BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Gardner-Webb returns to conference play, hosting #13/14 UT Martin inside Spangler Stadium for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 28.
Watch (ESPN+) (Phil Constantinio & Mark Covert)
Listen (WGNC 1450 AM/101.1 FM)(The Varsity Network)(gwusports.com)(Dave Friedman & Reginald Walker Jr.)
Live Stats
#13/14 UT Martin (6-1, 3-0 Big South-OVC) at Gardner-Webb (3-4, 1-1 Big South-OVC)
Saturday, Oct. 21 - 1:30 PM
Spangler Stadium - Boiling Springs, N.C.
THE GAME
The Runnin' Bulldogs return to conference play, hosting #13 UT Martin for Homecoming. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. Phil Constantino and Mark Covert will handle the call on ESPN+. Dave Friedman and Reginald Walker Jr. will have the radio call on WGNC 1450 AM/101.1 FM or online via the Varsity Network App and at gwusports.com.
SERIES NOTES
Gardner-Webb and UT Martin hold an even 2-2 split in the series, with the Runnin' Bulldogs taking the first two meetings in 2001 and 2002, and the Skyhawks winning the last two contests in 2005 and 2006. UT Martin comes into today's game ranked #13 in the national poll and is the first ranked opponent for Gardner-Webb since facing #5 William & Mary in the second round of the 2022 FCS Playoffs. The Runnin' Bulldogs are 8-36 all-time against nationally-ranked FCS opponents, including a 5-15 mark at home. The last win against a ranked foe for Gardner-Webb was on February 7, 2021, a 42-20 victory over #24 Elon in Tre Lamb's first game as head coach of the Runnin' Bulldogs.
SCOUTING UT MARTIN
UT Martin enters the game 6-1 overall and 3-0 in Big South-OVC play. The Skyhawks average 246.4 rushing yards per game, the fifth-most in the country. The Skyhawks average 30.4 points per game, the most in the Big South-OVC. UTM allows just 84.6 rushing yards a game on defense, the sixth most in the FCS. Sam Franklin is averaging 134.3 rushing yards per game, the most in the FCS. Daylan Dotson ranks fourth in the conference with 4.5 sacks, while his 10.5 tackles-for-loss rank 16th in the country. Aidan Laros handles kickoff, punting, and place kicking duties for UT Martin. Laros leads the conference in punt average, averaging 48.0 yards per punt. He also has 13 punts of at least 50 yards and 11 punts that have landed inside the 20-yard line. Laros is 6-for-9 on field goals. UT Martin has converted 46.7 percent of their third downs and 69.2 percent of their fourth downs.
THE HEAD COACHES
Gardner-Webb head coach Tre Lamb is the second-youngest skipper in Division I football at age 34. He is 16-19 in his brief tenure, with seven of those losses coming to 85-scholarship FBS programs. Jason Simpson is 113-85 in his now 18th season at UT Martin. Simpson has led the Skyhawks to back-to-back OVC championships, and is a two-time OVC Roy Kidd Coach of the Year Award winner, and a four-time Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year Award Finalist.
LAST TIME OUT
Gardner-Webb enters this week's contest 3-4 following a 35-32 win over Eastern Kentucky. Gardner-Webb trailed 21-7 early in the second quarter, but tied the game at 21 at halftime and scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to complete the come-from-behind win, thanks to an 88-yard touchdown run by Jayden Brown and a 37-yard touchdown pass from Jaylen King to AJ Johnson. The GWU defense recorded three interceptions, the most ever thrown in a game by EKU quarterback Parker McKinney in his All-American career.
BACK IN BLACK
Last season, Gardner-Webb opened the year with new black helmets, defeating Limestone 56-21 in the season opener. The Runnin' Bulldogs donned the black helmets in all five conference games last season, culminating in the program's first Big South Conference championship since 2003. The black magic continued for GWU in the first round of the FCS Playoffs, rolling to a 52-41 victory over Eastern Kentucky in the 2022 FCS Playoffs. While the streak ended at #5 William & Mary the next week, GWU broke out the black helmets again on Oct. 21, 2023, defeating EKU 35-32. Gardner-Webb is now 7-1 all-time in the black helmets.
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 9.0 tackles-for-loss this season, the second-most in the conference and the seventh-most in the FCS. For his career, French has 50 tackles-for-loss, the fourth-most in program history
THE MAYOR
Running back Narii Gaither (5-10, 181, R-Sr.) now has 2,885 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 59 rushing yards to tie Ty Maxwell (2014-17) for the most rushing yards in the Division-I era (2,944). Gaither also has 94 career receptions, passing Philip Keefe for the most career pass receptions by a running back in Gardner-Webb history, while his eight receiving touchdowns are tied for the most in program history.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
For the second time this season, a pair of Runnin' Bulldogs found themselves on the FedEx Ground FCS National Honorable Mention teams. Jaylen King earned his first career honor on the Freshman team after going 14-for-18 for 185 yards. He also had one passing touchdown, connecting with AJ Johnson on a 37-yard TD pass with 10:25 left to give GWU a 35-24 lead over EKU. On the ground, the Folkston, Ga. native had 16 rushes for 46 yards and one touchdown, rushing into the endzone on fourth down to cut the EKU lead down to 21-14 in the second quarter. King was part of an offense that went 4-for-6 on fourth down and averaged 6.4 yards per play against the Colonels.
William McRainey earned a spot on the Defensive Honorable Mention team after recording 10+ tackles for the third straight game. The Shallotte, N.C. native had 14 tackles and 0.5 tackles-for-loss. McRainey forced a fumble early in the fourth quarter, setting up the Gardner-Webb offense for the deciding score. The senior also had his second career interception, picking off a pass in the fourth quarter after it was tipped by Willie Harris. McRainey and the GWU defense forced three interceptions from UAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Parker McKinney for the first time in his career at Eastern Kentucky.
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 34 games he has played in since earning the starting linebacker job in the 2021 spring season. This season, McRainey has 65 total tackles, picking up 11 tackles in back-to-back games against Austin Peay and Robert Morris, and 14 tackles, along with an interception, last week against EKU. McRainey now has 297 tackles for his career, needing three more to become just the 20th player in program history with at least 300 tackles in a career.
BIG SOUTH STATS
Gardner-Webb is 47-58 all-time in Big South Conference or Big South-OVC play since joining the conference in 2002. Gardner-Webb has gone undefeated in conference play three times, in 2002 (3-0), 2003 (4-0), and 2022 (5-0). The Runnin' Bulldogs did opened their time in the Big South with six straight seasons without a losing record in conference play, going 15-8 in conference games from 2002-2007, winning seven conference games in a row before falling to Liberty 17-9 on Oct. 2, 2004. Last season's 5-0 record in Big South play ended a stretch from 2017-2021 where Gardner-Webb failed to record a winning record in conference play, going just 5-21 in that time span.
UP NEXT
Gardner-Webb heads north for their longest road trip of the season, traveling 715 miles to Smithfield, R.I. to face Bryant in a Big South-OVC contest. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM.
