GARDNER-WEBB FOOTBALL GARDNER-WEBB ( 1-1 ) at WESTERN CAROLINA ( 1-0 ) Friday, September 14 | 6:00 PM ET | Boiling Springs, N.C
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GARDNER-WEBB FOOTBALL GARDNER-WEBB ( 1-1 ) at WESTERN CAROLINA ( 1-0 ) Friday, September 14 | 6:00 PM ET | Boiling Springs, N.C. | Spangler Stadium (8,500) 2017 SCHEDULE/RESULTS GAME INFORMATION TV / VIDEO: Date . .Friday, September 14 GWU RUNNIN’ BULLDOGS WCU CATAMOUNTS Date Opponent Time Result Start . 6:05 pm 2018 Record . 1-1, 0-0 Big South 2018 Record . .1-0, 0-0 SoCon 09/01 LIMESTONE (ESPN+) 6:00 PM W, 52-17 TV/Video: . .ESPN+ 2017 Record: . 1-10, 0-5 Big South 2017 Record . .7-5, 5-3 SoCon 09/08 at #5 North Carolina A&T (ESPN+) 6:00 PM L, 45-6 (Fabian Fuentes, Blake McCandless) Head Coach . .Carroll McCray Head Coach . .Mark Speir 09/14 WESTERN CAROLINA (ESPN+) 6:00 PM Alma Mater . Gardner-Webb ‘83 Alma Mater . .Clemson ‘90 Career Record . 38-76 Career Record . 27-43 09/22 at Appalachian State (ESPN+) 3:30 PM at GWU . 22-37 at WCU . 27-43 09/29 #8 WOFFORD (ESPN+) 6:00 PM Series . WCU Leads 5-2 SID . Marc Rabb SID . Daniel Hooker Last Meeting . WCU 42, GWU 27 Email . [email protected] Email . [email protected] 10/06 at East Tennessee State (ESPN+) 3:30 PM (September 16, 2017, Boiling Springs, NC) Web Site . gwusports.com Web Site . .catamountsports.com 10/13 #7 KENNESAW STATE * (ESPN3) 1:30 PM 10/27 at Campbell * (ESPN3) 4:00 PM RUNNIN’ BULLDOGS TO WATCH FRIDAY NIGHT 11/03 PRESBYTERIAN * (ESPN+) 1:30 PM 11/10 at Charleston Southern * (ESPN+) 3:00 PM NOTES: Team’s top returning tackler for the 11/17 MONMOUTH * (ESPN+) 1:30 PM COREY HORNE second season in a row ... Led team with 12 to- 6-1 | 225 | Sr. | MLB tal stops at No. 5 North Carolina A&T ... Ranks All Times Eastern And Subject To Change 39 Guyton, Ga. | South Effi ngham HS fi rst in the Big South Conference with 20 total * Big South Confererence game tackles through two weeks ... Team leader of Home Games BOLD/CAPS TT SOLO TFL SACK a very young defensive unit ... All-Big South Conference candidate. 20 15 - - NOTES: Converted safety and kickoff return ROBERT McKOY man in his fi rst season at linebacker ... Young- MEDIA INFORMATION 6-0 | 220 | R-So. | OLB er brother of former NC State and Green Bay Laurinburg, N.C. | Scotland County HS Packers linebacker Terrell Manning ... Former 35 Shrine Bowl cornerback at Scotland County Time To Dine: All Media are invited to attend Coach McCray’s weekly media luncheon on Tuesdays at The Bulldog Quik Snak in Boiling TT SOLO TFL SACK (N.C.) High ... Has great speed and agility for the position. Springs. Information will be provided, including game notes and first- 11 8 1.5 1.0 hand commentary by McCray, on upcoming game and the previous week’s action. For more information, call Marc Rabb at (704) 406-4355. JORDAN SMITH NOTES: Passed for a career-high 192 yards at No. 5 North Carolina A&T (9/8) ... Earned 6-1 | 211 | R-Fr. | QB starting nod following spring practice ... Split 9 Fruit Cove, Fla. | Bartram Trail HS equal time as a prep senior with quarterbacks GARDNER-WEBB ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS who signed with Auburn and Boise State ... CMP ATT YDS TD Mobile quarterback who has shown strong ac- curacy during redshirt season and preseason. Assistant Athletics Director, Media Relations: Marc Rabb 28 53 342 0 Offi ce: (704) 406-4355 Cell: (704) 974-3662 Email: [email protected] KYLE HORTON NOTES: Leads Big South and ranks among NCAA leaders with an average of 21.5 yards 5-11 | 178 | Sr. | WR/RS per punt return ... Runs the 40-yard dash in Graduate Assistant: Kraig Doremus 7 Charlotte, N.C. | Mallard Creek HS 4.37 seconds ... Led team with six catches for Offi ce: (704) 406-3981 96 yards at No. 5 North Carolina A&T (9/8) Cell: TBA NO YDS AVG TD ... Is the son of 1984 ACC Player of the Year and former NFL standout Ethan Horton (UNC). Email: [email protected] 8 107 13.4 0 Website: GWUSports.com | Twitter: @GWUFootball Instagram: gwufootball SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS (1-0) Western Carolina is well rested after an early bye week and will compete for the 2018 SoCon title with a strong returning group in Mark Speir’s seventh season .... All-America candidate Tyrie Adams returns as one of the nation’s most dynamic quarterbacks and is protected by a massive, and experienced offensive line ... All-SoCon running back Detrez Newsome graduated to the NFL, but Adams has plenty of talented weapons at his disposal ... Linebacker Mitchell Chancey (12 tackles), safety Devarius Cortner (11 tackles) and linebacker Jaquez Williams (11 tackles) each reached double fi gures tackling in the season opener vs. Newberry. 