Saturday, October 3
Charleston, S.C.
6 PM
Gardner-Webb University
at
Charleston Southern
Runnin’ Bulldogs Open OVC Play at Charleston Southern in North-South BBQ Bowl
October 02, 2026 | Football
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Gardner-Webb football team opens Ohio Valley Conference play on Saturday as the Runnin' Bulldogs travel south to face Charleston Southern in the third edition of the North-South BBQ Bowl. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Buccaneer Field.
Gardner-Webb enters Saturday's contest at 1-4 on the season after suffering a heartbreaking 36-35 defeat at Marshall last Saturday. The Thundering Herd connected on a field goal with three seconds remaining to claim the victory in Huntington, West Virginia.
Despite the setback, the Runnin' Bulldogs turned in another strong performance against an FBS opponent, with the offense putting together one of its best showings of the season.
OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS
SCOUTING CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
GAME INFORMATION
Gardner-Webb enters Saturday's contest at 1-4 on the season after suffering a heartbreaking 36-35 defeat at Marshall last Saturday. The Thundering Herd connected on a field goal with three seconds remaining to claim the victory in Huntington, West Virginia.
Despite the setback, the Runnin' Bulldogs turned in another strong performance against an FBS opponent, with the offense putting together one of its best showings of the season.
OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS
- Giovanni Adopte led the way for Gardner-Webb against Marshall, recording a career-high 179 receiving yards on seven catches with two touchdowns. His performance earned him OVC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
- Quarterback Cole Pennington also delivered a strong performance in his return to Marshall, throwing for 298 yards and four touchdowns. Through five games this season, Pennington leads all FCS quarterbacks in passing with 1,483 yards to go along with seven touchdowns.
- Kory Jones also found the end zone twice against the Thundering Herd, ending a stretch without a touchdown for the Runnin' Bulldogs' standout.
- Gardner-Webb's defense recorded four sacks for the second consecutive game and continued its recent run of creating turnovers and finding the end zone.
- Trey Weems forced a fumble against Marshall that was recovered by Ruben Tshilombo, who returned the loose ball 36 yards for a touchdown. The defensive score marked the third consecutive game in which the Runnin' Bulldogs have scored a touchdown on defense.
- Weems was named OVC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, giving Gardner-Webb two conference Players of the Week for the second consecutive week.
- Saturday marks the 24th meeting between Gardner-Webb and Charleston Southern, with the Runnin' Bulldogs holding a 14-9 advantage in the all-time series. Gardner-Webb has won each of the last four meetings between the two programs.
- The Runnin' Bulldogs earned a dramatic 30-27 victory over the Buccaneers last season at Spangler Stadium, winning the game on a field goal in the closing moments.
- The last two meetings between the teams at Buccaneer Field have also been decided by close margins, with Gardner-Webb earning a 17-14 victory in the most recent contest in Charleston.
- Saturday's matchup is also the third edition of the North-South BBQ Bowl. Beginning in 2024, the winning team takes home a trophy featuring a hog, with a placard engraved with the winning team and score from that season's contest.
- The stakes extend beyond the trophy, however, as the losing team is tasked with supplying a barbecue feast for the winning side. The victors get to choose between North Carolina-style Western BBQ or South Carolina-style barbecue.
SCOUTING CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
- Charleston Southern enters Saturday's contest with a 2-2 overall record and a 0-1 mark in OVC play. The Buccaneers opened conference play with a 20-17 loss to Lindenwood in the season opener but enter Saturday's matchup riding a two-game winning streak.
- CSU is coming off a bye week after its most recent outing, a dominant 65-0 victory over Point University on Sept. 19. The Buccaneers rushed for 348 yards in the victory, led by Hakeem Waters, who carried the ball just seven times for 123 yards and three touchdowns.
- Saturday's matchup will mark Gardner-Webb's first OVC contest of the season and the latest chapter in a rivalry that has featured several close finishes in recent years.
GAME INFORMATION
- Opponent: Charleston Southern
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
- Time: 6 p.m.
- Location: Buccaneer Field | Charleston, S.C.
- Series: Gardner-Webb leads, 14-9
- Last Meeting: Gardner-Webb 30, Charleston Southern 27 (2025)
Players Mentioned
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