GAME NOTES: Gardner-Webb Travels To #8 Coastal Carolina Saturday Afternoon (ASN)
November 04, 2015 | Football
GAME NOTES (PDF) | @GWUFootball | @BigSouthFB
THE GAME
Gardner-Webb will face its third nationally-ranked team of the season – all conference opponents – when it travels to face No. 8 Coastal Carolina Saturday in Conway, S.C. Kickoff from Brooks Stadium is set for 3:30 pm, with the game to air live on the American Sports Network (ASN). Evan Lepler and Jim Donnan will handle the call for ASN. Fabian Fuentes and Alex Guest will carry the action on wgwg.org, the audio home of GWU athletics.
SERIES NOTES
Coastal Carolina has dominated the series with Gardner-Webb, going 10-2 since the series started in 2003 ... Both of Gardner-Webb's wins in the series have come in Horry County, with wins in Brooks Stadium coming in 2003 (38-17) and 2011 (26-24) ... Coastal Carolina has averaged 45.0 ppg over the past three games, winning by an average margin of 27.0 ppg since 2012 under Joe Moglia ... GWU has had close losses in Conway, S.C., in 2005 (34-31, OT), 2007 (17-14) and 2009 (26-21).
THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb head coach Carroll McCray (Class of '83) returned to his alma mater in 2013 and has forged a 14-18 record so far in his time in Boiling Springs. He also has head coaching experience at Austin Peay and North Greenville. Fourth-year head coach Joe Moglia (Fordham '71) has cruised to a 39-11 ledger during his time in charge of the Chanticleers, taking his team to the FCS playoffs in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and to the top spot in the FCS Coaches Top 25 during stretches in both 2014 and 2015.
ROAD STREAK SNAPPED
Gardner-Webb won on the road in league play for the first time in 710 days, beating Presbyterian 14-10 on October 31. That snapped a stretch of four consecutive road losses against Big South foes. The previous win for GWU on the road in Big South play also came at Presbyterian on November 20, 2013 in both teams' season finale.
RED ZONE RAIDERS
Gardner-Webb continues to perform at a high level defensively with its backs against the wall, leading the Big South Conference and ranking No. 5 nationally in red zone defense through eight games. GWU has limited its opponents to a 61 percent conversion rate in the red zone overall in 23 trips. Even more impressive, Gardner-Webb leads the nation in red zone TD defense (tied with Harvard), allowing only five touchdowns in those 23 trips (21.6 percent). Nine drives have ended in field goals and nine more have ended with no points at all.
PREVIOUS GAME RECAP: GARDNER-WEBB 14, PRESBYTERIAN 10
Tyrell Maxwell carried 20 times for 105 yards and threw a third quarter touchdown pass to lead Gardner-Webb to a 14-10 win at Presbyterian on Halloween afternoon. The GWU defense was stingy from start to finish, limiting the Blue Hose (1-7, 0-3 Big South) to 195 total yards and nine first downs. Chad Geter posted nine hits, 3.0 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks to lead that charge, which forced seven three-and-out drives in 12 chances. Mike Estes caught two passes for 71 yards, including a 33-yard TD hookup from Maxwell – who completed 8-of-15 passes for 97 yards. Kerry Bernard was a strong second option in the land game, carrying 14 times for 56 yards and a touchdown for a 7-7 tie just before halftime.
MAU WOW
Gardner-Webb nose guard OJ Mau (6-2, 319, Sr.) has continued to provide headaches for opposing offenses in 2015, ranking second among Big South defensive linemen tackles with 42 hits. Mau has recorded 9.0 tackles for loss in eight 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 29.5 tackles for loss in his 42 games played – with 28.0 coming over the last 32 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).
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 75 total hits (46 solo) and also paces the team with 11.0 tackles for loss (minus-50 yards). Geter is on track to finish the season with 104 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 22.5 tackles for loss in his last 21 starts.
THIRD DOWN DEFENSE
Gardner-Webb has fared well on third down defensively for much of the 2015 season, limiting opponents to a 28.0 percent success rate on third down through seven games. That 33-for-118 effort ranks No. 5 nationally among 123 FCS programs and leads the Big South Conference. That third down effectiveness has also helped Gardner-Webb rank 13th nationally in first downs allowed – 120 through eight games.
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 seven games, each of the quartet has at least 63 tackles, with Geter (75 hits) and Higgins (68 hits) leading the way. All four men rank in the top-6 in the Big South in tackles per game through eight contests and each of the four have multiple games this season with double figures tackles. Geter has twice been named Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Week in 2015. Burch, a redshirt senior, topped the 300-tackle mark for his career with six hits at Presbyterian (304), becoming the fifth GWU player to do so since 2002. The 2012 FCS All-America selection topped the 100-tackle mark in both 2012 and 2013. His 12.7 tackles per game in 2012 set a new Big South standard. The quartet has combined for 885 career tackles so far, with Burch (304) and Geter (210) each over 200. Higgins needs seven more stops to reach 200 for his career.
