2022 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team
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.
| 2022 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football | |
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Big South champion | |
NCAA Division I Second Round, L 14–54 at William & Mary | |
| Conference | Big South Conference |
| Record | 7–6 (5–0 Big South) |
| Head coach |
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| Defensive coordinator | Josh Reardon (3rd season) |
| Home stadium | Ernest W. Spangler Stadium (capacity: 9,000) |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gardner–Webb $^ | 5 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Carolina A&T | 4 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Campbell | 2 | – | 3 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bryant | 2 | – | 3 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Charleston Southern | 2 | – | 3 | 2 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Robert Morris | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1 | 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* |
| 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. | Bryant |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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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
| Period | 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 |
|---|
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| 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 Wiiliam & Mary – second round
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| No. 6 Tribe | 7 | 27 | 13 | 7 | 54 |
References
- "Gardner-Webb Wins 2022 Big South Football Championship". Big South Conference. November 19, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
- "Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs Schedule 2022". ESPN. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
- "2022 Football Schedule". Gardner–Webb University. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
