ATHENS, Ohio – The Gardner-Webb (2-2) football team put up a valiant effort but fell just short at Ohio (2-2) by the final of 52-35 on Saturday afternoon at Peden Stadium.
Graduate running back Quasean Holmes finished with a solid all-around game, rushing for 47 yards and two scores while adding 66 yards and a score through the air. Graduate quarterback Nate Hampton went 19-of-28 through the air for 289 yards and two touchdowns while graduate receiver Anthony Lowe was on the receiving end of eight of those passes for 72 yards. Redshirt sophomore Chris Lofton added three catches for 49 yards and a score.
Defensively, redshirt sophomore Nigel Lucas led the way with 12 total tackles, six of the solo variety. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Cahari Haynes added 11 tackles, seven solo, and two tackles for loss.
Gardner-Webb put up 480 yards as a team, including 191 on the ground and 289 through the air while averaging just under eight yards per play.
Gardner-Webb wasted no time controlling a lead as scoring drives of 9-plays, 37 yards and 5-plays, 75 yards staked the visitors to a 14-3 lead. The Dawgs used the ground game to establish the lead after running backs Quasean Holmes and Carson Gresock broke off touchdown runs of eight and 48 yards, respectively.
However, that advantage did not last long as the Bobcats came back with 14 unanswered on their next two drives, a 2-yard plunge into the endzone by Duncan Brune followed by an 8-yard run to paydirt by Sieh Bangura, giving Ohio its first lead, 17-14.
The back-and-forth affair continued with Gardner-Webb answering the call on a 3-play, 75-yard drive, capped by the longest pass play of the year for the Runnin' Bulldogs, a 68-yard pitch-and-catch from graduate quarterback Nate Hampton to Holmes.
Ohio bounced back to take a 31-21 lead heading into the break as a 43-yard reception by Chase Hendricks followed by a 1-yard rush by Bangura gave the Bobcats the final 14 points of the first half.
After 52 points and more than 600 yards between the two teams in the first half, Ohio posted the only score of the third quarter, extending its lead to 38-21 heading to the final period of play.
The Dawgs struck quick to start the fourth following a 42-yard receiving touchdown from Hampton to redshirt sophomore Chris Lofton on 4th-and-3, trimming the Ohio deficit to 38-28 with 14:06 remaining in the game.
Not to be denied, Gardner-Webb marched down the field on seven plays while covering 75 yards before Holmes powered his way in from five yards out for his second score of the game on the ground and third overall.
Ohio added one last score on a 1-yard run by Brune, pushing the score to a final of 52-35.
The Runnin' Bulldogs enter the bye week before returning to action on Saturday, October 4, playing host to Charleston Southern in the BBQ Bowl, also the conference opener for both teams. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. inside Spangler Stadium. That broadcast will be live on ESPN+ while live stats can be found at www.gwusports.com.
