2014 Football Preview: Gardner-Webb

This article is part of a series previewing the Terriers' 2014 football opponents.  The Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs serve as Wofford's final opponent before emerging into SoCon action.

For the third straight year, the Terriers will face the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs out of the Big South.  Last season's Bulldogs finished with a solid 7-5(2-3 Big South) record.

Included within those seven wins is a game Terrier fans would like to forget. On September 21, GWU defeated Wofford 3-0, on a late field goal in a deluge of rain.  Prior to this, Wofford's last time being shut out was on November 5, 2005, a 24-0 loss to Western Carolina in Cullowhee.  The last time they were shut out in Spartanburg, however, was against Davidson, way back in 1987, the season before Mike Ayers began his Terrier head coaching career.

In 2012, Wofford defeated the Runnin' Bulldogs 34-7 at their home, Spangler Stadium (Boiling Springs, NC) to kick off the season.

Gardner-Webb's 2013 Season

The Bulldogs, led by first-year coach Caroll McCray, defeated Furman by a touchdown to kick off the 2013 season.  They rebounded from the subsequent 55-0 thumping by FBS Marshall to win three straight games, including the aforementioned Wofford game, which was sandwiched by home wins against Richmond(12-10) and NAIA Point University(55-7).  A tough 53-51 loss to Charlotte and losses to Coastal Carolina(42-7) and Liberty(24-0) closed out the October slate. Another win against an NAIA school, this time against Warner(51-14) and a 27-9 loss to new SoCon member VMI followed.  Two conference wins, vs. Charleston Southern and Presbyterian, finished the season to give GWU a fourth-place finish in the Big South.

The Game

This game, on September 20 in Boiling Springs, NC, will serve as the Terriers' final "tune-up" before entering SoCon play.  However, the Runnin' Bulldogs are not an opponent to be taken lightly.  This should be a tough, physical game, and hopefully, there will be no rain in the forecast.