# 2023 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team

The 2023 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team represented Gardner–Webb University as a member of the Big South–OVC Football Association during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Tre Lamb, the Runnin' Bulldogs played their home games at the Ernest W. Spangler Stadium in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 3:30 p.m. | at Appalachian State* | No. 25 | Kidd Brewer StadiumBoone, NC | ESPN+ | L 24–45 | 36,075 |
| September 9 | 6:00 p.m. | Elon* | | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ | W 34–27 | 5,078 |
| September 16 | 6:00 p.m. | at Tennessee State | | Hale StadiumNashville, TN | ESPN+ | L 25–27 | 3,869 |
| September 23 | 6:00 p.m. | at East Carolina* | | Dowdy-Ficklen StadiumGreenville, NC | ESPN+ | L 0–44 | 40,589 |
| October 7 | 6:00 p.m. | Robert Morris | | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ | W 31–16 | 3,891 |
| October 14 | 2:00 p.m. | at Austin Peay* | | Fortera StadiumClarksville, TN | ESPN+ | L 14–41 | 7,503 |
| October 21 | 6:00 p.m. | Eastern Kentucky* | | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ | W 35–32 | 4,339 |
| October 28 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 14 UT Martin | | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ | W 38–34 | 5,017 |
| November 4 | 1:00 p.m. | at Bryant | | Beirne StadiumSmithfield, RI | ESPN+ | W 45–44 $^{OT}$ | 3,357 |
| November 11 | 2:30 p.m. | at Tennessee Tech | | Tucker StadiumCookeville, TN | ESPN+ | W 35–0 | 5,740 |
| November 18 | 1:00 p.m. | Charleston Southern | | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ | W 34–10 | 5,812 |
| November 25 | 3:00 p.m. | at No. 17 Mercer* | | Five Star StadiumMacon, GA (NCAA Division I First Round) | ESPN+ | L 7–17 | 4,500 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### At Appalachian State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 25 Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| Mountaineers | 7 | 7 | 17 | 14 | 45 |

### Elon

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Phoenix | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 | 27 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 3 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 34 |

### At Tennessee State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 7 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 25 |
| Tigers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |

### At East Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs (FCS) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pirates | 13 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 44 |
at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, North Carolina
* Date: September 23rd
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Rain • Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Wind: W at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h)
* Game attendance: 40,589
* Referee: Darryl DeBerry
* TV announcers (ESPN+): James Westling (play-by-play), Reginald Walker Jr. (analyst)
| Statistics | Gardner-Webb (FCS) | East Carolina |
| First downs | 11 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 61–107 | 76–366 |
| Rushes–yards | 40–77 | 43–182 |
| Passing yards | 30 | 184 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 8–21–0 | 18–32–0 |
| Time of possession | 27:16 | 32:44 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Gardner-Webb (FCS) | Passing | Matthew Caldwell | 7/17, 30 yards |
| Gardner-Webb (FCS) | Rushing | Narii Gaither | 12 carries, 45 yards |
| Gardner-Webb (FCS) | Receiving | Narii Gaither Maleek Huggins Karim Page | 2 receptions, 9 yards |
| East Carolina | Passing | Alex Flinn | 8/18, 94 yards, 1 TD |
| East Carolina | Rushing | Javious Bond | 9 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD |
| East Carolina | Receiving | Jaylen Johnson | 6 receptions, 70 yards |

### Robert Morris

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colonials | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 16 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 21 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 31 |

### At Austin Peay

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Governors | 7 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 41 |

### Eastern Kentucky

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colonels | | | | | 0 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | | | | | 0 |

### No. 14 UT Martin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Skyhawks | | | | | 0 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | | | | | 0 |

### At Bryant

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | | | | | 0 |
| Bulldogs | | | | | 0 |

### At Tennessee Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | | | | | 0 |
| Golden Eagles | | | | | 0 |

### Charleston Southern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | | | | | 0 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | | | | | 0 |