HOT ROUTES
*   Gardner-Webb head coach Tre Lamb (31, September 16, 1989) is the second youngest head coach in the FCS ranks 
    currently, with only new Austin Peay skipper Scotty Walden (30, 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.

*   With a combined age of 67 years old, Saturday's matchup between Tre Lamb (31) and Will Healy (36) is believed
    to be the youngest coaching duel in Division I football this season.  

*   Gardner-Webb topped the 400-yard mark offensively against an FBS program for the first time ever in its
    30-25 loss at Georgia Southern. The Runnin' Bulldogs struck for 415 yards on the night.

*   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 just one current starter from the city of Charlotte. Cornerback Deonte Grier (5-11, 173, Sr.) was
    a standout at Mallard Creek (N.C.) High before enrolling at GWU. He broke up two passes last week at Georgia 
    Southern. 

*   The 2021 fall season marks the second full season in a row that Gardner-Webb will open on the road against
    two consecutive FBS foes. GWU did so at Charlotte and East Carolina in 2019. Following Saturday's game, GWU will
    travel to nearby Charlotte on September 11.

    
THE GAME
Gardner-Webb continues its early-season road swing on Saturday night, making the short trek to face Charlotte at 6:00 in Jerry Richardson Stadium. The game will stream live on ESPN3, with Jack Fitzpatrick and Reginald Walker, Jr., on the call. The radio coverage for Gardner-Webb will come on WGNC 1450 AM / 101.1 FM, with Dave Friedman and Mike Pacheco calling the action. The radio call is also available online via the TuneIn radio app and Stitcher.com.
  
SERIES NOTES
Charlotte holds a 2-1 advantage, including a 1-0 mark since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision and Conference USA ... The 49ers captured a 49-28 win in the 2019 season opener vs. Gardner-Webb ... Gardner-Webb's lone victory came in 2014 at home in Boiling Springs, N.C., on homecoming weekend ... The teams' first two meetings came when both were Football Championship Subdivision members,

THE OLD NORTH STATE
Gardner-Webb was 1-0 during its spring season against North Carolina schools, rolling to a 44-20 win over No. 24 Elon on February 27 in Spangler Stadium. The Runnin' Bulldogs are 3-3 against the Old North State since 2019, with two of those losses coming to FBS foes Charlotte (8/29/19) and East Carolina (9/7/19). Including Saturday's tilt at Charlotte, Gardner-Webb has four games against in-state schools this season.

THE NORTH CAROLINA EAST/WEST BBQ BOWL
Speaking of in-state rivalries, Gardner-Webb and Campbell announced on September 3 that the two football programs would begin playing in a rivalry trophy game this season. The Runnin' Bulldogs and Fighting Camels will compete each season for the North Carolina East/West BBQ Bowl trophy, beginning on October 9, 2021 in Boiling Springs, N.C. The winning school will keep the trophy until the next season's matchup and the losing school will provide a BBQ meal from their respective region – eastern style for the Camels and western or Lexington style, for the Bulldogs – to the winning squad. North Carolina BBQ expert Bob Garner will be on hand to present the trophy to the winning team. Garner has written three books on North Carolina's favorite food and has appeared on Food Network, ABC's "Good Morning America," the Travel Channel's "Road Trip," and he produces specials for PBS North Carolina.

THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb's Tre Lamb is in his second season as a college head coach. The second-youngest head coach in all of Division I football, Lamb has served as offensive coordinator at his alma mater Tennessee Tech and has called plays on the Division I level for four seasons. He went 2-2 during a shortened spring season. Charlotte's Will Healy, one of the youngest head men in FBS football at age 36, is 10-10 since taking over the 49ers' program in 2019. 

