BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Presbyterian College football team locked down Gardner-Webb on Saturday afternoon and used touchdowns from Ed Britt (Greensboro, N.C.) and Darrell Bridges (Rossville, Ga.) to knock off the Runnin' Bulldogs for a season-ending win, 14-7.
PC finishes the regular season at 6-5 overall and 3-2 in the Big South Conference, the program's first winning season since 2007 and its first ever in the Big South. Gardner-Webb moves to 4-7 on the year, 0-4 in the Big South and will travel to Monmouth on Saturday for a noon kickoff.
The Blue Hose held Gardner-Webb to 206 yards of offense and only 37 on the ground, the fewest yards allowed in a PC Division I game. PC broke a scoreless tie late in the second quarter when DaRon Dickey (Greenville, S.C.) blocked a 28-yard field goal attempt that Ed Britt ran back 80 yards for a touchdown. Bridges added a seven-yard insurance touchdown that held up as the game-winner when Gardner-Webb's Kenny Cook scored one of his own with 4:39 left in the game. Cory White (Anderson, S.C.) picked off a fourth-down desperation pass on Gardner-Webb's final drive to seal the win.
Isaiah Lynn (Fort Lawn, S.C.) tied a PC Division I record with three sacks in the game, part of a defensive unit that tallied seven on the day—the second-most in PC's Division I history. The team also posted 10.0 tackles for a loss, the fourth-most in the Division I era. Donelle Williams (Starke, Fla.) and Britt led PC with nine tackles each.
Bridges paced PC offensively, rushing 24 times for 135 yards and a touchdown. Tobi Antigha (Tampa, Fla.) tied a game high with five receptions and gained 38 yards. Jordan Hallums (Mauldin, S.C.) also posted 38 yards on three catches. Heys McMath (Savannah, Ga.) went 11-for-20 for 104 yards and two interceptions while Gardner-Webb's Lucas Beatty went 15-for-29 with 166 yards, an interception and a touchdown. Backup QB Tyrell Maxwell led the Runnin' Bulldogs on the ground with five rushes for 35 yards.
The two teams combined for 17 punts, with 10 coming from the foot of Gardner-Webb's Andrew Komornik as PC forced eight three-and-outs.
Each team punted twice before PC put together the most promising drive early on. The Blue Hose crossed to Gardner-Webb territory—thanks to 18-yard plays from Hallums and Demarcus Rouse (North Augusta, S.C.)—but an interception gave the ball back to the Runnin' Bulldogs on the visitors' 31 midway through the first quarter. PC answered the task, forcing one of six Gardner-Webb punts in the opening half.
The Blue Hose held Gardner-Webb to -1 rushing yard in the first quarter and Donelle Williams and Ugonna Akoh (Athens, Ga.) each came up with third-down sacks in the first half.
PC broke through shortly before halftime for the game's first score. After PC fumble helped Gardner-Webb eventually move to the PC 11, the Blue Hose defense forced a field goal that DaRon Dickey blocked completely. Ed Britt scooped up the loose ball and ran 80 yards into the end zone for his third touchdown of the season and a 7-0 PC lead with 3:58 left. With the play, Britt scored touchdowns this season via fumble return, interception return and blocked field goal return.
The Blue Hose threatened on the half's last drive. Bridges broke off a 55-yard run to put PC inside Gardner-Webb territory, but PC could not convert before the half ended. PC forced six Gardner-Webb punts in the first half, posted seven tackles for a loss and outgained the home team 147-78.
PC survived another lost fumble in its own end early in the third quarter by holding Gardner-Webb to another three-and-out.
The defense continued to hold the Runnin' Bulldogs at bay in the second half. Lynn and Khari Rosier (Lithonia, Ga.) each delivered a sack on third down that allowed PC to eventually take the lead when the Blue Hose struck again early in the fourth quarter. PC assembled a workmanlike 10-play, 52-yard drive that spanned 4:33 and ended with Bridges punching in a seven-yard run to make it 14-0 PC with 9:09 to go.
Gardner-Webb answered quickly with a score on the next drive. The Runnin' Bulldogs used a 37-yard pass to Kalay Jones to reach the red zone and set up an 11-yard touchdown strike to Kenny Cook. The play cut PC's lead in half, 14-7, with 4:39 left in the game.
From there, the Runnin' Bulldogs had one more drive to tie the game after Stephen Doar (Landrum, S.C.) boomed a 64-yard punt for a touchback. Juanne Blount caught a 43-yard pass to nearly reach field goal range but an illegal formation call wiped out a 30-yard pass to Seth Cranfill. The defense continued to harass Beatty into incompletions before White hauled in a long fourth down pass for an interception. With 1:47 left and one Gardner-Webb timeout, Bridges eventually picked up a first down and iced the win for PC.
Rouse chipped in 42 rushing yards on five carries for PC.
