GAME NOTES: Gardner-Webb Hosts #20 Charleston Southern Saturday Afternoon In Spangler Stadium (BSN)
October 21, 2015 | Football
GAME NOTES (PDF) | @GWUFootball | @BigSouthFB
THE GAME
Gardner-Webb returns home to face another ranked opponent on Saturday, hosting No. 20 Charleston Southern in Ernest W. Spangler Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:30 pm and will air live on The Big South Network (bigsouthsports.com), with Fabian Fuentes and Ben Fuller providing the call. Audio will be available as well on wgwg.org, with Brendan Boylan and Tyler Helms.
SERIES NOTES
Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern have met 14 times, with Gardner-Webb holding a 9-5 edge in the series ... GWU has gone 6-1 against the Bucs in Spangler Stadium, with the lone loss coming on Homecoming in 2005 – a convincing 38-7 decision in the Bucs' favor ... Charleston Southern lost to GWU, 27-10, two seasons ago in Boiling Springs ... The two teams also met in 1988 when CSU was competing as a club team, with then-NAIA Gardner-Webb taking a 42-0 win that is not included in the series history ... The two teams did not meet for 10 seasons after a 56-0 win by Gardner-Webb in 1992 ... Charleston Southern has won four of the past five meetings in Charleston, S.C., including last season's 41-14 romp. The Bucs ran out to a 27-0 lead by the end of the first quarter last November 8.
THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb head coach Carroll McCray (Class of '83) returned to his alma mater in 2013 and has forged an 13-17 record so far in his time in Boiling Springs. He also has head coaching experience at Austin Peay and North Greenville. Charleston Southern boss Jamey Chadwell has gotten off to a 23-8 start in his third season with the Bucs and has gone 48-30 in seven seasons as a college head coach. Chadwell has also served as head coach at North Greenville and Delta State and was an assistant coach at Charleston Southern during the programs surge in the mid-2000s.
RED ZONE RESULTS
Gardner-Webb continues to perform at a high level defensively with its backs against the wall, leading the Big South Conference and ranking No. 9 nationally in red zone defense through six games. GWU has limited its opponents to a 57.9 percent conversion rate in the red zone overall in 19 trips. Even more impressive, Gardner-Webb leads the nation in red zone TD defense, allowing only three touchdowns in those 19 trips (15.7 percent). Only one of those three touchdowns came on the ground. Eight drives have ended in field goals and eight more have ended with no points at all.
YOUNG LEGS EMERGING
Gardner-Webb has turned to its capable, but inexperienced, stable of freshmen running backs over the past few weeks and the group has started to respond well with an increased workload. A true freshman has scored a touchdown on the ground in each of the last two weeks, with Josh Bettistea (5-11, 175, Fr.) carrying eight times for 43 yards and a fourth-quarter score at Kennesaw State (10/17) and Jonathan Blackmon (6-0, 190, Fr.) going for 73 yards and a score on 13 carries in the win over No. 15 Liberty. Bettistea (pictured below) led the team with 45 yards on the ground at Wofford (9/26) as well. All told, the pair have accounted for 86 percent of the team's running back ground production over the past three games.
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.
FOUR ACES
Gardner-Webb's starting foursome at linebacker – Tanner Burch (6-3, 248, R-Sr.), Aaron Cook (6-1, 233, Jr.), Chad Geter (6-2, 242, R-Jr.) and Azziz Higgins (6-2, 230, Sr.) – were projected to be a strength for a veteran defensive unit and have lived up to those expectations. Through six games, each of the quartet has at least 48 tackles, with Geter (56 hits) and Higgins (55 hits) leading the way. All four men rank in the top-6 in the Big South in tackles per game through six contests and each of the four have multiple games this season with double figures tackles. Higgins and Burch were in that category at Kennesaw State, with Higgins collecting a game-high 12 tackles – with all 12 made solo. Higgins, who is nearing his career-best season, was the lone member of the quartet who did not earn preseason All-Big South honors in July.
PREVIOUS GAME RECAP: KENNESAW STATE 12, GARDNER-WEBB 7
Gardner-Webb lost for the third time this season when allowing less than 17 points in regulation, falling behind 9-0 before a late push in the fourth quarter ended in a 12-7 loss at upstart Kennesaw State. The Gardner-Webb defense kept the Owls out of the end zone, allowing the 'Dogs to trim the lead to 9-7 with more than five minutes remaining in the game on a Josh Bettistea touchdown. Kennesaw State hit a big play that led to another field goal, however, and Tyrell Maxwell's fourth-down pass from the six-yard line was picked off at the KSU goaline with seven seconds on the clock. GWU had four cracks at the end zone from the six in the final 19 seconds and had 134 of its 200 yards of total offense in the fourth quarter alone.
