Runnin' into the history books: Gardner-Webb football wins Big South, earn FCS playoff bid
BOILING SPRINGS — Gardner-Webb football is bound for the FCS playoffs.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs ran for 240 yards and four touchdowns Saturday, capturing the Big South football title with a 38-17 win over North Carolina A&T.
It is Gardner-Webb’s first Big South title since 2003 and the program’s first automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The Runnin’ Bulldogs last qualified for postseason play in 1992, when they played for the NAIA title.
“It means a lot that we are going to be able to keep playing,” Gardner-Webb redshirt senior quarterback Bailey Fisher said. “The backs and (offensive line) made my job easy. I just had to turn and hand the ball off.”
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Added Gardner-Webb center Gabe Thompson: “It felt good to dominate up front. We had a good scheme coming in and we felt like we could open holes for whoever was in the backfield.”
The Runnin’ Bulldogs’ big day on the ground offset a career day for Burns product Zach Leslie, who scored the game’s first touchdown. He finished with six catches for 104 yards and the aforementioned TD.
Gardner-Webb controlled much of the game from thereon.
After North Carolina A&T’s Bhayshul Tuten’s touchdown to give the visitors a 14-10 lead, Gardner-Webb reeled off the next 21 straight points. Narii Gaither rushed for two touchdowns, with freshman Jayden Brown running for a 19-yard TD to give the Runnin’ Bulldogs a 31-14 lead with just over six minutes left in the third quarter.
“They came out blitzing and getting too much pressure on our quarterback,” Gardner-Webb head coach Tre Lamb said. “That wasn’t going to work so we just decided to run the ball down their throats.”
Sophomore Raquan Ousley led the defensive effort with eight tackles, three pass breakups, a fumble recovery and an interception.
“It was a challenge,” Ousley said. “We knew that we were going to have to play well in the back because their running back is so good. We played extra guys in the box. They made a couple of big catches, but I think for the most part, we did great in those one-on-one matchups.”
As the final seconds ticked off the clock and the smoke from the fireworks cleared, most of the 7,100 fans in attendance rose as one to cheer on the Runnin’ Bulldogs.
“That’s the most people we have had and the best atmosphere since I have been here,” Lamb said. “It felt like a big-time college football game, and it was.”
Gardner-Webb will host an FCS Selection Show watch party Sunday as the program eagerly anticipates word of its first-round opponent. Open to the public, the event begins at noon at the Tucker Student Center on campus.
“All you have to do is get in the dance,” Lamb said. “I feel like we will be a tough out. We are a good football team and we are going to see how far we can go.”
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Gardner-Webb football claims Big South, first-ever FCS playoff berth
