2024 Week 13 - vs Gardner-Webb

[ST_Lawson]

  VS
Date: 11/23/2024
Time: 1 PM CT
Location: Hanson Field, Macomb, IL
TV: ESPN+
Current Weather Prediction: 43 degrees and partly cloudy with ~6 mph wind

GWU's Record: The Runnin' Bulldogs are 4-7 this season with a 3-4 conference record. They started the season losing a close game to Wofford (21-20), then had a couple of FBS losses that were pretty close as well...13-6 at James Madison, and 27-26 at Charlotte. They then traveled to non-scholarship Presbyterian, where they won 42-21. In the Big South/OVC, they lost to Tennessee Tech 52-21 and at UT Martin 35-17 before getting a homecoming win against Lindenwood, 42-35. They lost at SEMO (30-24) and won at Charleston Southern (17-14). They then had two more home games where they won against Eastern Illinois (31-28) and lost against Tennessee State (23-20).

History: We've never played Gardner-Webb in our team's history.

Players to Know:

• Senior QB Tyler Riddell throws for 212.64 ypg with 13 TDs and 10 INTs with a QB rating of 133.46.
• Top receiving targets include Senior WR Anthony Lowe (39.9 ypg and 3 TDs) and Junior TE Camden Overton (37 ypg with 1 TD).
• On the ground, Grad RB Edward Saydee has the most yards with a 62.55 ypg average and 5 TDs. Senior RB Quasean Holmes has 37.1 ypg with 4 TDs, and Sophomore RB Carson Gresock has only 36.6 ypg but 9 rushing TDs.
• Junior LB Trevor Moffitt leads the team with 64 tackles (29 solo) including 10.5 for loss, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries.
• Senior DL Antonio O'Berry leads the team in sacks with 6 (out of a 13 solo tackles) and has 8 QB hurries
• Junior Safety Wendell McClain leads the team with 2 interceptions. He also has 33 total tackles (17 solo).
• Senior Kicker Nick Bigelow averages 41.75 yards per punt with a long of 62, 22 out of 44 land inside the 20, and 8 are over 50 yards.

Local-ish Players on Their Roster:

• They have more players from Nigeria (Junior Safety Anthony Enechukwu) than they do from Illinois, so not really anyone local-ish.
• Senior DB Jeff Bowens was previously at Illinois State for a bit...but that's about it.

Predictions: Massey has us with a 38% chance of a win, with a predicted score of 37-31, so I'd say with a lucky bounce or two, we could absolutely be in this game. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse, but we have got to play better defense (maybe a dead horse would actually play better defense?). Our offense showed last week that they can put up points against even the best defense in the OVC (SEMO is #1 in points per game allowed), so I'm not worried on that front (Gardner-Webb is 6th in the conference).
But looking at what we allow defensively...the second worst team in the conference (EIU) allows 33.5 points per game on average. We allow 44.8. We're the only two teams that allow more than 29 points per game. GWU's run game is a bit better than SEMO's, but their passing game is middle-of-the-pack (SEMO is #1 and we're #2 in that category). GWU also leads the conference in kickoff yardage with 43.7 net yards per kick and are at #2 in punting yardage, so that will do a lot to help them out in the field position battle. They also lead the conference in sacks with 36.

If the defense is able to at least slow down GWU's run game a bit, I feel like we can win this one.

[meganeck]

I know our media coverage is pretty much non-existent and I don't expect him to throw anyone under the bus but has Davis commented on the defense at all this season?

[Western_101]

Sad to see what I presume to be Lamb's last year of eligibility squandered.

I was curious if there were personnel on the offensive side that could be converted to defense. Of course I know that really would need to happen in the off season. The D seems to be lacking mightily in players that are of legitimate D-I caliber.

One of my favorite NFL players was free safety the "Hit Man" Gary Fencik. He was a pretty amazing wide reciever in college. However in the NFL he was converted to D and boy was he fun to watch.

Anyway, I give the Leathernecks a 1% chance of winning Saturday. Obviously we know the Offense will have to put up over 40 points for there to be any chance. I will guess there will be less than 800 spectators wasting their Saturday freezing their butt's off to experience another sad outcome. 

Coach Davis could be looking at a 6-6/7-5  season if he had a defense that could allow less than 38 points per game. If I'm Coach Davis I'm sending my old college buddy packing after tomorrow (Hey, it's just buisness).
 

[NewNeck]

I know our media coverage is pretty much non-existent and I don't expect him to throw anyone under the bus but has Davis commented on the defense at all this season?

 

Between the Prairie State Pigskin weekly features/previews and the weekly OVC/Big South Media sessions I'd say our media coverage is as good as it's been in the last 7-8 years actually.  He has made multiple mentions of our defensive struggles.

[meganeck]

I know our media coverage is pretty much non-existent and I don't expect him to throw anyone under the bus but has Davis commented on the defense at all this season?


 

Between the Prairie State Pigskin weekly features/previews and the weekly OVC/Big South Media sessions I'd say our media coverage is as good as it's been in the last 7-8 years actually.  He has made multiple mentions of our defensive struggles.

 

Thats true Prairie State Pigskin does do a good job, I don't know if I would say the last 7-8 years, Scott Holland did a good job I thought when he was at the paper. Anyway glad he has talked about it.
 

[sealhall74]

We just do not have the quickness at all levels to compete defensively.  It was obvious in Dekalb and nothing could be done to fix it.

[Necks2003]

Why did they say this is likely Lamb's last game at WIU? Is he transferring?

[sealhall74]

Why did they say this is likely Lamb's last game at WIU? Is he transferring?


 

College of the Sequoias is a 2 year college but his bio on our site says he spent 3 years there.  If that 3 is a mistake and should be 2, he may have another year of eligibiity left because of COVID.  Who knows?  Would love to have him back.
 

[leatherneckcountry]

What was the point in declining the penalty 
 

[leatherneckcountry]

Great way to end the season gotta love the direction of the program 4 wins is much better than 0