THE GAME
Gardner-Webb hosts in-state foe Campbell on Saturday afternoon in another crucial Big South Conference game. The Runnin' Bulldogs and Fighting Camels will stream live on ESPN+, with Fabian Fuentes and Brendan Boylan calling the action. The game will also air live on WGNC Radio (1450 AM / 101.1 FM / TuneIn App / Stitcher), with Dave Friedman and Richard Walker on the call.

SPECIAL ADMISSION OPPORTUNITY
In conjunction with its annual "Salute To Service" game, Gardner-Webb will offer free admission Saturday to any military personnel, first responders, veterans and their families who present valid I.D. at the gate. For more information, call the athletics office at (704) 406-4340. Those groups will also be recognized during the game.
  
SERIES NOTES
Gardner-Webb won the first modern era meeting between the two programs last season in Buies Creek, taking a 35-7 win over the Fighting Camels ... The two programs met 10 times as junior colleges from 1929-1950, with Campbell holding a 4-4-3 edge in those early games ... The last time the two schools met in football in Boiling Springs was on November 12, 1949 ... Gardner-Webb took a 35-0 win that day ... Gardner-Webb's first season of football at any level was in 1928 ... This will be Campbell's first visit to Ernest W. Spangler Stadium, which was constructed in 1966 and renovated heavily in 2004 ... Gardner-Webb has played "home" games in the series in Shelby, N.C. (0-0-2), Gaffney, S.C. (0-0-1) and Boiling Springs, N.C. (1-1-0).
 
SERIES HISTORY
11/16/29 – CAM 21, G-W 6 (Buies Creek)
11/15/30 – G-W 0, CAM 0 (Shelby)
10/08/32 – G-W 6, CAM 6 (Shelby)
10/07/33 – G-W 18, CAM 13 (Buies Creek)
10/24/36 – CAM 25, G-W 0 (Boiling Springs)
11/11/37 – G-W 14, CAM 14 (Gaffney, S.C.)
11/12/37 – CAM 13, G-W 0 (Buies Creek)
11/06/48 – CAM 28, G-W 6 (Buies Creek)
11/12/49 – G-W 35, CAM 0 (Boiling Springs)
11/11/50 – G-W 12, CAM 6 (Buies Creek)
10/27/18 – G-W 35, CAM 7 (Buies Creek)
 
CLOSE TO HOME
Saturday's game marks Gardner-Webb's fifth of five games this season against in-state teams. GWU dropped guarantee games at Charlotte and East Carolina before coming home to beat North Carolina Central. GWU also topped Western Carolina on the road in early October.
 
OLD NORTH STATE NOTES
Gardner-Webb is 84-96 against teams from its home state since moving to senior college football in 1970 ... GWU has its most wins against former SAC-8 and South Atlantic Conference foes Lenoir-Rhyne (17-12) and Mars Hill (17-16) ... 17 of Gardner-Webb's losses came to current in-state FBS foes Appalachian State (0-6), NC State (0-1), Wake Forest (0-2), Charlotte (1-2) and East Carolina (0-1) ... Gardner-Webb played as an NAIA member from 1970-1992, as an NCAA Division II member from 1993-1999 and as an NCAA Division I-AA independent from 2000-2001 ... GWU joined the Big South as an associate member for football in 2002, winning the league's first two titles on the gridiron.
 
THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb's Carroll McCray ('83) is in his seventh season as head coach of his alma mater. The Monroe, N.C., native has forged 27 wins so far in Boiling Springs, including five wins over top-20 teams.Campbell head coach and former Carolina Panther safety Mike Minter is in his seventh season in charge of the Fighting Camels. He has gone 35-38 so far as a collegiate head coach.
 
KEENE DEFENSE
Cornerback A.J. Keene (5-10, 172, Sr.) was a stalwart in Gardner-Webb's win over Hampton (10/12), finishing with four total tackles (three solo), three pass break ups and an interception. His pick came at a critical moment, ending a Hampton drive in the end zone with 52 seconds left in a 35-27 win. Keene has been strong so far in 2019, breaking up a career-high five passes to go with a pair of interceptions. He also has 15 tackles (10 solo). The Savannah, Ga., native started his career at Army Prep in West Point, N.Y., before transferring to Gardner-Webb in 2016.
 