HOME FIELD SUCCESS
Gardner-Webb is 10-4 over its last 14 home games, dating back to 2013. The Runnin' Bulldogs have also won 13 of their last 18, dating back to 2012. GWU went 5-1 at home in 2013, with wins over Furman, #11 Richmond and #12 Charleston Southern. Notable wins in Spangler Stadium last season came vs. Wofford (43-36) and Charlotte (27-24). The Runnin' Bulldogs play six of their 11 games this season in Spangler Stadium – the second time in three seasons that the home crowd has been treated to a six-game home slate. The 'Dogs are 2-1 at home so far this season – with a win over #15 Liberty the early highlight. The lone loss came in triple overtime to Elon on September 12.
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 ranks second in Big South history for tight ends with 67 catches and needs 33 more to catch former teammate Seth Cranfill for first. Estes ranks third with 850 career receiving yards, just 61 behind former Coastal Carolina All-America David Duran for second. Estes has 15 catches for 164 yards and three touchdowns so far in 2015.
THE SAN DIEGO KID
Safety Spencer Havird (6-2, 192, R-So.) has come into his own in his second season as a starter, ranking among the Big South's best defensive backs in tackles (41) and leading the league with eight passes defended (seven PBU, one INT). The former Valhalla (Calif.) High All-State selection also ranks among the Big South's best in tackles for loss (4.5) and sacks (2.0). Havird, who collected a career-high 60 total tackles last season, is on pace to shatter that mark in 2015.
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. Offensive coordinator 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
Gardner-Webb nose guard OJ Mau (6-2, 319, Sr.) has continued to provide headaches for opposing offenses in 2015, ranking among the Big South leaders for defensive linemen tackles with 28 hits. Mau has recorded 7.0 tackles for loss in six games, despite consistent double teams in the middle. The Masefau, American Samoa, standout blocked the second field goal of his career in the win over #15 Liberty (10/10) and has managed 27.5 tackles for loss in his 40 games played – with 26.0 coming over the last 30 games. Mau was named to the STATS FCS All-America Team in July and is also a member of the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year Watch List. The preseason Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Year has twice earned postseason All-America honors (2013, 2014).
THIS WEEK AROUND THE BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE
Saturday, October 24
#1/2 Coastal Carolina at Monmouth, 1:00 PM (ESPN3)
#20 Charleston Southern at Gardner-Webb, 1:30 PM (BSN)
Kennesaw State at Liberty, 7:00 PM (BSN)
THE GETER METER
FCS All-America candidate Chad Geter (6-2, 242, R-Jr.) is in the midst of a career-best season at the SPUR outside linebacker spot. The Irmo, S.C., native leads the team and ranks third in the Big South Conference with 56 total hits (34 solo) and also paces the team with 8.0 tackles for loss (minus-33 yards). Geter is on track to finish the season with 103 tackles (63 solo) and 15.5 tackles for loss – which would both be career highs. Geter has been active all over the field since missing the final nine games of the 2014 season with an injury. He earned second-team All-Big South honors in 2013 after collecting 82 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and six pass break ups. Geter has been active in the backfield of late, registering 19.5 tackles for loss in his last 19 starts.
THIRD DOWN DEFENSE
Gardner-Webb has fared well on third down defensively for much of the 2015 season, limiting opponents to a 27.8 percent success rate on third down through six games. That 25-for-90 effort ranks No. 6 nationally among 123 FCS programs and leads the Big South Conference. That third down effectiveness has also helped Gardner-Webb rank 10th nationally in first downs allowed – with 90 through six games. GWU allowed 20 of that total last weekend at Kennesaw State – with seven of those coming on third down conversions, the most allowed by the 'Dogs this season.
THE SHOE
Gardner-Webb kicker Paul Schumacher (5-10, 172, So.) has improved himself as a second-year starter, handling both kickoff and placekicking duties for the first time in 2015. Schumacher has connected on 4-of-5 field goal attempts so far this season (80%) to lead the Big South Conference in accuracy. His lone miss came from 48 yards and Schumacher has made four in a row – with two of those makes coming from 40 yards or longer. The West Palm Beach, Fla., native ranks third in the Big South with five touchbacks on kickoffs through six games as well. GWU did not record a touchback last season.
UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb will travel a short 70 miles to face a familiar foe next week, visiting Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C. on Saturday, October 31. The Halloween kickoff time is set for 2:00 pm and will be broadcast live on the popular Big South Network (bigsouthsports.com). Fabian Fuentes and Alex Guest will also call the action live on wgwg.org, the online audio home of Gardner-Webb University athletics. Saturday's meeting will be the 38th meeting between the two programs, with Gardner-Webb holding a slight 19-18 edge since 1970. †
