THE GAME
Gardner-Webb hosts Charleston Southern Saturday afternoon in a meeting of the Big South Conference's last two remaining original football members. The game kicks off at 1:30 pm in Spangler Stadium and will stream live on ESPN+, with Fabian Fuentes and Brendan Boylan on the call. Dave Friedman and Bryan Fetzer will call the game live on WGNC Radio (1450 AM / 101.1 FM / TuneIn App).
  
SERIES NOTES
Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern will meet for the 20th time in football on Saturday ... GWU holds an 11-8 edge in the series, but the Buccaneers have won two in a row and five of the last six ... Gardner-Webb is 7-3 in games played in Spangler Stadium, but has lost two in a row at home (2015, 2017) ... Gardner-Webb's last win came via a 17-10 upset of No. 8 Charleston Southern on November 5, 2016 in CSU Stadium ... The Buccaneers won 10-9 two years ago on a last-second field goal in Boiling Springs, and took a 16-0 win last season in Charleston ... There have been six shutouts in the series ...  The two teams first met in 1988 when CSU was playing as a club team and Gardner-Webb was an NAIA member ... GWU won the first five meetings until a 38-7 defeat on Homecoming Weekend in 2005 to the eventual Big South champions ... One of the teams has been ranked in six of the previous 19 meetings – Gardner-Webb in 2002 and Charleston Southern in 2006, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 ... The two teams have split those six contests.
 
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.Former Notre Dame star Autry Denson is in his first season as head coach at Charleston Southern and has the Buccaneers headed forward despite a 2-6 record to date. Denson came to CSU after a stint as running backs coach at his alma mater.
 
40+ IN LOSSES
Gardner-Webb is allowing an average of 48.8 points per game in its five losses this season. Two of those losses came at FBS programs Charlotte (49-28) and East Carolina (48-9) and another two coming at SoCon favorite Wofford (49-10) and Big South contender Monmouth (49-28). Campbell used three overtimes to take a 49-47 win last weekend in a heartbreaker for GWU.
 
TACKLING MACHINE
Linebacker Darien Reynolds (6-0, 224, Jr.) has surpassed his All-Big South Conference tackling totals from last season, collecting 83 hits in just eight 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 seven 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.
 
ON THE WAY TO 1K
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 eight games, rushing for a career-high 709 yards and eight touchdowns on 153 carries. He has also caught 21 passes for 176 yards and two scores for an average of 111.4 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), Monmouth (112) and Campbell (103). He has explosive runs of 65, 46 and 50 yards already – along with a 65-yard touchdown catch. Cagle is on pace currently for 1,057 yards by season's end.
 
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 24 catches for 494 yards and six touchdowns through eight starts – with the touchdowns all coming over the past three weeks. Five of those scores have been in the end zone with his physical gifts taking over. Gathings is among the Big South's best with 20.6 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 15 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown through eight games played (seven 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 TIME
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 52 total tackles in just 19 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.
 
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 46 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.
 
THAT'S MINES
With three years at safety under his belt, veteran Devin Mines (5-10, 190, Sr.) moved to a more versatile SPUR linebacker position prior to the 2019 season and has excelled. The Charlotte, N.C., senior is nearing 200 career tackles and has made 41 total stops this season in only six games played. He has added 4.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions in his new role. 
 
YOU'LL GET THREE AND LIKE IT ... MAYBE 
In its two home games this season, Gardner-Webb has limited opponents to a frigid 3-for-15 effort (20%) on touchdown scoring chances in the red zone. The Runnin' Bulldogs have allowed six field goals during that stretch and stopped opponents on fourth down tries six 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. Campbell (10/26) managed a pair of touchdowns, with one coming in overtime.
 
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 3-3 in games Whitlow has played in so far, including a 2-1 mark when he starts. Whitlow has been steady and accurate in those six games, completing 76-of-122 passes for 1,115 yards and nine touchdowns – for a 160.13 quarterback efficiency rating. That rating ranks No. 9 nationally through October 28.
 
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 sixth nationally in combined returns (681), fourth in kickoff return touchdowns (1), 11th in yards per reception (22.5), 10th in all-purpose yards (142.5) and 16th 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.