2018 GARDNER-WEBB FOOTBALL GAME NOTES CARROLL McCRAY HEAD COACH | 6th SEASON | GARDNER-WEBB ‘83 Gardner-Webb head coach Carroll McCray (Class of ‘83) enters his sixth season in charge of his alma mater’s football program in 2017, with his Runnin’ Bulldogs poised to make a push back to the top half of the Big South Conference. McCray will continue a rebuilding effort that he embarked upon in 2013, mixing an infusion of youthful talent with veteran experience in 2018. During his time at GWU, McCray has adjusted the culture quickly along with instilling pride into the program for which he once played. McCray’s teams have proven to be giant slayers during his time in Boiling Springs, knocking off five teams ranked in the top-15 since 2013, including last season’s Big South Conference champion and eighth-ranked Charleston Southern on November 5. In its eight seasons at the Division I level before McCray’s return to campus, Gardner-Webb had won just twice against top-25 opponents. Success off the field has continued to materialize, as GWU’s rise academically under McCray’s watch has been significant. Lucas Beatty earned FCS ADA Academic All-Star honors in 2014 and Tyler Hough-Jenkins was named Academic All-District III. The team’s cumulative THE McCRAY FILE GPA has been among the best in program history under McCray and the he has directed a staff that has been instrumental in drastically improving the team’s APR score. McCray’s initial season coaching his alma mater was a strong beginning. The Monroe, N.C., native directed GWU to a 7-5 record – its high- COACHING HISTORY est win total since 2003 – and a 3-1 record against nationally-ranked teams. GWU spent two weeks in the national top-25 and made strides in the classroom as well. Gardner-Webb had two men selected first-team Capital One Academic All-District III and Keon Williams was chosen to 2013-present. Gardner-Webb (HC) speak at spring commencement. Four others earned FCS All-America honors on the field. McCray came back to Boiling Springs in January, 2012 . North Greenville (HC) 2013, after spending the 2012 season as the head coach at North Greenville University. He has previous stops as associate head coach at Mercer and as head coach at Austin Peay. As an assistant, McCray has an outstanding track record with stops at Furman, Mississippi State, 2011 . Mercer (Assoc. HC) Samford, South Carolina and Appalachian State. McCray is the ninth head coach in Gardner-Webb’s senior college history. He is the first alumnus to serve as head coach of the Runnin’ Bulldogs since Woody Fish did so from 1984-1996. 2007-2010 . Furman (OL) Despite inheriting a team that returned just 11 starters at North Greenville, McCray molded the Crusaders into a competitive program by 2003-2006 . .Austin Peay (HC) season’s end in 2012. North Greenville won five of its final six games in 2012, including victories over South Atlantic Conference members Newberry, Brevard, Catawba and Wingate. 2001-2002 . .Mississippi State (OL) McCray got his start in coaching at Appalachian State in 1984, serving under Coach Sparky Woods as a graduate assistant coach 1994-2000 . Samford (OL) working with tight ends and tackles. After earning his master’s degree in 1985, McCray began a full-time stint under Woods, helping the Mountaineers to their first Southern Conference title in 32 years in 1986. In three seasons coaching the team’s outside linebackers, McCray 1989-1993 . South Carolina (OL/TE) saw Appalachian State post a 38-19-2 record, two SoCon titles and two top-10 finishes in the I-AA national polls. The Mountaineers also 1985-1987 . Appalachian State (OLB) made playoff appearances in 1986 and 1987 with a combined 20-5-1 record. McCray followed Woods to the University of South Carolina, coaching the Gamecocks offensive line, tight ends and H-Backs from 1989- 1984 . Appalachian State (GA) 1993. While in Columbia, McCray tutored future first-round draft pick Earnest Dye, and was part of a staff that helped the program transition to the Southeastern Conference. Dye became the program’s first All-SEC selection before being selected with the18th overall pick in the 1993 draft by the Cardinals. McCray pupils Calvin Stephens (Patriots, 1991), Corey Louchiey (Bills, 1994) and James Dexter (Cardinals, 1996) also went on to be drafted. HEAD COACHING LEDGER Following his time at South Carolina, McCray coached the offensive line at Samford from 1994-2000, helping the Bulldogs to winning records five times in his seven seasons with the program. In 2000, Samford rushed for a school-record 3,439 yards and 41 touchdowns. 2003 Austin Peay . 4-7 Offensive tackle Phillip Duplantis earned first-team Division I-AA All-Independents honors under McCray’s guidance in 1999.