CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Gardner-Webb football picked up two weekly honors from the Big South Conference Monday afternoon in the wake of the team's third-straight victory in league play.
Linebacker William McRainey (Shallotte, N.C. / West Brunswick HS) was named Defensive Player of the Week and tight end Jonathan Burns (Aiken, S.C. / South Aiken HS) was named Freshman of the Week by the conference office.
In a game that featured 1,003 combined yards of total offense, it was a defensive effort that proved vital to Gardner-Webb posting its first 3-0 start in the Big South since 2003. McRainey finished the day with 11 total tackles (eight solo) and put his best foot forward during crunch time.
The 6-0, 219-pound junior's pass break up with 19.3 seconds left in the game on fourth down at his own 32-yard line ended any hopes of a comeback for the visitors. His sack on second down with just under four minutes to play in the fourth quarter pushed Bryant behind the chains in a drive that was limited to a field goal four plays later.
McRainey had five of his tackles in the fourth quarter and finished the game with one tackle behind the line of scrimmage and four others for no gain. Both of his pass break ups also came in the fourth quarter, when Gardner-Webb's defense limited Bryant to just one third down conversion in three tries.
A three-year starter for the Runnin' Bulldogs, McRainey leads Gardner-Webb with 77 total tackles this season.
Burns made the most of his first career start at tight end, hauling in three passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns in Gardner-Webb's win.
With GWU trailing 14-7 late in the first quarter, Burns caught a pass over the middle from Bailey Fisher and sprinted 71 yards to paydirt with no time on the clock to tie the score. His second catch also resulted in a score, as he hauled in a short pass and rumbled in for a four-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to put Gardner-Webb on top 48-29.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder added a three-yard catch for a first down later in the fourth quarter.
Each of Burns catches resulted in either a score or a first down and his 71-yarder was the third-longest touchdown catch by a tight end in Big South Conference history – trailing only former Runnin' Bulldog Seth Cranfill (75 yards vs. #2 Coastal Carolina in 2014) and Charleston Southern's Clayton Coffman (72 yards vs. North Greenville in 2006).
Burns has been explosive this season when called on, catching nine passes for 138 yards and those two scores (15.3 per catch).
The Runnin' Bulldogs head into a well-deserved open date this weekend before closing the regular season with two important games. Gardner-Webb travels to Buies Creek, N.C., on November 12 to battle Campbell in the second annual North Carolina East/West BBQ Bowl (1:00 pm kickoff) and hosts North Carolina A&T on November 19 in Spangler Stadium (Noon kickoff).
Tickets for the regular season finale with the Aggies are going fast and can be purchased online at GWUSports.com.
