BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Gardner-Webb closes out their nonconference slate this weekend, hosting RV Eastern Kentucky in a rematch of the 2022 FCS Playoffs on Saturday, Oct. 21.

RV Eastern Kentucky (3-3, 2-0 UAC) at Gardner-Webb (2-4, 1-1 Big South-OVC)
Saturday, Oct. 21 - 6:00 PM
Boiling Springs, N.C. - Spangler Stadium

Watch (ESPN+) (Phil Constantino, Reginald Walker, Jr.)
Listen (WGNC 1450/101.FM)/(The Varsity App)/(gwusports.com) (David Friedman, Chuck Burch)
Live Stats 

THE GAME
The Runnin' Bulldogs close out the 2023 nonconference schedule with a bang, hosting Eastern Kentucky of the United Athletic Conference in a rematch of the Runnin' Bulldogs 52-41 victory over the Colonels in the first round of the 2022 FCS Playoffs. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. Phil Constantino and Reginald Walker Jr. will handle the call on ESPN+. Dave Friedman and Gardner-Webb A.D. Emeritus Chuck Burch will have the radio call on WGNC 1450 AM/101.1 FM or online via the Varsity Network App and at gwusports.com.

SCOUTING EASTERN KENTUCKY
The Colonels enter the game 3-3 overall and 2-0 in the United Athletic Conference, having won three straight. Two of those losses were to FBS Cincinnati and Kentucky. EKU has a win over fellow Big South-OVC member SEMO, knocking off the 16th ranked Redhawks 41-38 on September 23. Parker McKinney leads the Colonels passing, going 122-for-202 with 10 touchdowns and 1,468 yards. Braedon Sloan has 380 rushing yards and five touchdowns, along with 214 receiving yards and three touchdowns. As a team, EKU has forced six interceptions, with Logan Blake and Mike Smith Jr. having two apiece. The Colonels have been effective in the redzone, coming away with points 95.8 percent of the time , the fourth-best mark in the FCS. EKU has scored 17 touchdowns and six field goals on 24 total redzone attempts. The Colonels rushing attack is the 22nd best in the FCS, averaging 187.3 yards per game and 5.7 yards-per-carry, a mark that is 12th in FCS.

SERIES NOTES
GWU leads the series against EKU 1-0, knocking off the Colonels 52-41 in the first round of the 2022 FCS Playoffs. Narii Gaither rushed for 245 yards in the victory, a new program Division-I record for rushing yards in a single game. The Runnin' Bulldogs are 7-4-0 in their history against teams from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, going 5-3 vs. Georgetown during the team's early NAIA days and splitting a pair of games with Western Kentucky in 1986 and 1987.

THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb head coach Tre Lamb is the second-youngest skipper in Division I football at age 34. He is 15-19 in his brief tenure, with seven of those losses coming to 85-scholarship FBS programs. Walt Wells is in his fourth season as head coach of Eastern Kentucky, going 7-5 last season and guiding the Colonels to the ASUN Championship. Overall, Wells is 19-17 at EKU, and helped guide the Colonels to as high as #24 in the country last season.

LAST TIME OUT
Gardner-Webb enters this week's contest 2-4 following a 41-14 loss to Austin Peay. The Runnin' Bulldogs trailed the Govs 13-7 at halftime and just 20-14 in the third quarter, but Austin Peay outscored Gardner-Webb 28-7 in the second half to pull away. Jaylen King threw his first career touchdown pass, a 17-yard strke to Jayden Brown, and rushed for his first career touchdown, a 56-yard scamper on fourth down.

MOVING UP THE BOARD
Ty French forced a punt early in the game at East Carolina on Sept. 23, thanks to his sack that kicked the Pirates out of field goal range. Frech is now 1.5 sacks shy of tying former GWU Runnin' Bulldog and Green Bay Packer Gabe Wilkins (1990-93) for the most in school history (29.0). French also has 8.5 tackles-for-loss this season, the second-most in the conference and the seventh-most in the FCS. For his career, French has 49 tackles-for-loss, the fourth-most in program history

THE MAYOR
Running back Narii Gaither (5-10, 181, R-Sr.) now has 2,820 career rushing yards, only the third player in program history to rush for at least 2,800 yards in their GWU career. He ranks third all-time in career rushing yards, and needs just 124 rushing yards to tie Ty Maxwell (2014-17) for the most rushing yards in the Division-I era. Gaither also has 90 career receptions, passing Philip Keefe for the most career pass receptions by a running back in Gardner-Webb history.

B-JACK
Brendan Jackson has been a force on defense this season for the Runnin' Bulldogs. So far this season, Jackson is third on the team in tackles, with 36 total, along with three tackles for loss and one sack. He also scored his first career rushing touchdown, lining up at running back and powering his way into the endzone for a one-yard touchdown vs Elon.

WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A TACKLE
For the past two years, William McRainey has been a head hunter for the Runnin' Bulldogs, recording over 100 tackles the past two seasons. Last year, McRainey led the team with 104 tackles, with 9.0 TFL and 5.5 sacks. McRainey has started all 31 games he has played in since earning the starting linebacker job in the 2021 spring season. This season, McRainey has 51 total tackles, picking up 11 tackles in back-to-back games against Austin Peay and Robert Morris. He is now tenth in program history in career tackles with 283 total tackles.

UP NEXT
The Runnin' Bulldogs return to conference play for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 28, hosting nationally-ranked UT Martin inside Spangler Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:30 PM. Fans can purchase tickets online at gwusports.com