THE GAME
Gardner-Webb returns from its lone bye week of the 2021 regular season, hosting league newcomer Robert Morris at 1:30 pm in Ernest W. Spangler Stadium. The game, part of Homecoming Weekend festivities, will be televised live on WMYT-TV (My 12) in Charlotte and WYCW-TV (CW 62) in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville market. The game will also stream as usual on ESPN+, with David Jackson and Jay Sonnhalter on the call this week. The radio signal will originate with WGNC AM 1450 / FM 101.1 (TuneIn Radio), with Dave Friedman and Reginald Walker, Jr., calling the action from the Spangler Stadium radio booth.

HOT ROUTES
*  Gardner-Webb head coach Tre Lamb (32, September 16, 1989) is the second youngest head coach in the FCS ranks 
    currently, with only new Austin Peay skipper Scotty Walden (31, November 15, 1989) slightly younger.

*  Gardner-Webb's full-time coaching staff is the youngest in the Division I ranks, with an average of 28.9 years 
    old per man.

*  Gardner-Webb is 43-12 when limiting opponents to less than 100 yards rushing. The 'Dogs have accomplished the 
    feat three times in its last six home games under current defensive coordinator Josh Reardon.

*  Gardner-Webb is 0-3 this season when converting less than 25% on money downs (3rd and 4th), with an average 
    margin of defeat sitting at 26.3 points per game in those games. GWU was just 2-of-14 on money downs in its narrow
    loss to Campbell on October 9 (1-of-11 on 3rd down).

*  Gardner-Webb has 15 graduate students on its 2021 active roster.

*  Three current players on Gardner-Webb's roster were State Players of the Year as seniors. Quarterback 
    Bailey Fisher (Rabun County HS, Ga.) earned Class 2A Offensive State Player of the Year honors in 2017. Defensive 
    back Jamari Brown (Eastside HS, Ga.) was named Class 4A Defensive State Player of the Year in 2018. Running
    back Donovan Jones (Champagnat Catholic, Fla.) was the Class 2A Offensive State Player of the Year in 2020.

*   Gardner-Webb has students enrolled from 93 of North Carolina's 100 counties, 26 countries and 44 states.

*  Gardner-Webb has inducted 54 former football student-athletes into its Athletics Hall of Fame. That number will
    move to 55 this week, when four-time All-Big South safety – and two-sport standout – Daniel Cooke is inducted
    as part of the Class of 2021.

SERIES NOTES
Saturday marks the first football meeting between Robert Morris and Gardner-Webb. The Colonials played a brief Big South schedule during the 2021 spring season, but the GWU-RMU game was cancelled.

A DAY OF LEGENDS
Gardner-Webb will honor a group of legends prior to Saturday's games, unveiling monuments for the three retired jerseys in the program – and another for legendary former head coach Norman Harris. The Runnin' Bulldogs will welcome Chip Stuart (No. 4), Darrell Middleton (No. 25) and Richard Grissom (No. 70) back to campus for the unveiling. Stuart quarterbacked the 'Dogs to success in the early 1980s during an All-America career and was the first great passer in program history. Middleton rumbled and sprinted his way to more yards on the ground than any man in program history in the mid-late 1980s and remains at the top of the list. Grissom was the first senior college All-America in Gardner-Webb history and was a consistent defensive stalwart

HOMECOMING NOTES
Gardner-Webb is 13-7 in its Division I history (since 2000) on homecoming. Six of those seven losses have come to Big South Conference foes. The Runnin' Bulldogs won four in a row on homecoming to start the Division I era, including back-to-back shutouts in 2002 and 2003 – part of a stretch that saw GWU win 15 home games in a row en route to two Big South Conference titles.

DIVISION I HOMECOMING HISTORY
10/28/00 – Gardner-Webb 28, New Haven 10
10/06/01 – Gardner-Webb 35, Morris Brown 17
11/02/02 – Gardner-Webb 24, UT-Martin 0
11/08/03 – Gardner-Webb 46, Charleston Southern 0
10/30/04 – Coastal Carolina 31, Gardner-Webb 19
11/05/05 – Charleston Southern 38, Gardner-Webb 7
10/28/06 – Gardner-Webb 35, VMI 31
10/28/07 – Gardner-Webb 29, Charleston Southern 25
10/25/08 – Gardner-Webb 34, VMI 27
10/31/09 – Stony Brook 24, Gardner-Webb 14
10/23/10 – Presbyterian 26, Gardner-Webb 24
10/29/11 – Gardner-Webb 14, Charleston Southern 7
10/27/12 – Gardner-Webb 38, VMI 7
10/26/13 – Liberty 24, Gardner-Webb 0
10/04/14 – Gardner-Webb 27, Charlotte 24
10/10/15 – Gardner-Webb 34, Liberty 20
10/15/16 – Coastal Carolina 17, Gardner-Webb 7
10/07/17 – Gardner-Webb 42, Shorter 14
10/13/18 – Kennesaw State 56, Gardner-Webb 17
10/12/19 – Gardner-Webb 35, Hampton 27

THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb head coach Tre Lamb is the second-youngest skipper in Division I football at age 32, celebrating his birthday on September 16. Lamb is 4-6 in his brief tenure, with two of those losses coming to 85-scholarship FBS programs. Bernard Clark is in his fourth season in charge at Robert Morris and has won 11 games. He was named 2019 NEC Coach of the Year after directing the Colonials to a 7-5 mark. 

