2018 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team

The 2018 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team represented Gardner–Webb University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by sixth-year head coach Carroll McCray and played their home games at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium. They were a member of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 3–8, 2–3 in Big South play to finish in fourth place.

2018 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football
Conference	Big South Conference
2018 record	3–8 (2–3 Big South)
Head coach	Carroll McCray (6th season)
Offensive coordinator	Brett Nichols (6th season)
Home stadium	Ernest W. Spangler Stadium (Capacity: 9,000)

2018 Big South Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 5 Kennesaw State $^		5	–	0					11	–	2
Monmouth		4	–	1					8	–	3
Charleston Southern		3	–	2					5	–	6
Gardner–Webb		2	–	3					3	–	8
Campbell		1	–	4					6	–	5
Presbyterian		0	–	5					2	–	8
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

Previous season

The Runnin' Bulldogs finished the 2017 season 1–10, 0–5 in Big South play to finish in last place.

Preseason

Big South poll

In the Big South preseason poll released on July 23, 2018, the Runnin' Bulldogs were predicted to finish in fourth place.[1]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Kennesaw State	107 (17)
2	Monmouth	82 (1)
3	Charleston Southern	75
4	Gardner–Webb	52
5	Campbell	36
6	Presbyterian	26

Preseason All-Big South team

The Big South released their preseason all-Big South team on July 23, 2018, with the Runnin' Bulldogs having two players on the honorable mention list.[2]

Honorable mention Will Millikan – OL Josh Ramseur – DL

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	6:00 p.m.	Limestone*	Ernest W. Spangler Stadium Boiling Springs, NC	ESPN+	W 52–17	4,418
September 8	6:00 p.m.	at No. 5 North Carolina A&T*	BB&T Stadium Greensboro, NC		L 6–45	13,111
September 14[lower-alpha 1]	6:00 p.m.	Western Carolina*	Ernest W. Spangler Stadium Boiling Springs, NC	ESPN+	L 10–28	2,257
September 22	3:30 p.m.	at Appalachian State*	Kidd Brewer Stadium Boone, NC	ESPN+	L 7–72	21,084
September 29	6:00 p.m.	No. 7 Wofford*	Ernest W. Spangler Stadium Boiling Springs, NC	ESPN+	L 14–45	2,850
October 6	3:30 p.m.	at East Tennessee State*	William B. Greene Jr. Stadium Johnson City, TN	ESPN3	L 0–45	8,501
October 13	1:30 p.m.	No. 3 Kennesaw State	Ernest W. Spangler Stadium Boiling Springs, NC	ESPN3	L 17–56	4,150
October 27	4:00 p.m.	at Campbell	Barker–Lane Stadium Buies Creek, NC	ESPN3	W 35–7	6,712
November 3	1:30 p.m.	Presbyterian	Ernest W. Spangler Stadium Boiling Springs, NC	ESPN+	W 38–20	2,817
November 10	3:00 p.m.	at Charleston Southern	Buccaneer Field North Charleston, SC	ESPN+	L 0–16	1,640
November 17	1:30 p.m.	Monmouth	Ernest W. Spangler Stadium Boiling Springs, NC	ESPN+	L 42–56	2,350
*Non-conference game Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

• Source:[3]

1. This game was originally scheduled for September 15. It was moved up one day in anticipation of Hurricane Florence.

Game summaries

Limestone

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	10	0	0	7	17
Runnin' Bulldogs	7	28	10	7	52

See also: Limestone Saints

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First meeting

at North Carolina A&T

	1	2	3	4	Total
Runnin' Bulldogs	3	3	0	0	6
No. 5 Aggies	7	10	14	14	45

See also: 2018 North Carolina A&T Aggies football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
0–1	2017	NCAT, 45–3

Western Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Catamounts	7	14	0	7	28
Runnin' Bulldogs	7	3	0	0	10

See also: 2018 Western Carolina Catamounts football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
2–5	2017	WCU, 42–27

at Appalachian State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Runnin' Bulldogs	7	0	0	0	7
Mountaineers	28	24	14	6	72

See also: 2018 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
0–5	2007	APST, 45–7

Wofford

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 7 Terriers	14	10	7	14	45
Runnin' Bulldogs	0	7	7	0	14

See also: 2018 Wofford Terriers football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
8–18	2017	WOFF, 27–24

at East Tennessee State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Runnin' Bulldogs	0	0	0	0	0
Buccaneers	7	10	14	14	45

See also: 2018 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
2–1	2015	GWU, 28–3

Kennesaw State

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 3 Owls	7	21	14	14	56
Runnin' Bulldogs	3	0	0	14	17

See also: 2018 Kennesaw State Owls football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
0–3	2017	KSU, 17–3

at Campbell

	1	2	3	4	Total
Runnin' Bulldogs	13	15	7	0	35
Fighting Camels	0	7	0	0	7

See also: 2018 Campbell Fighting Camels football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
2–1	1949	GWU, 12–6

Presbyterian

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blue Hose	0	7	0	13	20
Runnin' Bulldogs	14	7	17	0	38

See also: 2018 Kennesaw State Owls football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
20–20	2017	PRES, 31–21

at Charleston Southern

	1	2	3	4	Total
Runnin' Bulldogs	0	0	0	0	0
Buccaneers	3	13	0	0	16

See also: 2018 Charleston Southern Buccaneers football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
11–7	2017	CSU, 10–9

Monmouth

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hawks	21	7	21	7	56
Runnin' Bulldogs	7	14	7	14	42

See also: 2018 Monmouth Hawks football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
1–3	2017	MON, 41–14

References

1. "Kennesaw State Voted 2018 Preseason Football Favorite". bigsouthsports.com. Big South Conference.
2. "Burks, Armstrong Headline 2018 Preseason All-Conference Team". bigsouthsports.com. Big South Conference.
3. "2018 Football Schedule". gwusports.com. Gardner–Webb University. Retrieved April 30, 2019.