sept. 5, 33-23) and another close loss at Wofford (Sept. 26, 16-0) ... The Runnin' Bulldogs last posted a .500 or better record on the road when they went 3-3 in 2009 ... GWU posted a 3-2 road mark in 2006 ... Gardner-Webb has just two road games remaining – at Presbyterian (10/31) and at #1/3 Coastal Carolina (11/7) following Saturday's game at Kennesaw State.
MIKE CHECK
Gardner-Webb tight end Mike Estes (6-4, 240, RJr.) is quickly moving up the charts at his position. The Raleigh, N.C., native is second in Big South history for tight ends with 66 catches and needs 34 more to catch former teammate Seth Cranfill for first. Estes ranks third with 848 career receiving yards, just 63 behind former Coastal Carolina All-America David Duran for second. Estes has 14 catches for 162 yards and three touchdowns so far in 2015. Estes was named preseason All-Big South Conference in July for the second season in a row. The 2015 season is his first as a full-time starter.
MAD MAX
Quarterback Tyrell Maxwell (6-2, 213, So.) enjoyed the best game of his career in Gardner-Webb's upset of No. 15 Liberty on October 10, dashing and darting for 173 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries and completing 10-of-14 passes for 105 yards and another score. He had 100+ yards rushing and 100+ passing by halftime on just 17 snaps and finished the night by accounting for 75 percent of Gardner-Webb's offensive total and directly accounting for 16 of the team's 17 first downs. Maxwell's rushing total broke Gardner-Webb's single-game mark for a quarterback and ws the second-best performance in that category in Big South history. His three touchdowns tied the single-game rushing mark for Big South quarterbacks. Maxwell was properly awarded for his performance, earning Choice Hotels Big South Conference Offensive Player of the Week accolades in addition to being named honorable mention STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Week.
DEFENDING THE RED ZONE
Gardner-Webb ranks second nationally after five games in red zone defense, leading the Big South by allowing just a 50 percent success rate. GWU has allowed just three touchdowns in 14 red zone chances, with just one coming on the ground That 21.4 percent touchdown success rate is also tops in the Big South Conference to date.
THIRD DOWN
Gardner-Webb's defense on third down in 2015 has been strong, with the 'Dogs ranking fourth nationally and pacing the Big South Conference by holding opponents to a 25 percent conversion rate on third down. That production has keyed Gardner-Webb in allowing just 14.0 first downs per game – which ranks No. 6 nationally among 123 FCS programs. That will be heavily challenged on Saturday, as Kennesaw State leads the nation in offensive third down conversions – running and passing at an efficient 56.9 percent clip.
PREVIOUS GAME RECAP: GARDNER-WEBB 34, #15 LIBERTY 20
Gardner-Webb rolled out to a 20-0 lead midway through the second quarter and led 27-10 at halftime on the strength of a resliant ground game – and never trailed in a 34-20 win over No. 15 Liberty on Homecoming. The Runnin' Bulldogs piled up 265 yards rushing against the nation's No. 8 rushing defense and posted a season-high 370 yards of total offense in the win. Tyrell Maxwell accounted for three first-half touchdowns – two on the ground and one through the air – to engineer the upset. GWU racked up nine tackles for loss defensively and limited the Flames to only 60 yards rushing on 20 carries – one week after Liberty ran for 260 yards in its win over FBS Georgia State.
UPSETTING THE POLLS
Gardner-Webb's win over No. 15 Liberty marked the program's fourth win over a top-15 squad since head coach Carroll McCray's arrival in 2013. GWU had not upset a top-15 team prior to that season, with its only wins over ranked foes coming vs. No. 23 New Hampshire (11/11/00) and No. 24 Western Carolina (9/25/04). The wins over top-15 teams include: No. 11 Richmond (12-10, 9/14/2013); at No. 8 Wofford (3-0, 9/21/2013); vs. No. 12 Charleston Southern (27-10, 11/16/2013) and vs. No. 15 Liberty (34-20, 10/10/2015).
THE GETER METER
SPUR linebacker Chad Geter (6-2, 242, RJr.) had another sensational game in Gardner-Webb's 34-20 win over No. 15 Liberty, collecting 10 total tackles (seven solo), 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack. Geter earned Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors for that effort, which marked his second game in a row with at least 10 tackles. The tackling total marked his second time with 10 hits in a win over a ranked team – matching his total in a 12-10 win over No. 11 Richmond on September 14, 2013. Geter, who missed the last nine games of 2014 with an injury, ranks third in the Big South with a team-high 49 hits (28 solo) and leads the league with 8.0 tackles for loss, despite missing one half of action vs. Virginia Union. Geter was an All-Big South Conference selection in his lone full season with the 'Dogs, totaling 82 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and eight passes defended in 2013. He has 184 career tackles and 22.5 tackles for loss in just 26 career games – with 19.5 tackles for loss in his last 18 games.
