Gardner-Webb won the right to keep the North-South BBQ Bowl trophy for another year, while star defensive end Tre Yanez won national and conference honors for his individual efforts against Charleston Southern.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs clipped the Buccaneers 12-10 on Saturday night on the road, getting the winning points on a safety by Tye Holsey with 5:56 left.
Yanez, a junior linebacker, earned Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week honors. He also was named the Ohio Valley Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week.
Yanez helped spearhead a menacing defensive effort by the Runnin’ Bulldogs. He earned 13 tackles, logged 2.5 tackles-for-loss and had one sack. It was Yanez’s fifth time this season out of six games garnering 10+ tackles.
Yanez ranks on the national FCS leaderboard in three categories after Week 5: fourth in tackles-for-loss per game (1.8), sixth in tackles per game (11.2) and 11th in sacks per game (0.8).
Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week Congratulations to Gardner-Webb LB Tre Yanez. FCS Week 5 Awards: https://t.co/eu6wiqZNFj https://t.co/llvshVuKLR — Opta FCS Football (@OptaAnalystFCS) October 5, 2026
As a team, Gardner-Webb limited Charleston Southern to 178 total yards, its lowest output of the season. The Buccaneers did not convert a single third down on 12 tries.
Gardner-Webb defensive lineman Zalen Watkins picked up OVC Rookie of the Week recognition. He had six tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, one sack and two quarterback hurries. Watkins and Holsey teamed up for a key stop near the goal-line in the second quarter, keeping CSU off the scoreboard.
Gardner-Webb improved to 2-4 overall with Saturday’s win, 1-0 in OVC play. The North-South BBQ Bowl trophy is given annually to the winner of the GWU-CSU game. The Bulldogs won the 2025 meeting as well.
Gardner-Webb tied Saturday’s game 10-10 early in the fourth quarter after a 12-play, 72-yard march. Cole Pennington hit Brian Green Jr. on a nine-yard touchdown pass. Tyler Simpson, who kicked a 19-yard field goal in the second quarter, provided the PAT.
A 53-yard Aiden Bonde punt to the Charleston Southern 1-yard line set up what would be the winning defensive play in the fourth quarter. On the next snap, Lek Powell was stacked up in the end zone by Holsey, making the game 12-10.
Charleston Southern’s final drive ended on downs at its own 34.
Gardner-Webb, which has played five of its first six games on the road, will return home to Spangler Stadium on Saturday. The Bulldogs will host OVC foe Eastern Illinois at 3:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
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- Gardner-Webb Football Schedule
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