BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb battled from start to finish in its season finale but fell short in a 56-42 shootout with Monmouth Saturday afternoon in Spangler Stadium.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs (3-8, 2-3 Big South) fell behind 14-0 early, before Kyle Horton sparked the home team with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 8:45 to play in the first quarter.
 
Monmouth (8-3, 4-1 Big South) pushed ahead 21-7 on a 72-yard pass play from Kenji Bahar to walk-on Zach Tredway, but a pair of long drives by the Runnin' Bulldogs in the second quarter were capped by A.J. Moses touchdown runs of four and two yards to tie the score with 3:26 before halftime.
 
Pete Guerriero scored the first of three-consecutive Monmouth touchdowns just before halftime, darting 65 yards to pay dirt for a 28-21 lead at the break. Bahar came out of the locker room with touchdown passes of 11 and 76 yards to Reggie White, Jr., and Gardner-Webb would not be able to get closer than two scores the rest of the way.
 
Monmouth was on the verge of going up by three scores late in the game, but the Gardner-Webb defensive made a play at the goal line – with Corey Horne delivering a blow and George Welch stripping the football away. Triston Dozier scooped up the loose ball in the end zone and dashed 62 yards into Monmouth territory with 90 seconds remaining.
 
Gardner-Webb could not capitalize on the miscue to pull within a single score, as Monmouth held off a potential rally.
 
The Hawks were dominant, and explosive, on offense Saturday en route to a Big South single-game record 790 yards of total offense (359 rushing / 431 passing). Both Guerriero (182 yards) and Juwon Farri (121 yards) topped the 100-yard mark on the ground and Bahar was a sizzling 20-of-30 for 407 yards and five touchdowns through the air.
 
White, Jr., broke the Big South's career yardage mark for receiving and finished the day with 10 catches for 220 yards and four touchdowns.
 
Gardner-Webb rolled up 422 yards offensively, getting 274 yards on the ground (5.7 yards per rush).
 
Senior running back Elijah Perry made his first career start on Senior Day and finished with 20 carries for a career-high 156 yards and a touchdown. He also caught an 11-yard pass.
 
Reserve quarterback Jaylen Myers came off the bench to rush for 72 yards on 11 carries, with much of that coming in the fourth quarter. He also completed four passes for 71 yards. Starter Jordan Smith passed for 77 yards and rushed for 21 and a score – but was sacked three times.
 
Horton finished the day with 189 all-purpose yards, catching two passes for 71 yards in addition to his 96-yard kickoff return score.
 
Corey Horne close out his career with a game-high 10 total tackles (six solo) and a forced fumble, Darien Reynolds had eight stops and Welch made seven hits to go with a half tackle for loss and a forced fumble. He also broke up a pass.
 
Gardner-Webb forced three turnovers in the game, with freshman Deonte Grier picking off his first career pass to go with six tackles in a starting role.
 
Monmouth got seven tackles and an interception from Kyle Gregory in the game, finished with 6.0 tackles for loss as a team and broke up six passes.
 
Gardner-Webb's season is complete. Monmouth will await word of a potential at-large bid to the FCS playoffs.