THE GAME
Gardner-Webb hosts Big South Conference newcomer Hampton on Saturday, with kickoff set for 1:30 pm in Ernest W. Spangler Stadium. The game will stream live on ESPN+, with Fabian Fuentes and Brendan Boylan on the call. The game will be available as well on WGNC Radio (1450 AM / 101.1 FM / TuneIn app), with Dave Friedman and Reginald Walker calling the action. 
  
SERIES NOTES
Hampton has won two-straight in the series and holds a 2-1 edge in the all-time series ... The two schools haven't met on the gridiron since October 8, 2005 in Boiling Springs ... The eighth-ranked Pirates, featuring several future professional football standouts, took a 52-21 win in Spangler Stadium that night ... Gardner-Webb led 19-17 at halftime at Hampton on October 9, 2004 before Pirates' standout Jerome Mathis took over to power a 48-25 comeback win for the Pirates ... Hampton, then coached by legendary Joe Taylor, finished ranked in the national top-12 in the FCS in both 2004 and 2005 ... The two teams' first met in 1978, with Gardner-Webb taking a 28-13 win on November 11 in Spangler Stadium.

SERIES HISTORY
November 11, 1978 – Gardner-Webb 28, Hampton 13 (Boiling Springs)
October 9, 2004 – Hampton 48, Gardner-Webb 25 (Hampton, VA)
October 8, 2005 – #8 Hampton 52, Gardner-Webb 21 (Boiling Springs)

HOME AGAIN
Gardner-Webb endured one of the toughest stretches in its Division I history to start the 2019 season, playing four of its first five games away from home, including two against FBS foes (Charlotte and East Carolina). Saturday marks just the second home game of the season for the Runnin' Bulldogs, who will now play four of its final six games inside Ernest W. Spangler Stadium.

DOGS BEAT CATS
Gardner-Webb picked up a needed road win on October 5, as Kurt Everett's 33-yard field goal as time expired lifted the 'Dogs to a 24-21 win over Western Carolina. The win snapped a four-game losing streak against the Catamounts and marked Gardner-Webb's first win in E.J. Whitmire Stadium since September 13, 2009. Jayln Cagle (6-0, 199, Sr.) ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns in the win, which also featured a 52-yard touchdown connection from Kalen Whitlow (6-1, 194, Gr.) to Chuma Awanna (6-3, 217, Gr.).

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 26 wins so far in Boiling Springs, including five wins over top-20 teams. Second-year Hampton head coach Robert Prunty has led the Pirates to a very impressive 10-4 mark in the early stages of his head coaching career. A longtime, successful position coach at several FBS programs, Prunty took over at Hampton prior to the 2018 season and posted a 7-3 mark.

HELMET STICKER
Gardner-Webb is wearing a memorial helmet sticker for the entire 2019 season in honor of former quarterback Nick Roberts, who lost his battle with cancer this past year. Roberts, a three-time All-Big South signal caller who played at GWU from 2002-2005, is also featured on this week's game program cover as a special part of Homecoming Weekend and college football's 150th anniversary.

TACKLING MACHINE
Linebacker Darien Reynolds (6-0, 224, Jr.) made the most of his first season as a starter in 2018, earning second-team All-Big South Conference accolades. The Charlotte, N.C., posted 75 tackles and was twice named Big South Defensive Player of the Week. Reynolds has built on his emergence this season, collecting 55 tackles to rank among the NCAA leaders and second in the Big South Conference in tackles per game. Reynolds had 13 total tackles in less than three quarters played at Western Carolina. He will miss the first half vs. Hampton after being whistled for a targeting foul at WCU in that third quarter. He has posted a season-high 13 total stops in three different games this season, just one tackle shy of his career-best total..

PICK IT
Gardner-Webb struggled to create turnovers last season, particularly in the secondary, with only six interceptions through 11 games in 2018. That has not been the case so far in 2019, with the Runnin' Bulldogs picking off seven passes over its first five games – despite the bump in competition. Devin Mines (5-10, 190, Sr.) grabbed two interceptions in the season opener, and linebacker Quinton Jones (6-2, 200, So.) added another against the 49ers. Two of those turnovers created easy touchdown drives. Cornerback Deonte Grier (5-11, 172, R-So.) had an interception at East Carolina – his second in the past three games – and safety Kobe Rodgers (6-1, 189, R-Jr.) nearly had his own interception before a replay review. Rodgers, Malachi Buckner (6-1, 206, R-Fr.) and A.J. Keene (5-10, 172, Sr.) each had picks against North Carolina Central (9/14). GWU created anothert turnover at Wofford, with Darien Reynolds  (6-0, 224, Jr.) recovering a fumble.

MAKING HIS MOVE
One of the team's most improved players during training camp was receiver Izaiah Gathings (6-4, 216, So.) and the Statesville, N.C., standout has started to see his opportunities increase in the season's early stages. Gathings hauled in four passes for 83 yards, with a long of 37 yards, at East Carolina (9/7), with one of his grabs setting up Gardner-Webb's lone touchdown of the game. A former prep basketball standout, Gathings had a 43-yard catch against North Carolina Central (9/14) and hauled in a 26-yarder at Wofford (9/21). He caught two passes longer than 30 yards at Western Carolina and heads into this week ranked No. 5 nationally in yards per catch. Gathings has 12 balls for 283 yards (23.6 yards per catch) through five games in 2019.

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY
Gardner-Webb welcomed transfers from five different colleges during the summer months adding tight end A.J. Alexander (6-3, 255, Gr.) from Ohio State, receiver Chuma Awanna (6-3, 217, Gr.) from Norfolk State, defensive lineman Aaron Griffith (6-0, 289, Gr.) from Middle Tennessee State, quarterback Kalen Whitlow (6-1, 195, Gr.) from Tennessee State and cornerback Dameon Williams (5-11, 175, R-So.) from Georgia Tech. Four of the five have already earned degrees from their previous schools. Alexander (four-star), Whitlow (three-star) and Williams (three-star) were each highly regarded prep recruits.

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.

WELCOME BACK
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 had several physical tackles in the game, including one on fourth down that set an early tone. Hamilton has 18 total tackles in his three games played this season.

HOME GAME NOTES
Gardner-Webb won its home opener on September 14, but hasn't won its first two home games in a season since 2014 – when it started with a 3-0 mark after beating UVA Lynchburg, Wofford and Charlotte to start the season.

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 30 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.

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 five games, averaging 90.0 yards per outing to go with six touchdowns. He has already broken his own personal record for touchdowns in a season (6) and needs just 30 yards to smash his previous career-best yardage total for a season. Cagle has run for 1,581 yards and 12 touchdowns so far during his time in Boiling Springs.

THE PUNTER
Newcomer Jack Pawloski (6-0, 190, Gr.), a graduate transfer from Elon, did not see game action in his first three seasons of college football. The Florence, S.C., native won Gardner-Webb's punting job during training camp and has responded with the 17th-best average nationally through five games – booming 31 punts for 1,345 yards (43.3 ypp). Pawloski has hit seven punts for more than 50 yards and has forced 10 fair catches.

WHITLOW WORKS AT WCU
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.

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.

UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb gets back on the road next Saturday, flying to West Long Branch, N.J., for a Big South meeting with high-powered Monmouth. Kickoff on ESPN3 is set for 1:00 pm (WGNC AM/FM).