Late Safety Pushes Gardner-Webb Over Charleston Southern in North / South Barbecue Bowl

Saturday, October 3

Charleston, S.C.

6 PM EST

Charleston Southern University Athletics

2-3 , 0-2

Gardner-Webb

2-4 , 1-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Gardner-Webb	0	3	0	9	12
Charleston So.	0	3	7	0	10

Photo by: Jim Killian/CSU Sports

10/3/2026 10:00:00 PM | Football

Box Score Postgame Presser

CHARLESTON – Gardner-Webb defeated Charleston Southern by a 12-10 final score on Saturday evening to claim the North / South Barbecue Bowl.

Gardner-Webb was the first team to get on the board during the contest using a 19 yard field goal at the start of the second quarter for an early 3-0 lead. Later in the quarter, Charleston Southern's Jamie Williamson forced a fumble setting up for a CSU field goal attempt of their own. Matt Rolader converted on it from 48 yards out to level the game at three apiece as the first half was coming to an end.

Charleston Southern was the first team to find the endzone during the day with Hakeem Watters breaking through the Runnin' Bulldogs' secondary for a 62-yard touchdown rush up the middle. The Buccaneers were able to hang on to the lead for the rest of the quarter before GWU found the endzone off a nine-yard touchdown pass from Cole Pennington to Brian Green Jr. to bring it to 10 apiece. Later in the quarter, the Runnin' Bulldogs downed a punt on the CSU one yard line and on the first play of the CSU possession, Lek Powell was brought down inside the endzone for a safety by Tye Holsey to regain the lead and allow this to prove to be the game winning play.

Powell finished the day going 9-17 through the air for 38 yards and was sacked five times. On the ground, Watters led the team in rushing with 102 yards off 15 carries while Dwayne Wright added 77 yards on 12 rushes. Quay Kindell led the team in receiving with four catches for 21 yards. Defensively, Steve Zayachkowsky led the team in tackles with eight on the day with Anthony Paulk collecting seven as well as an interception. As a group, they had seven tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hurries.

Charleston Southern returns to Buccaneer Field to face #12 / 12 South Carolina State on Saturday, October 10 with the kickoff slated for 6 p.m. The game will be available live on ESPN+ with this to end the Bucs' first of two, three-game homestands this fall.