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THE GAME
Gardner-Webb wraps up its 2018 season on Saturday, November 17, hosting Monmouth at 1:30 pm in Ernest W. Spangler Stadium. The game will stream live on ESPN3 (WatchESPN) as part of the Big South's Game of the Week package for the 2018 season. Fabian Fuentes (play-by-play) and Reggie Walker (color) will handle the call upstairs, while Brendan Boylan will report from the sidelines.
  
SERIES NOTES
Monmouth holds a 3-1 lead in the all-time series, including a win in Boiling Springs to cap the 2015 season ... Gardner-Webb's lone win was a nailbiter, as the Runnin' Bulldogs stopped a two-point conversion in overtime to win 34-33 in the 2016 season finale ... This year's meeting marks the fourth time in five outings that the two teams have met in the season finale ... Each of the team's previous four meetings have been in November.

SERIES HISTORY
Nov. 22, 2014 (West Long Branch, NJ); L, 31-15
Nov. 21, 2015 (Boiling Springs, NC); L, 23-9
Nov. 19, 2016 (Boiling Springs, NC); W, 34-33 (ot)
Nov. 11, 2017 (West Long Branch, NJ); L, 41-14

SENIOR DAY
Gardner-Webb will honor 17 senior student-athletes and two managers prior to kickoff Saturday afternoon. That group includes: 

Alan Bennett, LB, Asheboro, NC
Jonathan Blackmon, WR, Fayetteville, NC
Brayden Briggs, OL, McAlla, Ala.
Josh Carter, DB, Bristow, Va.
Caleb Chapman, TE, Ft. Myers, Fla.
Triston Dozier, DB, LaGrange, Ga.
Ali Edwards, OLB, Sugar Hill, Ga.
Corey Horne, LB, Guyton, Ga.
Kyle Horton, WR, Charlotte, N.C.
Tre' Jackson, PK, Newland, N.C.
Adonus Lee, WR, Blythewood, S.C.
Will Millikan, OL, Pinehurst, N.C.
Saiid Murphy, LB, Tarboro, N.C.
Devin Nicholson, LB, Statesville, N.C.
Elijah Perry, RB, Apex, N.C.
Brody Rollins, WR, Knoxville, Tenn.
Josh Walston, PK, Winterville, N.C.
Caleb Hoyle, Manager
Brian White, Jr., Manager

THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb's Carroll McCray is in his sixth season as head coach of his alma mater. The Monroe, N.C., native has forged 24 wins so far in Boiling Springs, including five wins over top-20 teams. Veteran Kevin Callahan is in his 26th season as head coach at Monmouth and recently reached 151 wins for his career. Callahan in the lone head coach in Monmouth football history.

SOME FRESH [MEN] NOTES
Gardner-Webb has compiled 53 total freshmen starts so far in 2018, including 10 each by quarterback Jordan Smith, defensive end John Singleton and punter Crimmins Hankinson ... More than half of the 53 freshmen starts this season have come from the State of Georgia (27) ... Other states represented are North Carolina (17) and Florida (10) ... 11 starts have come from former North Carolina Shrine Bowlers Singleton (10) and Matt Robinson (1).

ENGINE NO. 9
Quarterback Jordan Smith (6-1, 211, R-Fr.) has started the first 10 games of his career in Boiling Springs, and has made strides. The Fruit Cove, Fla., native was excellent in Gardner-Webb's 35-7 win at Campbell, completing 11-of-20 passes for 167 yards and a career-high four touchdown passes in the game. He added a career-high 45 yards rushing and posted a 191.44 pass efficiency rating – both career-high numbers. In the decisive first half, Smith went 8-of-12 for 148 yards and three touchdowns. His first completion of the third quarter also went for six, putting Gardner-Webb up 35-7. He helped GWU to a 38-7 lead vs. Presbyterian, completing 7-of-8 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns by the end of the first quarter. He finished with a career-high 251 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air vs. the Blue Hose – and added another score on the ground. Smith has passed for 1,511 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first season under center.

