Bridger Jones kicked a 45-yard field goal with 5:50 to play, lifting Wofford to a 21-20 victory over Gardner-Webb on Thursday night in Boiling Springs.
The win spoiled the Bulldogs’ season opener and snapped their seven-game home winning streak.
Gardner-Webb, under new head coach Cris Reisert, led 20-11 entering the final quarter, but Wofford mounted a comeback, blocking a 31-yard field goal attempt and scoring the final 10 points of the game.
The loss comes after Gardner-Webb’s championship run in the Big South/OVC Football Association last year.
Gardner-Webb got on the board first with a 44-yard field goal by Jay Billingsley early in the first quarter. The Bulldogs regained the lead in the second quarter when Tyler Ridell connected with Giovanni Adopte on a 22-yard touchdown pass, capping off an eight-play, 67-yard drive.
Billingsley added a 35-yard field goal just before halftime to give Gardner-Webb a 13-11 lead.
In the third quarter, Edward Saydee extended the Bulldogs’ lead to 20-11 with a 32-yard touchdown run on the first play of the drive following a Wofford turnover. However, Gardner-Webb’s offense stalled in the final quarter, unable to add to their lead. Wofford converted a late fourth-down to preserve the victory.
Gardner-Webb’s top performers:
- Tyler Ridell: 18/28 passing, 238 yards, 1 TD
- Edward Saydee: 10 carries, 46 yards, 1 TD
- Ze’Vian Capers: 6 receptions, 73 yards
- Pius Njenge: 9 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sack
Gardner-Webb will travel to face James Madison from the Sun Belt Conference next Saturday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m.
Information for this game recap was compiled with the help of ChatGPT. All stories are edited by real humans. Have feedback? Send us an email: eric@ncfootballnews.com.
