BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb University football team used a potent offense to pick up its first Big South/OVC conference win of the season after taking down visiting Lindenwood by the final of 42-35 on Saturday afternoon inside Spangler Stadium.
 
For the second time on the year, the Runnin' Bulldogs had two players rush for more than 100 yards each. Senior Quasean Holmes led the way with 26 carries and 156 yards while pushing one score across the goal line. Graduate Edward Saydee also crossed the century mark with 119 yards on 16 carries and one score.
 
Redshirt quarterback Tyler Riddell completed 16-of-21 passes for 185 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. His favorite target being senior Jordan Bly, who hauled in four passes and two touchdowns.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs wasted no time putting points on the board, taking the opening kickoff 75 yards in 12 plays for a quick 7-lead. Riddell hooked up with senior wideout Anthony Lowe from three yards out for the initial points of the game.
 
However, the game would begin to become a back-and-forth affair as Lindenwood answered on its first possession with a 10-play, 75-yard drive to knot the contest at 7-all.
 
Saydee started the next GWU drive with a solid 9-yard rush before Riddell found Holmes out of the backfield for a 13-yard gain. After setting up shop just outside of the LU 10-yard line, Bly took a handoff around the corner and scampered in from 11 yards out for a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.
 
After Lindenwood tied the contest at 14-14, the Runnin' Bulldogs quickly gained the lead back with a 19-yard strike from Riddell to Bly in the corner of the endzone.
 
The Lions looked poised to once again knot the score on the ensuing possession, taking the ball all the way down to the GWU 8-yard line, but a Nate Glantz pass was picked off by graduate Raequan Ousley in the end zone while preserving the lead for the Black and Red.
 
Following a pair of failed drives, Gardner-Webb created a bit of separation before the half, marching 45 yards on just six plays, capped by the second score of the game for Bly, this time a 26-yard catch and run to paydirt, sending the home team into the locker room leading by a score of 28-14.
 
However, Lindenwood opened the second half with a quick scoring drive that ended with a 49-yard pitch and catch from Glantz to Jeff Caldwell, trimming the GWU lead to one score.
 
Starting at its own 31-yard line, Gardner-Webb's Lowe hauled in a 23-yard pass before Saydee broke free for 12 yards while quickly moving into LU territory. A sack looked to doom the drive, but Saydee picked the lost yards up plus some for a first down inside the Lions' 20. Two plays later, Riddell found graduate Taylor Shields for an 11-yard score.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs forced a punt on the next Lindenwood possession before extending out to their biggest lead of the game, 42-21, following a 5-play drive that lasted just under a minute. Holmes carried the rock for 17 yards and his lone score while giving GWU three three-score lead.
 
Lindenwood outscored the Runnin' Bulldogs 14-0 in the final period, but it was too little, too late as a failed onside kick with 32 seconds left sealed the fate and gave Gardner-Webb its first conference win of the season.
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs will return to action next Saturday, traveling to face conference-leading Southeast Missouri State. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. in Cape Girardeau, Mo.