HIGH DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY
One season ago, Gardner-Webb entertained the nation's most difficult schedule according to the NCAA. In 2018, the Runnin' Bulldogs are tackling another very difficult slate, ranking No. 17 nationally after games of November 10. GWU was the first team in the FCS this season to do battle with three top-10 teams, falling to No. 5 North Carolina A&T, No. 6 Wofford and No. 2 Kennesaw State. Four of Gardner-Webb's first five FCS opponents this season are currently ranked in the top-25 (Kennesaw State, Wofford, North Carolina A&T and ETSU). Four more – Campbell, Charleston Southern, Monmouth and Western Carolina – have each received votes at least one week during the 2018 regular season.

SPEED DEMON
Receiver and return man Kyle Horton (5-11, 178, Sr.) is fully healthy in his final campaign and has proven to be a dangerous weapon so far – and had another big day in the win over Presbyterian. Horton hauled in six passes for 159 yards and two scores to stake GWU to a 38-7 lead after three quarters vs. PC, with all six of his catches going for first downs. His 74-yarder broke the game open early and he added a 10-yard touchdown catch to put GWU up 14-0. So far this season Horton has hauled in a career-high 37 passes for 544 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 14.7 yards per catch. He also ranks No. 15 nationally with a 11.8 yards per attempt average on punt returns. The Charlotte, N.C., native has two 100-yard receiving games in his career – with both coming against Presbyterian (2016, 2018).

MORE STARTERS LOST FOR 2018
Gardner-Webb has two more defensive starters out for the rest of the season. Outside linebacker Malachi Bucker (6-1, 200, Fr.) is down with an injury, as well as safety Josh Carter (5-11, 195, Sr.). Both saw significant snaps vs. Kennesaw State in their final appearance. That marks five starters or potential starters on the defensive side out for the 2018 campaign with two games remaining on the slate. The Runnin' Bulldogs lost veteran nose guards Josh Ramseur and K'Maron Patterson before the season started and starting SPUR linebacker Robert McKoy (5-11, 220, RSo.) early in the season.

BOOM BOOM
First-year starter Tre' Jackson (5-10, 226, R-Jr.) has proven to be a powerful kicker through nine games. The Newland, N.C., native has connected on six of his eight field goal attempts this season, including a 41-yarder vs. Western Carolina (9/14) and a 40-yarder at No. 5 North Carolina A&T (9/8). Jackson's most impressive performance has come on kickoffs, where he has boomed 19-of-38 attempts into – or out of – the end zone for touchbacks. The former prep quarterback also hauled in a two-point conversion pass at Campbell off a broken play.

FOOTBALL FAMILIES
Gardner-Webb features two families on its current roster with strong ties to college football. Nose guard Josh Ramseur (5-11, 286, R-Sr.), who will seek a medical redshirt in 2018, is one of five brothers in his family to play college football. Older brothers Kenneth (Gardner-Webb) and Tim (NC State) played collegiately in the 1990s, while brothers Tank (Tuskeegee) and Aaron (East Carolina) are currently on college rosters. Another set of brothers on Gardner-Webb's roster – Robert McKoy and Keante McNair – are part of a group of four brothers to play college football. Older siblings Terrell Manning (NC State) and Artemis Robinson (NC State) played collegiately, with Manning drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2012. Current GWU teammates and brothers Elijah Rodgers (Fr.) and Kobe Rodgers (R-So.) have both played on special teams and in the secondary this season for the Runnin' Bulldogs.

SYMMETRY
For the first time since moving up to NCAA Division I in 2000, Gardner-Webb has alternated home and road dates evenly throughout a season. GWU almost pulled off the feat in 2010, but played its final two games in Spangler Stadium.

FUTURE SCHEDULES
Gardner-Webb has added a handful of future FBS opponents for coming seasons, beginning with back-to-back games to open the 2019 campaign at Charlotte and East Carolina. With the addition of Hampton and North Alabama to the Big South slate, Gardner-Webb's 2019 schedule is complete. In addition to Charlotte, East Carolina, Gardner-Webb will have 2019 non-conference dates with North Carolina Central, Wofford and Western Carolina. GWU will play three future FBS games against nearby foes, traveling to face Georgia Tech in 2020, Georgia Southern in 2021 and Liberty in 2022.