TACKLING MACHINE
Linebacker Darien Reynolds (6-0, 224, Jr.) has nearly reached his All-Big South Conference tackling totals from last season, collecting 74 hits in just seven games played so far – despite sitting out three full quarters. The Charlotte, N.C., standout had 75 tackles in 11 games last season. He has reached the 13-tackle mark four times so far and leads the team with six passes broken up along with two forced fumbles. Reynolds had 12 tackles in the first half at Western Carolina, but had to sit out the fourth quarter of that game and the first half of the following game after a targeting call. He came off the bench to make six hits in the second half vs. Hampton – limiting the Pirates to a field goal in a 35-27 GWU win. The former Vance (N.C.) High Star was a Shrine Bowl selection as a senior in the Queen City.
 
BIG PLAY JAY(LN)
Gardner-Webb entered the 2019 season with one of its deepest groups at running back in several seasons, but veteran Jayln Cagle (6-0, 199, Sr.) has performed at such a high level that the depth hasn't been needed. The Kannapolis, N.C., native has been a workhorse through seven games, rushing for a career-high 606 yards and seven touchdowns on 125 carries. He has also caught 17 passes for 137 yards and two scores for an average of 107.0 all-pupose yards per game. He had a season-best 142 yards on the ground at Western Carolina and also posted 100-yard games vs. North Carolina Central (141) and Monmouth (112). He has explosive runs of 65, 46 and 50 yards already – along with a 65-yard touchdown catch. He has rushed for 1,733 career yards and needs just 267 to reach the 2,000-yard mark.
 
RISING QUICKLY
Receiver was an area of inexperience heading into the 2019 campaign, but several have stepped up to make it a position of strength. Izaiah Gathings (6-4, 216, So.) played sparingly last season, but has turned into one of the Big South's most dangerous targets of late. The Statesville, N.C., native has 20 catches for 441 yards and four touchdowns through seven starts – with the four touchdowns all coming over the past two weeks. Three of those scores have been in the end zone with his physical gifts taking over. Gathings is among the Big South's best with 22.0 yards per catch so far. He was a two-time County Player of the Year in basketball at Statesville (N.C.) High and is the son of former Big South Men's Basketball Player of the Year Danny Gathings (High Point, 2004).
 
THE TIGHT END
Gardner-Webb coaches have raved about the blocking ability of Ohio State graduate transfer A.J. Alexander (6-3, 255, Gr.) all season. The former four-star prospect from Lake Braddock (Va.) High got on the field as a freshman for the Buckeyes in 2016 as a result of that power and ability. Alexander has proven to be a strong receiver in addition to his ability to clear holes in the run game, however, catching a career-high 14 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown through seven games played (six starts). Gardner-Webb had an All-Big South Conference tight end in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 – with Alexander on track to continue that fine tradition in 2019 after a two-year absence for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
 
D-LINE DEPTH
After toiling with an inexperienced front three last season due to injuries, defensive line coach Dennis Thomas has the luxury of seasoned depth within his unit in 2019. The starting unit of Josh Ramseur (5-11, 292, Gr.), John Singleton (6-5, 237, R-So.) and Janathian Turner (6-3, 306, So.) is perhaps Gardner-Webb's most gifted since the All-Big South trio of O.J. Mau, Preston Pemasa and Shaquille Riddick in 2013. The unit goes at least 10 deep, with six men already starting at least one game during their career.
 
HAMMER
Cade Hamilton (6-1, 223, So.) went down early with an injury at East Carolina and missed the following two games before getting clearance to return to practice during Gardner-Webb's open date. The former East Rutherford (N.C.) High star made a triumphant return at Western Carolina, collecting nine big tackles in a 24-21 win. He was even better in the Hampton win (10/12), collecting a career-high 19 total tackles (nine solo) while filling in for suspended starter Darien Reynolds (targeting). Hamilton stepped up and stopped Hampton's Deondre Francois at the two-yard line going in as time expired in the first half, keeping a 24-21 deficit intact heading into the locker room. Hamilton has collected 48 total tackles in just 15 quarters of football so far this season. He missed the second half of the season opener and played only one quarter at ECU in the second game of the season. Hamilton had an eye-popping 319 total tackles in his final two high school seasons at East Rutherford.
 
ON THE AIR AGAIN
For the first time since 2003, Gardner-Webb football will have a broadcast presence on a commercial radio station. All 12 regular season games, and any postseason games, will air live on WGNC (1450 AM / 101.1 FM) in Gastonia, N.C. Veteran play-by-play man Dave Friedman and a color analysts Reggie Walker and Bryan Fetzer will serve as talent. Walker is a former collegiate player at Penn State and Fetzer, who played collegiately at Canisius, is the former head track & field coach at Gardner-Webb and the University of Virginia. The station is available online via the TuneIn app.
 