BIG DAY JEBRAI
Former linebacker Jebrai Regan (6-2, 263, Sr.) has flourished at defensive end in 2015, his second full season at the position. Regan leads all Big South defensive linemen with 44 total tackles and ranks No. 7 in the league overall with 7.5 tackles for loss. The Woodstock, Ga., native entered his final campaign with 36 career tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss and has surpassed that production in just eight games. Regan's previous top season came in 2014 with 26 stops and 5.0 tackles for loss. He spent his first two seasons as a reserve linebacker.
HENDU
Receiver Jacob Henderson (5-10, 184, So.) has made two consecutive starts with Ralph Jolly and Kyle Horton each out for the season at the position. The Waxhaw, N.C., native made the most of his time at Presbyterian (10/31), catching all three of his targets on third down – and converting all three into first downs. Two of his catches came in the fourth quarter and went for 12 and eight yards. That drive saw GWU trim 6:53 off the game clock while clinging to a 14-10 lead. Henderson has seven catches for 76 yards in seven games played in 2015.
KERRY'S CARRIES
With a second option needed in the run game, Gardner-Webb was finally able to turn to a healthy Kerry Bernard (5-9, 188, So.) at Presbyterian (10/31). The Orlando, Fla., standout exited spring practice as the top option for GWU at the running back position, but has been hampered by injuries. Against the Blue Hose, Bernard carried 14 times for a career-high 56 yards and a touchdown – with his second-quarter score tying the game going into halftime. Bernard, a native of Haiti, was rated as one of the top-60 players in Central Florida as a senior at state power Dr. Phillips (Fla.) High in Orlando. He ran for more than 1,000 yards as a senior – which was his lone season as a starter at the prep level.
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.
THIS WEEK AROUND THE BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE
Saturday, November 7
#13/15 Charleston Southern at Kennesaw State, 1:00 pm (BSN)
Gardner-Webb at #8/8 Coastal Carolina, 3:30 pm (ASN)
Presbyterian at Liberty, 3:30 pm (ESPN3)
MIKE CHECK
Gardner-Webb tight end Mike Estes (6-4, 240, RJr.) is quickly moving up the charts at his position statistically. The Raleigh, N.C., native ranks second in Big South history for tight ends with 70 catches and needs 20 more to track down former teammate Seth Cranfill for the top spot in school and league history. Estes took over the Big South career lead for tight end receiving yards and has totaled 929 yards in his three seasons at GWU – moving past former Coastal Carolina All-America David Duran with his 71-yard performance at Presbyterian (10/31). Estes has made 18 catches for 243 yards and a career-high four touchdowns so far in 2015. He has hauled in at least 18 passes in each of his three seasons on the college level.
THE SAN DIEGO KID
Safety Spencer Havird (6-2, 192, R-So.) continues to build on a strong season – his second as a starter – in the defensive backfield. The San Diego, Calif., native has collected 50 total tackles (28 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks through eight games and paces the Big South with nine passes defended (8 PBU) so far. Havird is nearing his career-high total for tackles – 60 –set last season as a redshirt freshman. Havird played at Valhalla (Calif.) High – in the same high school conference as former Gardner-Webb All-America defensive end and NFL Draft pick Brian Johnston (Madison HS) – as well as NFL players Reggie Bush (Helix) and Alex Smith (Helix).
ROOKIE ROAD GRADERS
Left tackle Will Millikan (6-4, 288, Fr.) has started all but one game at arguably the toughest position on the field in his first season on a college campus. Millikan, an All-Area tackle at Pinecrest (N.C.) High, is the first true freshman to start at left tackle since Jamie Dunaway did so in 2009. Dunaway became a four-year starter and earned FCS All-America honors at guard following the 2013 season. Millikan was joined by redshirt tackle Charlie Eudy (6-2, 267, R-Fr.) in the starting lineup midway through the season. Eudy has made five consecutive starts at right tackle since entering the lineup at Wofford (9/26). He moved over from defensive end two days into 2015 preseason camp.
UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb returns home for the first of two dates at Spangler Stadium to close out the regular season. GWU will host future SoCon member ETSU on Saturday, November 14, with kickoff set for 1:30 pm (Big South Network). It will be the Bucs' first visit to Boiling Springs, N.C., since 2002 – in their first season of football since discontinuing the program following the 2003 season. Gardner-Webb and ETSU each has one win in the series, which was played in 2001 (Johnson City, Tenn.) and 2002 (Boiling Springs). †
