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Composite Calendar
Anderson Celly vs UTM
© Kobi Everett Photo
34
UT Martin UTM 6-2 , 3-1
38
Winner Gardner-Webb GWU 4-4 , 2-1
UT Martin UTM
6-2 , 3-1
34
Final
38
Gardner-Webb GWU
4-4 , 2-1
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
UTM UT Martin 6 14 7 7 34
GWU Gardner-Webb 14 17 0 7 38

Game Recap: Football |

Late Game Heroics Give Gardner-Webb Win over #13/14 UT Martin

GWU earns first win over a ranked team since 2021

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – A 16-play, 90-yard drive punctuated by a 10-yard touchdown run from Jaylen King with 13 seconds left gave Gardner-Webb a 38-34 victory over #13/14 UT Martin on Saturday, Oct. 28.
 
UT Martin (6-2, 3-1 Big South-OVC) took the opening drive down to the Gardner-Webb (4-4, 2-1 Big South-OVC) 10-yard line, but a stop by Jamari Brown forced a field goal, giving UT Martin a 3-0 lead early in the game. The Runnin' Bulldogs answered with a 17-play, 75-yard drive, as Brendan Jackson powered his way into the endzone to give GWU a 7-3 lead with 4:12 left in the opening stanza.
 
The Skyhawks once again drove down the field, but pressure by Ty French forced another Aidan Laros field goal. Gardner-Webb answered, as King found Jayden Brown for a 71-yard strike, and the first quarter ended with the Runnin' Bulldogs ahead 14-6.
 
UT Martin again had an answer, as Kinkhead Dent found Marlon Cook from 12 yards out, and the Skyhawks cut the GWU advantage to 14-13. On the next UTM drive, French sacked Dent, forcing a fumble that was scooped up by Ty Anderson, who ran the ball back 36 yards for a touchdown, giving Gardner-Webb a 21-13 advantage with 9:58 left in the second quarter.
 
After a short punt by the Runnin' Bulldogs, UT Martin took advantage, as Dent found DeVonte Tanksley for a 15-yard touchdown pass, and GWU led just 21-20. Gardner-Webb put together a drive that stalled, but Jay Billingsley connected on a 47-yard field goal to swell the Bulldog bulge to 24-20.
 
A big pass from King to AJ Johnson got the 'Dawgs into the redzone, and GWU ended the drive with the freshman finding Karim Page from one yard out to push Gardner-Webb ahead 31-20. Jamari Brown ended the half with authority, getting an interception to end the first 30 minutes of play, as GWU went into the locker room on top, 31-20.
 
Both teams traded punts in the third, before UT Martin used an 11-play, 80-yard drive, capped off by a touchdown pass from Dent to Zoe Roberts from 15-yards out, cutting Gardner-Webb's lead down to 31-27 at the end of the third quarter. The Skyhawks used another long drive to open the fourth quarter, with Sam Franklin finding the endzone for the first time in the game, and UT Martin took a 34-31 lead with 13:15 left in the game.
 
A 59-yard punt from Laros pinned Gardner-Webb at their own 10-yard line with 5:41 left in the ballgame. Gardner-Webb marched down the field, converting three fourth downs, getting all the way to the UT Martin 10-yard line. King scrambled around on second down and found a seam up the middle, rolling across the goal line and giving GWU a 38-34 lead with 15 seconds left.
 
UT Martin got the ball to the 48-yard line of Gardner-Webb with seven seconds remaining, but Dent's pass to the endzone was broken up by Anderson in the endzone, and the Runnin' Bulldogs pulled off the upset, knocking off the Skyhawks 38-34.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • This is the first win over a ranked team for Gardner-Webb since defeating #24 Elon 42-20 on Feb. 27, 2021. GWU is now 9-36 all-time vs ranked foes, and 6-15 at home.
  • Gardner-Webb has won four straight Homecoming football games. Their last loss was in 2018 to #2 Kennesaw State.
  • With a sack, Ty French is now 0.5 sacks away from tying Gabe Wilkins (1990-93) for the school record for sacks in a career (29.0). French also had 3.0 tackles-for-loss in the game, and is now tied with Tory Atkins (1998-2001) for the third-most TFL in a career (52.0).
  • Narii Gaither has now passed Tyrell Maxwell (2014-17) for the school's Division-I record for career rushing yards, with 2,953. Gaither needs just 47 rushing yards to become the second player in program history to record at least 3,000 yards rushing for his career (Darrell Middleton, 4,032).
  • Ty Anderson's scoop n score for a touchdown is the first time GWU has returned a fumble for a touchdown since Zay Jones returned a fumbled punt for a score on Nov. 6, 2021 at Hampton.
  • Gardner-Webb was a perfect 5-for-5 on fourth down conversions. UT Martin entered the game allowing teams to a 56 percent conversion rate on fourth downs.
 
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.
 
 
 
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