A SPECIAL TALENT
One of the bright young stars on the Gardner-Webb roster doesn't play quarterback, or a skill position. Offensive lineman Gabe Thompson (6-3, 297, So.) has emerged as a tremendous blocker and team leader, playing both guard and center this season. Thompson's skill isn't limited to the field. He is active in SAAC and student government on campus and was the Dorman (S.C.) High student body president before arriving in Boiling Springs. Thompson is also a musical talent, playing several instruments at a high level

TOTAL THREAT
Quarterback Bailey Fisher (5-11, 207, Jr.) crossed the 5,000-yard passing mark in Gardner-Webb's September 11 loss at FBS Charlotte and has now passed for 5,724 yards during his 31 games as a Division I starter at Tennessee Tech and now GWU. Fisher is also inching close to 7,000 yards of total offense for his career, sitting at 6,605 yards with 59 touchdowns accounted for in those 31 starts. He needs just 276 passing yards to reach 6,000 through the air and is just 395 yards shy of the 7,000-yard mark in total offense. Fisher has accounted for 11 touchdowns through six starts at Gardner-Webb and became the first Gardner-Webb quarterback to top 300 yards passing in his team debut on September 4 at Georgia Southern (315 yards, 3 TD). Fisher has thrown just two interceptions, with both coming in late game situations and Gardner-Webb trailing by double digits.

PARLEZ-VOUS-FRANCAIS
Gardner-Webb's coaching staff knew it had a jewel when Ty French (6-3, 230, So.) enrolled in the fall of 2020. The former Colquitt County (Ga.) High star was a three-star recruit with a high motor, great character and sterling work ethic. The undersized label was erased when he quickly adjusted to the college weight room and packed on nearly 20 pounds. His performance this past spring raised eyebrows – as he ranked in the national top-10 in sacks (4.0) and tackles for loss (8.0), while adding 10 quarterback hurries in just four games. His dominance earned first-team All-Big South honors, Freshman All-America honors from Hero Sports and the 2020/21 Big South Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year award. French has continued to improve, and came out of the game with nine tackles in the season opener at Georgia Southern. He has 31 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and eight pressures so far through six games.

HOME EDGE
Gardner-Webb has gone 4-2 over the past two seasons under head coach Tre Lamb, dating back to the spring campaign. The Runnin' Bulldogs have topped 400 yards of total offense four times – and 500 yards twice. GWU is averaging 54.0 ppg in two home wins so far this season. It's lone home loss this season came in a 42-28 showdown with Campbell, when the visitors took advantage of two late turnovers to score 14 points in the final four minutes.

A STREAK THAT MUST END
Gardner-Webb has dropped nine Big South games in a row, dating back to the the 2019 season. That streak is the longest the Runnin' Bulldogs have endured since joining the league in 2002. The previous mark for futility was six games, set during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. GWU's last league win came on October 12, 2019 vs. Hampton in Spangler Stadium.

LONG DISTANCE DUDES
Gardner-Webb has four different ball carriers who have at least one touchdown run of 40 yards or more this season. Narii Gaither (43 yards, TD), Donovan Jones (79 yards, TD), Jalin Graham (73 yards, TD) and Dexter Brown (47, TD). Gaither leads the league with an average of 6.7 yards per carry overall.

QUICKNESS
Gardner-Webb has 14 scoring drives of 70 yards or more this season. Ten of those drives have been of the quick strike variety and resulted in touchdowns, lasting no longer than 2:30 to find the end zone.

FULL HOUSE FOR BIG SOUTH
The Big South is celebrating its 20th season of sponsoring football in 2021, and the league mem- bership is at an all-time high of nine members. New Big South full member North Carolina A&T began its affiliation July 1, while associate member Robert Morris is playing its first full Big South schedule this season after competing during the league's abbreviated 2021 Spring campaign.

TEAM AND FAMILY
Defensive tackle Kendall Bailey (6-4, 275, Gr.) will honor classmate and close friend Carter Francis again on Saturday by wearing Francis' jersey number 66 instead of his usual 95 top. Francis, Gardner-Webb's starting center, was injured on the first play at Monmouth and will not play this weekend against Robert Morris. Both men played their high school football in tradition-rich Cobb (Ga.) County, with Bailey starring at Kell (Ga.) High and Francis starring at Allatoona (Ga.) High. Both also finished their undergraduate degrees at Gardner-Webb this past May and are pursuing master's degrees in Boiling Springs.

