The famous BBQ Bowl trophy stays in the small town of Boiling Springs, NC, as the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs steal a win against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers in Charleston. On a miserable and rainy day, a defensive thriller unfolded that true football fans love to see. Here’s the breakdown of this intense rivalry matchup.
Charleston Southern Buccaneers
The Buccaneers did everything they could to win this game. Their most successful attack came through the ground game. RB Hakeem Watters ran for 102 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He was simply unstoppable throughout the game. However, the problem lay in the passing game.
On crucial passing downs, this team was incapable of producing anything positive. QB Lek Powell went 9/17 for only 33 yards and no touchdowns on the night. He was also sacked five times. With rain being a factor, the performance is somewhat understandable. However, if your goal as a team is to win games, this performance is completely unacceptable.
The defense was effective as a unit, with no standout player. The Buccaneers recorded no sacks and only one interception. However, they did force and recover a fumble, and their red-zone defense was simply impeccable. Overall, this team fought valiantly but to no avail. Weather will always be an obstacle, but it can never be an excuse.
Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs
What a gritty and nasty win amid the elements! The offensive side of the ball did just enough to keep the Bulldogs in this game. QB Cole Pennington went 27/47 for 197 yards and a touchdown. It was an inefficient performance, but he ultimately got the yards when it mattered.
Although RB Christian Vann had a fumble, the rushing game was nothing special. However, it opened up the passing game just enough to make the offense effective.
The bright spot for this team was on the defensive side of the ball. As mentioned earlier, the Bulldogs recorded five sacks, each by a different player. The headliner of this defense was once again Tre Yanez. He led the game in tackles, had a sack of his own, and recorded two and a half tackles for loss.
One of the most improbable ways to win a football game is on the back of a safety. After getting the crucial safety, the Bulldogs stopped the Buccaneers on fourth down and never looked back. Incredible goal-line defense and a just-good-enough offense led this team to an unlikely and grimy victory.
