GAME NOTES: Gardner-Webb Returns Home To Host #15 Liberty Saturday Night (ASN)
October 06, 2015 | Football
GAME NOTES (PDF) | @GWUFootball | @BigSouthFB
THE GAME
Gardner-Webb begins its 2015 Big South Conference slate with one of the league's top contenders, as #15/15 Liberty rolls into Boiling Springs for a 7:00 pm kickoff. Saturday's game will be televised live on ASN (American Sports Network), with Mike Tilley and Nate Ross providing the call. The game will also air on wgwg.org, the online audio home of Gardner-Webb athletics.
SERIES NOTES
Gardner-Webb and Liberty have met 21 times, with the Flames holding a 12-8-1 lead ... Liberty has won eight in a row to seize the series lead ... Gardner-Webb's last win came on a late field goal by Hunter Smith on October 21, 2006 (27-24) ... GWU won five out of six meetings from 2001-2006 ... The Flames have scored at least 30 points in the series seven out of eight years ... Liberty, the eventual 2014 Big South champion, held GWU to 56 yards of total offense (minus-17 rushing) in a 34-0 win in Lynchburg last October 25.
THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb head coach Carroll McCray (Class of '83) returned to his alma mater in 2013 and has forged an 12-16 record so far in his time in Boiling Springs. Liberty boss Turner Gill has gone 26-16 since arriving in Lynchburg in 2012. The former Nebraska quarterback took the Flames to the Division I FCS playoffs for the first time in the program's history last season.
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 tied for second in Big South history for tight ends with 65 catches and needs 35 more to catch former teammate Seth Cranfill for first. Estes ranks third with 833 career receiving yards, just 78 behind former Coastal Carolina All-America David Duran for second. Estes has 13 catches for 147 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.
BUCKLE DOWN "D"
Gardner-Webb's defense faced an unenviable task against a game Virginia Union squad on September 19, as the Panthers ran 19 offensive snaps inside the GWU 10-yard line in the game. The Runnin' Bulldogs were up to the task, despite facing an offensive line that averaged a mammoth 6-5, 321 pounds per man. Virginia Union did not score on those 19 snaps, with its lone touchdown coming on a 4th-and goal from the 13-yard line in the fourth quarter. GWU had a goal line stand on 4th down from its half yard line in the second quarter and forced a fumble on third-and-goal from the one in the third quarter. A stop on fourth down at the four-yard line with 1:54 left sealed the game.
DEFENDING THE RED ZONE
Gardner-Webb ranks second nationally after four games in red zone defense, leading the Big South by allowing just a 50 percent success rate. GWU has allowed just three touchdowns in nine red zone chances, with just one coming on the ground That 30 percent touchdown success rate is also tops in the Big South Conference to date.
THE BACK LINE
One area of marked improvement for Gardner-Webb in 2015 has been the play of its secondary, which has performed at a high level over the past three games. Safety Spencer Havird (6-2, 192, RSo.) leads the Big South and ranks No. 13 nationally in passes defended (6) and is seventh in the conference so far with 32 total tackles. The rotation of Havird, Adam Johnson (5-8, 181, RSr.), Trey Lucas (5-11, 197, RSo.) and Thomas Adams (6-2, 197, RSo.) at safety has been solid, with rookie Robert McKoy (5-11, 190, Fr.) slowly working into the mix. Cornerbacks Ivan Toomer (6-1, 199, RSr.), Angel Guzman (5-10, 189, RSo.), D.J. Allen (6-3, 210, RFr.) and Jonathan Sherrill (6-3, 205, Sr.) have helped GWU break up 14 passes and rank No. 5 nationally in passing yards allowed. The unit will be tested heavily on Saturday, as Liberty ranks No. 28 nationally in passing offense, with quarterback Josh Woodrum second nationally in completion percentage (61.8%).
PREVIOUS GAME RECAP: WOFFORD 16, GARDNER-WEBB 0
Another wet and rainy night greeted Gardner-Webb and Wofford, the third time in four seasons the two have met under similar conditions. The Terriers kicked two long field goals in the first quarter and went on a long touchdown drive before halftime for the game's lone visit to the end zone – and held on for a 16-0 win over the Runnin' Bulldogs. GWU played well defensively against the nation's fifth-best rushing offense, holding the Terriers more than 130 yards below their season average on the ground. Wofford's defense forced a pair of second-half turnovers and limited Gardner-Webb to 149 yards of total offense in the game to pitch its first shutout since 2012.