SKILLED YOUTH
Gardner-Webb has utilized a heavy dose of youth on the offensive side, particularly in the skill positions, so far in 2015. Leading rusher Tyrell Maxwell (6-2, 213, So.) is in his first year as a starter under center. Four of the team's top-seven rushers are true freshmen, with Jonathan Blackmon (6-0, 190, Fr.) and Josh Bettistea (5-11, 175, Fr.) showing promise of late. Blackmon ran for 73 yards and a touchdown in the win over No. 15 Liberty and Bettistea was the team's leading rusher at Wofford (9/26). Receivers Kyle Horton (5-11, 171, Fr.), Adonus Lee (6-4, 215, Fr.) and Victor Harris (6-4, 201, Fr.) have each started for GWU, with Horton also serving as the team's primary return man. True freshman left tackle Will Millikan (6-4, 288, Fr.) has started four games and fared very well when matched up with All-America defensive end Chima Uzowihe in the win over No. 15 Liberty.
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.
MAU WOW
Preseason All-America nose guard OJ Mau (6-2, 319, Sr.) continues to perform well in the middle of Gardner-Webb's 3-4 defensive scheme, totaling 21 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and a sack through five games. The Masefau, American Samoa, native also has four quarterback pressures, a blocked field goal and a pass break up to his credit and has helped GWU rank 17th nationally in total defense. Mau, a two-time FCS All-America selection and member of the 2015 STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, has totaled 27.5 career tackles for loss – just 3.0 out of the top-10 in Big South Conference history. He has 26.0 tackles for loss in his last 29 games played, dating back to 2013.
THIS WEEK AROUND THE BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE
Saturday, October 10
Gardner-Webb at Kennesaw State, 1:00 (ESPN3)
#22/22 Liberty at Monmouth, 1:00 (ESPN3)
#23 Charleston Southern at Presbyterian, 2:00
LINEBACKER U
Gardner-Webb's starting quartet at linebacker continues a strong tradition at the position for the Runnin' Bulldogs. Including leading tackler Chad Geter (6-2, 242, R-Jr.), Gardner-Webb has five of the top-7 tacklers in the Big South Conference to date – with four playing linebacker. Aaron Cook (6-1, 233, Jr.) has made 45 stops, Azziz Higgins (6-2, 230, Sr.) has 43 stops and Tanner Burch (6-3, 248, R-Sr.) has 38 tackles – which is tied with safety Spencer Havird (6-2, 192, R-So.) for seventh on the circuit. Burch, Geter and Cook have each earned All-Big South Conference honors previously, honors that are part of 21 All-Big South Conference certificates for Gardner-Webb linebackers since 2002. GWU linebackers – including Burch in 2012 – have earned All-America honors 11 times since the program moved to NCAA Division I in 2000.
THE SAN DIEGO KID
Free safety Spencer Havird (6-2, 192, R-So.) has enjoyed a solid start to his second season as a starter in the defensive backfield, ranking fourth on the team – and seventh in the Big South Conference – with 38 total tackles through five games (20 solo). He has added 4.5 tackles for loss and leads the team with 2.0 sacks (minus-22 yards). Havird leads the Big South with seven passes defended (one interception, six break ups) and ranks 20th nationally in that category. Havird has been a regular in the lineup since last season and has 98 total tackles (54 solo) and 10 pass break ups in 17 career starts at safety. Havird was an All-State selection as a senior at Valhalla (Calif.) High after collecting 163 tackles and picking off 11 passes. Havird played in the same high school conference that produced current NFL standouts Reggie Bush (Helix) and Alex Smith (Helix) and former Gardner-Webb All-America defensive end and 2008 NFL draft pick Brian Johnston (Madison).
OFFENSE CLICKING IN THE RED ZONE
An overlooked statistic through five games has been Gardner-Webb's offensive efficiency in the red zone. The Runnin' Bulldogs are tied for the national lead in that category, scoring eight times in eight chances inside the 20-yard line – punching in six touchdowns. GWU settled for field goals on drives vs. Elon (9/12) and Virginia Union (9/19), but have scored touchdowns otherwise, with four coming on the ground. The Runnin' Bulldogs have twice scored with less than 30 seconds on the regulation game clock in the red zone – both passes from Tyrell Maxwell (6-2, 213, So.) to Mike Estes (6-4, 240, R-Jr.). Maxwell's one-yard strike to Estes at the final horn vs. Elon sent the game to overtime.
UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb will return home to face another ranked team, as No. 23 Charleston Southern invades Spangler Stadium for a 1:30 pm kickoff. The game will air live on the Big South Network (bigsouthsports.com), with Fabian Fuentes, Ben Fuller and Alex Guest calling the action. The game will also air on wgwg.org, with Brendan Boylan and Tyler Helms on the call. †
