North Carolina’s FCS football weekend belonged to Gardner-Webb. The Bulldogs flipped the script from a year ago, when they were haunted by close losses, by pulling off one of the biggest comebacks in school history.
Down 35-7 in the first half at nationally ranked Western Carolina, Gardner-Webb stormed back behind Liberty transfer quarterback Nate Hampton, who accounted for six touchdowns in a stunning 52-45 victory.
Elsewhere, it was a tough weekend for the rest of the state, though with encouraging signs in several places.
Elon went toe-to-toe with Duke for three quarters before fading late, and Campbell led No. 9 Rhode Island at halftime before the Rams rallied.
Davidson couldn’t get its new-look offense untracked in a lopsided loss to Georgetown, while North Carolina A&T showed progress under new coach Shawn Gibbs but fell just short at Tennessee State. North Carolina Central, fresh off a strong Week 0 win over Southern, was slowed by big plays in a 27-10 loss to New Hampshire.
All told, Gardner-Webb was the lone NC FCS team to emerge with a win in Week 1 — and they did it in unforgettable fashion.
𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗡𝗢 𝗗𝗢𝗨𝗕𝗧. The 6⃣th TD of the night (4 rushing, 2 passing) for @Nate_Hampton10 cements the @GWUFootball comeback against nationally-ranked Western Carolina. #OVCBigSouthFB | #SkoDawgs pic.twitter.com/Ztb47fuv64
— OVC-Big South Football Association (@OVCBigSouthFB) August 31, 2025
🏟️ North Carolina FCS Scoreboard | Aug. 28–30
- Gardner-Webb 52, Western Carolina 45
- Georgetown 51, Davidson 14
- Tennessee State 24, North Carolina A&T 21
- New Hampshire 27, North Carolina Central 10
- Rhode Island 31, Campbell 20 (Friday)
- Duke 45, Elon 17 (Thursday)
🏈 Game of the Week: Gardner-Webb 52, Western Carolina 45
- Flipping the script: Gardner-Webb spent much of 2024 falling just short in close games (1-point losses to Charlotte and Wofford, narrow defeats at James Madison and SEMO). Not this time — the Bulldogs erased a 28-point first-half hole to win 52-45 at No. 18 Western Carolina.
- Nate Hampton show: The Liberty transfer quarterback accounted for six total TDs, throwing for 263 yards and 2 scores while rushing 28 times for 130 yards and 4 more TDs.
- Playmakers everywhere:
- WR Chris Lofton: 3 catches, 102 yards.
- WR Anthony Lowe: 5 catches, 80 yards, 2 TDs.
- RB Quasean Holmes: 13 carries, 116 yards, 1 TD — including a 65-yarder for GWU’s opening score.
- Closing strength: Hampton’s 26-yard TD run with 1:48 left sealed the win, capping a 45-7 run after trailing 35-7. Gardner-Webb had just picked off a WCU pass to set up the score.
- WCU shorthanded: Preseason All-American QB Taron Dickens did not play (announced as “inactive/unavailable” on the ESPN+ broadcast). Backup Bennett Judy threw for 151 yards and 2 TDs. RB Patrick Boyd Jr. ran for 142 yards and a 70-yard TD. LB Hayward McQueen Jr. posted 15 tackles.
- Turnover battle: Western lost 2 fumbles and Judy tossed a pick, opening the door for GWU’s rally.
- Statement made: From being unable to finish last year, Gardner-Webb is suddenly the early darling of NC FCS football.
🏈 Key Takeaways From Around The State
NC A&T at Tennessee State
- The Aggies nearly pulled off a road win in coach Shawn Gibbs’ return to Aggieland. They led 14-10 at halftime and had a chance to tie in the final seconds before missing a 38-yard FG.
- RB Wesley Graves sparked A&T with a 40-yard TD run.
- QB Braxton Thomas connected on a 66-yard scoring pass to Amonte Jones in the fourth.
- A narrow loss, but a competitive showing for an A&T team coming off a 1-11 season in 2024.
New Hampshire at North Carolina Central
- Slow start stings: After tying Southern last week for Team of the Week honors, the Eagles fell behind 10-0 in the second quarter and never fully recovered in a 27-10 home loss.
- Big-play strike: QB Walker Harris connected with Mehki Wall for a 65-yard touchdown late in the 3rd quarter, trimming the deficit to 24-10, but it was the only time NCCU reached the end zone.
- Mosley stays consistent: RB Chris Mosley notched his second straight 100-yard game (19 carries, 106 yards, 5.6 avg.), following up his 174-yard performance vs Southern.