THE STREAM TEAM
Each of Gardner-Webb's five home games will stream live on ESPN+ ($4.99 per month subscription), with the Voice of the Runnin' Bulldogs Fabian Fuentes joined by analyst Brendan Boylan. ESPN+ is the home of the Big South Network for the second season in a row. The Runnin' Bulldogs will also play road games on ESPN+ at Charlotte (8/29), at Wofford (9/21), at Western Carolina (10/5), at Presbyterian (11/9) and at Kennesaw State (11/23). Games at East Carolina and Monmouth will be streamed on ESPN3 (WatchESPN.com).
 
BATTERING RAM
Veteran nose guard Josh Ramseur (5-11, 292, Gr.) has been a force in the middle for Gardner-Webb this season, bulling his way to 38 total tackles and 7.0 tackles for loss. The sixth-year graduate student had 50 tackles in an All-Conference effort in 2017 and is currently pursuing his MBA at Gardner-Webb. Ramseur made a career-high 10 total stops and had three tackles for loss at FBS East Carolina.
 
40+ IN LOSSES
Gardner-Webb is allowing an average of 48.8 points per game in its four losses this season, with all four coming away from home. Two of those losses came at FBS programs Charlotte (49-28) and East Carolina (48-9), with the other two coming at SoCon favorite Wofford (49-10) and Big South contender Monmouth (49-28).
 
YOU'LL GET THREE AND LIKE IT ... MAYBE 
In its two home games this season, Gardner-Webb has limited opponents to a frigid 1-for-11 effort (9.1%) on touchdown scoring chances in the red zone. The Runnin' Bulldogs have allowed five field goals during that stretch and stopped opponents on fourth down tries five more times to power two wins in Spangler Stadium. North Carolina Central (9/14) was held to only four field goals, while Hampton (10/12) had one touchdown and one field goal.
 
NEW GUY THROWING DARTS
Quarterback Kalen Whitlow (6-1, 194, Gr.) was awarded his first collegiate start on October 5, 2019 and made the most of it, calmly leading Gardner-Webb to a 24-21 win on the road at Western Carolina. Whitlow, who began his career in Cullowhee before transferring to Gulf Coast Community College, then Tennessee State, then as a graduate student transfer to Gardner-Webb, completed 14-of-23 passes for 194 yards and a 52-yard touchdown pass to Chuma Awanna in the win. Gardner-Webb is 3-2 in games Whitlow has played in so far, including a 2-1 mark when he starts. Whitlow has been steady and accurate in those five games, completing 61-of-102 passes for 984 yards and seven touchdowns –for a 159.56 quarterback efficiency rating.
 
FUTURE SCHEDULES
Gardner-Webb has added a handful of future FBS opponents for coming seasons, playing three FBS games against nearby foes, GWU will travel to face Georgia Tech in 2020, Georgia Southern in 2021 and Liberty in 2022. The Runnin' Bulldogs will also take on Ohio University in 2021, marking the fourth time GWU has visited Athens, Ohio, since 2007.
 
THE CANDIDATE
First-year receiver/return man Devron Harper (5-10, 165, Fr.) has made a strong case for inclusion in any discussion of Freshman of the Year candidates, both on a conference and national level. The speedster had his most explosive game offensively to date against Hampton (10/12), catching four passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. The Conyers, Ga., native had receptions of 70 and 90 yards in the game and finished with 200+ all-purpose yards for the third time in six contests. He ranks third nationally in combined returns (652) and kickoff return touchdowns (1), 11th in yards per reception (22.5), 13th in all-purpose yards (143.6) and 15th in kickoff return average (27.2). Harper starred at Heritage (Ga.) High during a standout prep career in both football and track. He was the Georgia Class 3A State high jump champion in both 2017 and 2018. He was named FCS National Freshman of the Week (Sept. 23) by STATS and has been named honorable mention national Freshman of the Week by STATS twice (Sept. 2 / Oct. 14).
 
LONG DISTANCE
Devron Harper's 90-yard catch-and-sprint against Hampton (10/12) set new Big South Conference records for longest non-TD catch overall – and longest reception by a freshman. It also broke a 31-year old school record of 89 yards set against Catawba on October 15, 1988 when Bruce Benson hit Kelvin Richardson for 89 yards. With his 70-yard touchdown catch, Harper became the first receiver in Big South history to have two catches of 70+ yards in the same game. His 187 yards receiving marked the highest total for a GWU player since Kenny Cook went for a school and conference-record 251 yards in an overtime win at VMI on October 18, 2014.