The 2022 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team represented Gardner–Webb University as a member of the Big South Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by third-year head coach Tre Lamb, the Runnin' Bulldogs played their home games at the Ernest W. Spangler Stadium in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.
Three milestones were reached for the program this season. For the first time since 2003, Gardner-Webb won the Big South championship. With it, they clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship, their first playoff appearance as an FCS team and first as a program since the 1992 NAIA playoffs.[1] Their best season in 19 years would be further added on with a win over Eastern Kentucky in the first round of the playoffs, their first FCS playoff win in program history. They would ultimately fall to William & Mary in the second round.
Schedule
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|
| 7:00 p.m. | Limestone* | | ESPN+ | W 56–21 | 4,560 |
September 10 | 6:00 p.m. | at Coastal Carolina* | | ESPN+ | L 27–31 | 12,261 |
September 17 | 6:00 p.m. | at Elon* | | FloSports | L 24–30 | 8,126 |
September 24 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 17 Mercer* | - Ernest W. Spangler Stadium
- Boiling Springs, NC
| ESPN+ | L 14–45 | 4,750 |
October 1 | 3:30 p.m. | at Marshall* | | ESPN+ | L 7–28 | 19,845 |
October 8 | 12:00 p.m. | at Robert Morris | | ESPN3 | W 48–0 | 2,416 |
October 15 | 3:30 p.m. | at Liberty* | | ESPN+ | L 20–21 | 20,924 |
October 22 | 6:00 p.m. | at Charleston Southern | | ESPN3 | W 28–14 | 4,112 |
October 29 | 1:30 p.m. | Bryantdagger | - Ernest W. Spangler Stadium
- Boiling Springs, NC
| ESPN+ | W 48–40 | 3,060 |
November 12 | 1:00 p.m. | at Campbell | | ESPN3 | W 42–35 | 4,586 |
November 19 | 1:30 p.m. | North Carolina A&T | - Ernest W. Spangler Stadium
- Boiling Springs, NC
| ESPN+ | W 38–17 | 268 |
November 26 | 5:00 p.m. | at Eastern Kentucky* | | ESPN+ | W 52–41 | 4,973 |
December 3 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 6 William & Mary* | | ESPN+ | L 14–54 | 7,110 |
|
[2][3]
Game summaries
Limestone
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Saints
|
0
|
7
|
7
|
7 |
21 |
Runnin' Bulldogs
|
28
|
14
|
14
|
0 |
56 |
At Coastal Carolina
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Runnin' Bulldogs
|
0
|
10
|
10
|
7 |
27 |
Chanticleers
|
3
|
14
|
7
|
7 |
31 |
At Elon
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Runnin' Bulldogs
|
3
|
21
|
0
|
0 |
24 |
Phoenix
|
13
|
7
|
7
|
3 |
30 |
No. 17 Mercer
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
No. 17 Bears
|
21
|
7
|
7
|
10 |
45 |
Runnin' Bulldogs
|
0
|
7
|
7
|
0 |
14 |
At Marshall
Game Five – Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (1–3) at Marshall Thundering Herd (2–2)
Quarter |
1 |
2 |
3 | 4 | Total |
Runnin' Bulldogs |
7 |
0 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
Thundering Herd |
7 |
7 |
7 | 7 | 28 |
at Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, West Virginia
- Date: Saturday, October 1, 2022
- Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Rain • Temperature: 54 °F (12 °C) • Wind: N/A
- Game attendance: 19,845
- Referee: Scott Jackson
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Chad Bush (play-by-play), Doug Chapman (analyst)
- Pregame line: Marshall –31.0
Game information
|
- First quarter
- (9:30) MRSH – A.J. Turner 24 yard pass from Henry Colombi, Rece Verhoff kick (Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 2:40; Marshall 7–0)
- (3:03) GWU – Ty Anderson 45 yard interception return, Jay Billingsly kick (Tied 7–7)
- Second quarter
- (5:48) MRSH – Corey Gammage 10 yard pass from Henry Colombi, Rece Verhoff kick (Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 2:59; Marshall 14–7)
- Third quarter
- (11:09) MRSH – Khalan Laborn 1 yard run, Rece Verhoff kick (Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 3:13; Marshall 21–7)
- Fourth quarter
- (8:11) MRSH – Khalan Laborn 78 yard run, Rece Verhoff kick (Drive: 1 play, 78 yards, 0:12; Marshall 28-7)
|
Statistics
|
GWU
|
MRSH
|
First downs |
8 |
21
|
Plays–yards |
51–143 |
86–421
|
Rushes–yards |
19–19 |
53–236
|
Passing yards |
124 |
185
|
Passing: comp–att–int |
11–32–3 |
21–33–1
|
Time of possession |
21:34 |
38:26
|
Team |
Category |
Player |
Statistics
|
Gardner–Webb
|
Passing |
Bailey Fisher |
9/28, 114 yards, 3 INT
|
Rushing |
Donovan Jones |
4 carries, 37 yards
|
Receiving |
Deland Thomas |
2 receptions, 49 yards
|
Marshall
|
Passing |
Henry Colombi |
13/20, 138 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
|
Rushing |
Khalan Laborn |
35 carries, 191 yards, 2 TD
|
Receiving |
Charles Montgomery |
5 receptions, 72 yards
|
At Robert Morris
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Runnin' Bulldogs
|
7
|
13
|
14
|
14 |
48 |
Colonials
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
0 |
At Liberty
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Runnin' Bulldogs
|
0
|
10
|
7
|
3 |
20 |
Flames
|
7
|
7
|
0
|
7 |
21 |
At Charleston Southern
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Runnin’ Bulldogs
|
3
|
10
|
15
|
0 |
28 |
Buccaneers
|
7
|
0
|
7
|
0 |
14 |
Bryant
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Bulldogs
|
14
|
9
|
6
|
11 |
40 |
Runnin' Bulldogs
|
14
|
14
|
14
|
6 |
48 |
At Campbell
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Runnin' Bulldogs
|
14
|
21
|
7
|
0 |
42 |
Fighting Camels
|
0
|
14
|
14
|
7 |
35 |
North Carolina A&T
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Aggies
|
7
|
7
|
3
|
0 |
17 |
Runnin' Bulldogs
|
3
|
21
|
7
|
7 |
38 |
FCS Playoffs
At Eastern Kentucky – first round
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Runnin' Bulldogs
|
21
|
10
|
21
|
0 |
52 |
Colonels
|
14
|
13
|
0
|
14 |
41 |
At No. 6 William & Mary – second round
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4 |
Total |
Runnin' Bulldogs
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
7 |
14 |
No. 6 Tribe
|
7
|
27
|
13
|
7 |
54 |
References
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