AGAINST THE CURRENT C-USA
Gardner-Webb is an even 5-6 in its history against current football members of Conference USA, with all 11 meetings coming against the current East Division ... The Runnin' Bulldogs have wins over Western Kentucky (1987), Florida Atlantic (2001), Florida International (2002, 2003) and Charlotte (2014) prior to those programs move from FCS (I-AA) to FBS (I-A) ... That mark includes a 3-0 ledger at home in Spangler Stadium (FAU, FIU, Charlotte).

AGAINST THE FBS
Gardner-Webb played its first FBS opponents in 2007, falling at Ohio and at Mississippi State. The Runnin' Bulldogs have gone 1-17 overall against the FBS, including an 0-6 mark against in-state programs (Wake Forest x2, Appalachian State, Charlotte, East Carolina and NC State). The lone win for the Runnin' Bulldogs came on September 11, 2010 at Akron in overtime. Gardner-Webb blocked a PAT kick and held on for a 38-37 victory over the Zips. Two other games have come down to the wire, including last week's 30-25 loss at Georgia Southern. Gardner-Webb had another heartbreaker in 2008 at Georgia Tech, falling 10-7 to the Yellow Jackets following a late blocked field goal try.

PARLEZ-VOUS-FRANCAIS
Gardner-Webb's coaching staff new 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.

BALLER
Quarterback Bailey Fisher (5-11, 207, Jr.) looked right at home in his Gardner-Webb debut, ripping first down passes all over the field – and to a variety of targets – in a 30-25 loss to his home state Georgia Southern Eagles. Fisher completed 27-of-45 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns and powered Gardner-Webb's offense to its highest total yardage output (415 yards) ever against an FBS. He was 6-for-10 on third down, converting all six into first downs or touchdowns. Two of his touchdown passes – including a perfect seven-yard fade to Justin Franklin with 3:03 remaining in the game – were on third down. In the final five minutes of the game, Fisher went 8-for-11 with four first down throws and a touchdown. He passed for 154 yards in the fourth quarter and drove Gardner-Webb down to the Georgia Southern 29-yard line with less than a minute to play. Fisher is now just 14 passing yards shy of the 5,000-yard mark for his career.

BULLDOZER
Only a handful of true freshman are good enough to start a season opener on the offensive line. Even fewer are capable of managing the pressure-packed nature of offensive tackle. Gardner-Webb's Clayton Frady (6-5, 295, So.) was up to the challenge this past spring, becoming the first true freshman to start a season opener at tackle since Will Millikan did so at South Alabama in 2015. The Sylva, N.C., native was just the third true freshman since Gardner-Webb's move to Division I to start at game at tackle – joining Demario Deese (2005), Jamie Dunaway (2009) and Millikan (2015). Frady earned All-Big South Conference honors, was runner up for the league's Freshman Offensive Player of the Year award and earned Hero Sports Freshman All-America honors.

FRONT FOUR FORTRESS
Gardner-Webb has built a defensive line perhaps as good as any other in the nation in the Football Championship Subdivision. The unit goes 11 deep without much drop off and has truckloads of experience. After keying a pass rush that produced only 10 sacks over 12 games in 2019, the group led the way to 15 sacks in just four games this past spring. In addition to All-America end Ty French (6-3, 230, So.), the 'Dogs return veteran starters Shai Thomas (6-2, 271, Sr.) and Janathian Turner (6-3, 306, Sr.), along with highly-touted tackle Charlie Jackson (6-4, 323, So.). Former starters Kendall Bailey (6-4, 262, Gr.) and Tremayne Booker (6-2, 273, Gr.) have significant experience and have moved from end to playing inside. Former three-star recruit Cash Devaughn (6-2, 293, RFr.) also creates some depth on the interior, as does former All-State lineman Willie Harris (6-1, 275, Fr.). Providing reserve production at end are talented pass rushers Ga'Marcus Freeman (6-2, 239, So.), Brice Bass (6-4, 250, So.) and Kyndall Clark (6-2, 234, Gr.).