- Turnovers & miscues: Harris threw one interception and the Eagles gave up three sacks, stalling multiple drives.
- UNH efficiency: QB Matt Vezza threw for 186 yards and 2 TDs, including a 65-yarder to Peyton Strickland, and added a rushing score. The Wildcats also hit two field goals to control the game flow.
Campbell at No. 9 Rhode Island
- The Camels led at halftime (17-14) and still had a 20-17 edge entering the fourth before URI closed with 14 unanswered.
- Coach Braxton Harris’s promise of multiple quarterbacks paid off: Mike Chandler II (rushing TD) and Kamden Sixkiller (passing TD) both scored. Will be interesting to see if one wins the job or the Camels roll with both.
- K Alex Crabb nailed field goals from 29 and 40 yards, keeping Campbell in front early in the third.
- Also a lot of positive vibes for Campbell football coming out of this one despite the “L” in the final ledger.
Davidson vs Georgetown
- Tough debut for new head coach Saj Thakkar as Davidson fell behind 20-7 early and never recovered. Georgetown is now a scholarship program playing in the ever-improving Patriot League.
- Preseason All-American RB Mari Adams was bottled up (5 carries, 15 yards).
- QB Coulter Cleland provided most of the offense: 128 passing yards and two total TDs, plus a team-high 57 rushing yards.
- Georgetown’s Savion Hart was unstoppable: 201 yards of offense, including TD plays of 69, 27 and 73 yards.
Elon at Duke
- Elon belonged in the fight, taking a 10-10 tie into halftime and trailing by just a TD early in the fourth before Duke pulled away late.
- QB Landen Clark showed dual-threat potential, leading the Phoenix in rushing (61 yards) and adding 101 passing yards.
- RB TJ Thomas Jr. returned from injury with 95 all-purpose yards, highlighted by a 44-yard run.
- All is all a positive night despite the lopsided final margin.
NO QUIT.
Landen Backey sweeps it in for six on 4th down!
📺 » ACCNX#PhoenixRising | #AED pic.twitter.com/Ck4mFD5ziI — Elon Football (@ElonFootball) August 29, 2025
📊 Stat Stuffers
- Nate Hampton (GWU): 393 total yards (263 pass, 130 rush), 6 TDs in comeback win at WCU.
- Quasean Holmes (GWU): 116 rushing yards, 65-yard TD run.
- Chris Lofton (GWU): 102 receiving yards on 3 catches.
- Anthony Lowe (GWU): 80 receiving yards, 2 TDs.
- Patrick Boyd Jr. (WCU): 142 rushing yards, 70-yard TD run.
- Hayward McQueen Jr. (WCU): 15 tackles, 8 solo, 1 TFL.
- Chris Mosley (NCCU): 106 rushing yards (2nd straight 100-yard game).
- Mehki Wall (NCCU): 65-yard TD catch.
- Matt Vezza (UNH): 186 pass yards, 3 total TDs vs NCCU.
- Savion Hart (Georgetown): 201 total yards, 3 TDs vs Davidson.
- Landen Clark (Elon): 162 total yards, led Phoenix in rushing (61) and passing (101).
- TJ Thomas Jr. (Elon): 95 all-purpose yards in return from injury.
- DJ James-Hamilton (Elon): Career-high 11 tackles vs Duke.
- Jeff Yurk (Elon): Averaged 49.8 yards on 5 punts.
📝 Special Notes
- Both Campbell and Elon led nationally ranked opponents in the second half before depth swung the game. Western Carolina likely will fall out of the rankings with Saturday’s defeat.
- Davidson’s new offense under Thakkar never got a chance to show itself after the Wildcats fell behind behind early.
- NC A&T looked much improved from last year’s struggles, showing explosive play potential. Tennessee State was a playoff team last season
🔮 Looking Ahead (Week 2)
- Campbell at East Carolina (Sept. 6) – Camels’ schedule, one of the toughest in FCS, doesn’t get easier with a trip to ECU.
- Elon vs Davidson (Sept. 6) – An in-state clash that should give us a better read on both teams.
- Western Carolina at Wake Forest (Sept. 6) – We still think Catamounts can end losing skid vs. FBS teams, but how will collapse affecting team’s mentality?
- North Carolina A&T at UCF (Sept. 6) – The Aggies go from playing in an NFL stadium to facing an FBS opponent from the Big 12. Welcome back, coach Gibbs.
- North Carolina Central at Old Dominion (Sept. 6) – Eagles will play the first of two opponents from Norfolk.
- Gardner-Webb at Georgia Tech – GWU nearly beat Yellow Jackets in program’s only other meeting. This match-up suddenly looks a lot more interesting.