THE OPENER
Gardner-Webb fought tooth-and-nail at FBS foe South Alabama on a muggy evening in Ladd-Peebles Stadium, but fell to the Jags by a 33-23 score on September 5. The Runnin' Bulldogs scored 16 unanswered points to span halftime – taking a 16-13 lead with 10:21 to play in the third quarter on Angel Guzman's 21-yard interception return for a score. Laron Glenn had trimmed the South Alabama lead to 13-9 just before halftime with a safety. South Alabama answered with 20 points in a row, getting scores of 56 and 92 yards from speedster Xavier Johnson to take control. The Jags used the big play effectively against GWU, scored all four touchdowns from at least 49 yards away – and totaling more than 60 percent of their offensive total on just those four plays.
HOME FIELD SUCCESS
Gardner-Webb is 9-4 over its last 13 home games, dating back to 2013. The Runnin' Bulldogs have won 12 of their last 17, dating back to 2012. GWU went 5-1 at home in 2013, with wins over Furman and #11 Richmond. 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 1-1 at home so far this season, with the lone loss coming in triple overtime to Elon.
THE GETER METER
A major loss for Gardner-Webb last season has returned to form in 2015. SPUR linebacker Chad Geter (6-2, 242, RJr.) has managed 39 total tackles (21 solo) and 6.0 tackles for loss so far in 2015, 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 174 career tackles and 20.5 tackles for loss in just 26 career games – with 17.5 tackles for loss in his last 17 games.
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.
GROWING UP QUICKLY
Gardner-Webb has turned to a heavy rotation of youth at several spots in 2015, particularly on the offensive side. Newcomers Josh Bettistea (5-11, 175, Fr.), Jonathan Blackmon (6-0, 190, Fr.), Kyle Horton (5-11, 171, Fr.), Elijah Perry (5-8, 166, Fr.) and Brody Rollins (5-11, 175, Fr.) have each seen action in the backfield, combining for 48 carries so far. Add in true sophomores Tyrell Maxwell (6-2, 213, So.), Khalil Lewis (5-10, 201, So.) and Kerry Bernard (5-9, 188, So.) and underclassmen have accounted for 155 of the team's 190 carries (81.5 percent).
THIS WEEK AROUND THE BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE
Saturday, October 10
Monmouth at Charleston Southern, 12:00 Noon (BSN)
Point at Kennesaw State, 1:00 PM (BSN)
Presbyterian at #1/2 Coastal Carolina, 2:00 PM (ESPN3)
#15/15 Liberty at Gardner-Webb, 7:00 PM (ASN))
HALL OF FAMERS
Gardner-Webb's Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2015 features three former football student-athletes. Receiver Terry Guess (1994-1995), offensive lineman John Keeter (1958-1959) and all-purpose back Bill Nix (1958-1959) are three of the Hall's newest members. Guess set an NCAA Division II record for kick return touchdowns in 1994 (6) that still stands 21 seasons later. He went on to be drafted in the fifth round by New Orleans and is the lone GWU product to catch a touchdown pass in an NFL game, doing so against Atlanta in 1996. Keeter was an All-America guard during his time with Gardner-Webb and went on to a successful career as a high school coach in North Carolina. Nix was an All-America fullback, safety and kicker for Coach Norman Harris and later played at Richmond. Nix was posthumously awarded a Carnegie Medal for Herosim in 1970 after saving the life of a young swimmer in Sullivan's Island, S.C.
MAX PERFORMANCE
Quarterback Tyrell Maxwell (6-2, 213, So.) became the first new starter at the quarterback position in 35 games when he took the first snap at South Alabama on September 5. Recruited by both Georgia Tech and Missouri as a cornerback, Maxwell was rated as the No. 31 dual threat quarterback in the prep class of 2014 by ESPN.com, and was effective as both a runner and passer in his starting debut. Maxwell became the first Big South quarterback to rush for 100+ yards and pass for 100+ yards against an FBS foe in league history when he went for 132 through the air (2 TD) and 102 on the ground agains the Jags (Sun Belt) – a team that was a bowl participant last season. Maxwell was the first Gardner-Webb quarterback to accomplish the feat overall since Nick Roberts did so against UT-Martin on September 24, 2005.
MAU WOW
Gardner-Webb nose guard OJ Mau (6-2, 319, Sr.) has been steady over his first four games in 2015, controlling the middle to the tune of 18 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and a sack. The Masefau, American Samoa, native has totaled 26.0 tackles for loss in his career and currently ranks in the top-5 among Big South defenders in that category through four games. He has helped Gardner-Webb's defensive unit rank No. 9 nationally so far in total defense. Mau was named preseason FCS All-America by several outlets in July and was also honored as the Big South's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. He is a member of the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year Watch List as well in 2015.
UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb will hit the road next Saturday, traveling south to face Big South Conference newcomer Kennesaw State. Kickoff is set for 1:00 pm at Fifth Third Bank Stadium and will air live on ESPN3 (WatchESPN) as the Big South's Game of the Week. The game will also air on wgwg.org, with Fabian Fuentes and Alex Guest providing the call. †
