# 2019 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team

The 2019 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team represented Gardner–Webb University as a member of the Big South Conference during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Carroll McCray in his seventh and final season as head coach, the Runnin' Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 3–9 with a mark of 1–5 in conference play, placing in three-way tie for fifth place in the Big South. Gardner–Webb played home games at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.
On November 24, McCray was fired. He finished his seven-season tenure at Gardner–Webb with a record of 27–53.

## Preseason
### Big South poll

In the Big South preseason poll released on July 21, 2019, the Runnin' Bulldogs were predicted to finish in fifth place.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Kennesaw State | 134 (14) |
| 2 | Monmouth | 122 (5) |
| 3 | Charleston Southern | 79 (1) |
| 4 | Campbell | 73 |
| 5 | Gardner–Webb | 67 |
| 6 | Hampton | 64 |
| 7 | Presbyterian | 21 |
| — | North Alabama | n/a |

### Preseason All–Big South team

The Runnin' Bulldogs had three players selected to the preseason all-Big South team.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 29 | 7:30 p.m. | at Charlotte* | Jerry Richardson StadiumCharlotte, NC | ESPN+ | L 28–49 | 16,119 |
| September 7 | 6:00 p.m. | at East Carolina* | Dowdy-Ficklen StadiumGreenville, NC | ESPN3 | L 9–48 | 34,118 |
| September 14 | 6:00 p.m. | North Carolina Central* | Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ | W 21–12 | 5,012 |
| September 21 | 6:00 p.m. | at Wofford* | Gibbs StadiumSpartanburg, SC | ESPN+ | L 10–49 | 3,777 |
| October 5 | 3:00 p.m. | at Western Carolina* | E.J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | ESPN+ | W 24–21 | 11,865 |
| October 12 | 1:30 p.m. | Hampton | Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ | W 35–27 | 6,300 |
| October 19 | 1:00 p.m. | at Monmouth | Kessler StadiumWest Long Branch, NJ | ESPN3 | L 28–49 | 3,466 |
| October 26 | 1:30 p.m. | Campbell | Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ | L 47–49 $^{3OT}$ | 1,980 |
| November 2 | 1:30 p.m. | Charleston Southern | Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ | L 27–30 | 1,538 |
| November 9 | 1:00 p.m. | at Presbyterian | Bailey Memorial StadiumClinton, SC | ESPN+ | L 14–24 | 1,509 |
| November 16 | 1:30 p.m. | North Alabama | Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ | L 30–34 | 1,486 |
| November 23 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 16 Kennesaw State | Fifth Third Bank StadiumKennesaw, GA | ESPN3/ESPN+ | L 14–42 | 4,383 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||

## Game summaries
### At Charlotte

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| 49ers | 7 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 49 |

### At East Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| Pirates | 17 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 48 |

### North Carolina Central

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 12 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |

### At Wofford

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Terriers | 14 | 14 | 0 | 21 | 49 |

### At Western Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Catamounts | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 |

### Hampton

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pirates | 3 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 27 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |

### At Monmouth

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 7 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| Hawks | 7 | 14 | 21 | 7 | 49 |

### Campbell

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | Total |
| Fighting Camels | 0 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 49 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 10 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 47 |

### Charleston Southern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 10 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 20 | 27 |

### At Presbyterian

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Blue Hose | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |

### North Alabama

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 34 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 7 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 30 |

### At Kennesaw State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| No. 16 Owls | 7 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 42 |