THE MAYOR
Running back Narii Gaither (5-10, 177, Jr.) has been unstoppable in Spangler Stadium of late, running for 301 yards (150.5 ypg) and three touchdowns over the last two home dates against Western Carolina (9/25) and Campbell (10/9). Gaither is averaging 7.7 yards per carry during that stretch, and has averaged 188.5 all-purpose yards in those two games. Overall, the Rock Hill, S.C., star has rushed for 486 yards and four scores on just 73 carries (6.7 yards per attempt). Over his last 10 games, dating back to last spring, Gaither has rushed for 835 yards and seven touchdowns on 134 carries (6.2 ypc). With 974 career rushing yards under his belt, Gaither needs just 26 more to reach 1,000 for his brief career. Gaither missed all but two plays at Monmouth with an injury, but fought through to play against Campbell. He had 150 yards rushing and two scores against the Camels. He has four career 100-yard games to his credit.

ON THE AIR AGAIN
Gardner-Webb football will have a broadcast presence on a commercial radio station again this fall. All regular season games, along with 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 color analyst Reginald Walker, Jr. will serve as talent. Walker is a former collegiate player at Penn State and veteran of the television industry. The station is available online via the TuneIn app.

THE STREAM TEAM
Each of Gardner-Webb's home games will stream live on ESPN+ ($4.99 per month subscription), with Penn State graduate Phil Constantino, Gardner-Webb's Director of Broadcasting, serving as play-by-play voice. He will be joined this season by former Carolina Panther and University of Maryland star Al Wallace, along with several other voices in the booth.

THE TRE LAMB SHOW
Gardner-Webb has an off-campus football coaches show this fall, beginning on Wednesday, September 1 in Shelby, N.C. The Tre Lamb Coaches Show will originate live from the Cleveland Country Club at 7:30 pm and will air live on WGNC 1450 AM / 101.1 FM and the TuneIn Radio app. Dave Friedman will serve as host and will be joined on the air by head coach Tre Lamb each Wednesday during the season. Fans are invited to attend the live show.

FUTURE SCHEDULE NOTES
Gardner-Webb has its slate of FBS opponents almost complete for the next few seasons, with dates at Coastal Carolina (2022), Liberty (2022), Appalachian State (2023), East Carolina (2023), Charlotte (2024) and Georgia Tech (2025) and Liberty (2026) on tap.

LOCAL FLAVOR
Gardner-Webb has 27 student-athletes on its current roster who played high school football within an hour of campus. Boiling Springs, N.C., is located in football-rich Cleveland County, home to state championship programs at Burns, Crest, Shelby and Kings Mountain. The campus is also situated just 15 minutes north of Palmetto State powerhouse Gaffney High and is within an hour drive of several perennial state contenders in Charlotte, N.C., and Spartanburg, S.C. 

RETURN IT
Gardner-Webb's return game has produced well through six games, with the kick return unit averaging 23.4 yards per chance and the punt return unit averaging 12.3 yards per return. Both averages rank in the top-25 nationally. It isn't a solo effort, as the 'Dogs have four men who have at least one 30-yard kickoff return or longer. GWU also has two different punt return men with at least one return of 25 yards or mor.

SCORING PACE
Gardner-Webb last led the Big South Conference in scoring offense in 2005, when it sliced up the league to the tune of 35.1 points per game. GWU is averagimg 31.3 points per game so far in 2021, it's highest scoring average since 2005. GWU has topped the 50-point mark twice in Spangler Stadium this sason.

POWER 5 COACHES
Saturday marks the third home game in a row that the opposing head coach played a prominent role as a student-athlete at a Power 5 program in football. Two of those three won national titles at their respective schools. Western Carolina's Kerwin Bell quarterbacked the Florida Gators to a 9-1-1 record as a freshman and was named 1984 SEC Player of the Year. Campbell's Mike Minter played safety at Nebraska and helped the Huskers to national titles in 1994 and 1995. Robert Morris head coach Bernard Clark played linebacker at the University of Miami and was named Orange Bowl MVP in 1988. He was a key cog in Hurricanes' national championship teams in 1987 and 1989.

TRIPLE THREAT
In addition to his excellence under center – both passing and running –quarterback Bailey Fisher has shown off a strong leg as an occassional punter. Fisher leads the Big South Conference with an average of 48.0 yards per attempt (seven attempts), including a booming 57-yarder vs. Western Carolina on September 25. Five of his seven kicks have been downed inside the 20-yard line and four have gone longer than 50 yards.