BABY BULLDOGS
Gardner-Webb played 24 freshmen during its most recent game at Charleston, with seven garnering starting assignments. All told this season, GWU has gotten starts from freshmen 53 times. Heading into its November 17 season finale vs. Monmouth, 19 of the 44 spots on the two deep (43.1%) are taken by freshmen. Another two freshmen are listed on the eight-man special teams depth chart. Five freshmen made starts on the defensive side of the ball at Charleston Southern, including the first career starts by corners Deonte Grier and Cameron McCutcheon.

GAME OF THE WEEK
Gardner-Webb's season finale vs. Monmouth was chosen as the ESPN3 Wildcard "Game of the Week" selection by the Big South Conference. It will mark the third time in 2018 that GWU has played a game on ESPN3, joining the already aired Kennesaw State (10/13) and Campbell (10/27) games. Gardner-Webb's other eight games have streamed live on ESPN+.

NICE TWO WEEKS
With a tough start to its season in the rear view, Gardner-Webb feasted on two opponents to pick up a pair of important conference wins. In those two wins over Campbell and Presbyterian, Gardner-Webb averaged 36.5 points per game while chewing up 437 yards of total offense per contest. The production was balanced, with a solid 228 yards per game on the ground and another 209 through the air, leading to more than 33 minutes of possession time per game. Defensively, in addition to allowing only 13.5 points per game, Gardner-Webb limited those two opponents to an average of only 109 yards per game on the ground and only one rushing score. The GWU defense also forced seven turnovers during that stretch, while the offense had only miscue.

BIG BAD JOHN
Gardner-Webb defensive end John Singleton (6-5, 240, R-Fr.) has been a stalwart in his first season, starting each of the first 10 games for the 'Dogs. The former Middle Creek (N.C.) High star has posted 45 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks during his 10 games – ranking among the Big South's best in each of those categories for his position. He had six tackles and a sack at Appalachian State (9/22) and came through with a career-high 10 total stops vs. No. 6 Wofford (9/29). He came through with his best game yet at Charleston Southern (11/10), making nine stops, 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack as Gardner-Webb held the Bucs scoreless over the final 30 minutes of play. Singleton is one of six freshmen who make up the seven-man rotation on the defensive line for Gardner-Webb in 2018.

RAMSEUR OUT
Preseason All-Big South nose guard Josh Ramseur (5-11, 286, R-Sr.) will miss the entire 2018 season after undergoing offseason surgery, but will apply for a medical redshirt and a sixth year of eligibility for 2019. The former Burns (N.C.) High standout totaled 50 tackles as a redshirt junior and is expected to make a full recovery. The bright spot in the extended career is that Ramseur will have a chance to play against his youngest brother – Aaron Ramseur – when Gardner-Webb travels to East Carolina on September 7, 2019.

HIT MAN
Mike linebacker Corey Horne (6-1, 225, Sr.) has been a mature force for Gardner-Webb's young defense so far this season, pacing the team with a career-high 80 total tackles (43 solo). His 16 stops vs. Western Carolina were a new career-high total, breaking the mark set one week earlier when he had 12 tackles at No. 5 North Carolina A&T (9/8). Horne, who is in his second full season as a starter, has made 196 total tackles during his time in Boiling Springs.

DOMINANT
Linebacker Darien Reynolds (6-0, 224, So.) had a coming out party of sorts at Campbell (10/27), ripping his way to a career-high 13 total tackles to go with an interception and forced fumble. The Charlotte, N.C., native had seven tackles over the game's first 15 minutes and posted 11 hits by intermission – with a quick start putting Gardner-Webb up 28-7 at the break. His second-half interception was returned 16 yards and was part of a five-turnover day for the Gardner-Webb defense. Not one to rest on his laurels, Reynolds responded with an even better game seven days later. He totaled 14 hits (nine solo) in a 38-20 win over Presbyterian – helping GWU build a 38-7 lead after three quarters. Reynolds was named Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Week two weeks in a row for his efforts. His first full season as a starter has been exceptional, with 67 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks on the stat sheet.

UP NEXT
Season complete. †