YOUNG FACES TO WATCH ON OFFENSE
The two most promising faces during the preseason on offense produced very well in their college debuts. Receiver Justin Franklin (5-9, 175, Fr.) garnered 19 FBS offers heading into his senior season at Douglas County (Ga.) High and was the highest-rated Big South recruit in the 247Sports.com database for the Class of 2021. He came through with six catches for 72 yards and a score, and tossed a 50-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jordan to earn Big South Co-Freshman of the Week honors. Running back Donovan Jones (5-9, 180, Fr.) was Florida's Class 2A Offensive State Player of the Year following a second state title in 2020 and made the most of his opportunities at Georgia Southern. Jones carried three times for a team-high 23 yards, including a 19-yard burst for a first down to set up a fourth-quarter score.

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 will have 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 Toscanos Italian Bistro 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.

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.

THE MAYOR
Running back Narii Gaither (5-10, 177, Jr.) is more than just a third-down back. He's more than a fast runner. The Rock Hill, S.C., native can survive and succeed between the tackles as well as catch the ball effectively on swing passes and down the field. He's a multi-faceted threat and a perfect fit in Gardner-Webb's offensive system. The All-Big South back broke out last spring, sprinting to a pair of 100-yard games to lead GWU to a 2-0 start. He went for 111 yards and two scores on just 19 carries in the win over No. 24 Elon and followed with 151 yards on 18 carries and two total scores vs. Presbyterian. He broke school and Big South records with a 96-yard run to paydirt and caught the game-winner in overtime.

LOCAL FLAVOR
Gardner-Webb has 28 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. 

PICK YOUR POISON
Gardner-Webb's 365 yards passing at Georgia Southern didn't come via one avenue. The 'Dogs were one of only seven FCS programs Saturday to have three receivers catch at least six passes. Four men caught at least five balls and four different receivers caught touchdown passes in the game. The additon of track-speed receivers T.J. Luther (Wofford), Justin Jones (Stetson), Justin Franklin (Douglas County, Ga., HS) and Quayvon Skanes (UConn) payed immediate dividends. Luther caught six passes for 164 yards and a score, with three of his grabs going for more than 40 yards. Tight end Deland Thomas (6-4, 239, So.) joined in with six catches and a touchdown. Thomas had the third-most receptions of any FCS tight end nationally in the opening week of football.

THE SECONDARY
Gardner-Webb's depth in the secondary is aided this season by simple versatility. With Raequan Ousley (5-11, 176, So.) emerging at cornerback, veteran Dameon Williams (5-11, 175, Sr.) moved back to strong safety – where he excelled during the spring season. Williams transferred from Georgia Tech as a cover corner, but is a sound tackler who knows the defensive system very well. A.J. Thomas (6-1, 182, Jr.) also moved back to corner after spending time at safety during camp – and is also capable of playing a variety of roles on the backend. Former starters Adonis Henderson (6-1, 174, Jr.) is in a reserve role and Deonte Grier (5-11, 173, Sr.) earned a start at Georgia Southern and recorded two PBU in that game. The free safety spot is in good hands as well, with experienced tacklers Malachi Buckner (6-1, 206, Jr.) and Jamari Brown (5-11, 198, Jr.) rotating.

UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb's home opener is set for Saturday, September 18, as GWU hosts Division II Lincoln (Pa.) out of the CIAA. Kickoff will be at 6:00 pm in Spangler Stadium. Following the game, Gardner-Webb will host a concert by former Runnin' Bulldogs football player Jon Langston. The concert is set to begin at 9 pm in Paul Porter Arena. The game will stream live on ESPN+, with Phil Constantino on the call. The game will also air live on WGNC 1450 AM  and 101.1 FM, with the golden tones of Dave Friedman bringing the action home. The audio stream via WGNC is also available through the TuneIn Radio app and Stitcher.com. Color analysts for both broadcasts will be announced next week. Tickets for the game, and for the concert to follow, are available online at GWUSports.com – or by calling the Gardner-Webb ticket office at (704) 406-4340 during regular business hours.