The home team won all four OVC-Big South games on Saturday. Gardner-Webb hit a field goal as time expired to top Charleston Southern and retain the North/South BBQ Trophy, Tennessee Tech scored 60-plus points for the third time this season, Lindenwood knocked off UT Martin for the first-time ever and Eastern Illinois won its second-straight game in besting Tennessee State.
SCORES
@#9/11 Tennessee Tech 66, Western Illinois 20
@Gardner-Webb 30, Charleston Southern 27
@Lindenwood 30, UT Martin 14
@Eastern Illinois 31, Tennessee State 7
#9/11 TENNESSEE TECH 66, WESTERN ILLINOIS 20 | BOX SCORE
Tennessee Tech won its 10th-straight game dating back to last season, as the Golden Eagles scored 60-plus points for the third time this season on Saturday. Tech scored 28 second quarter points to put the once close game out of reach. TTU tallied 618 yards of total offense as Kekoa Visperas passed for 358 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 73 yards. In the third quarter Andrew Smith picked off a pass and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown, the second-straight week he recorded a pick-six.
GARDNER-WEBB 30, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 27 | BOX SCORE
Junior kicker Charlie Viorel drilled a 48-yard field goal as time expired, leading the Gardner-Webb to a thrilling 30-27 win over visiting Charleston Southern. The Runnin' Bulldogs retain the BBQ Bowl Trophy with the win. Graduate quarterback Nate Hampton finished the game completing 19-of-31 passes for 247 yards and a pair of scores while adding 60 yards on the ground. Redshirt junior Carson Gresock led the running attack for the Dawgs, chewing up 105 yards and one score. As a team, GWU ran for 243 yards. Senior defensive lineman Robert Holtz concluded the game with seven tackles, including three tackles for loss and one sack. Redshirt junior Darius Johnson Jr. added a team-high eight tackles. The fourth quarter saw the two rivals combine for 40 points. Charleston Southern tied the game late, but GWU quickly went down the field to hit the game-winning field goal.
LINDENWOOD 30, UT MARTIN 14 | BOX SCORE
The Lindenwood football team knocked off UT Martin by a score of 30-14 on Saturday. Nate Glantz threw for 227 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 91 yards in the victory. On defense Sanjay Strickland added seven tackles and forced a fumble. Glantz connected with Jalen Smith on a 42-yard strike for the first score of the game. After UTM tied it up heading into halftime, Glantz connected with Drew Krobath to give the Lions the lead for good. Glantz and Smith would connect one more time, this time from 62 yards out.
EASTERN ILLINOIS 31, TENNESSEE STATE 7 | BOX SCORE
Eastern Illinois forced three Tennessee State turnovers while holding the Tigers to just 30 yards rushing as EIU improved to 3-2 overall, 2-0 in the OVC-Big South with a 31-7 win. It marks the first 2-0 start to conference play for EIU since 2017. EIU led 17-0 at the half on a Cole LaCrue 3-yard run in the opening quarter and Joe McNab’s first career catch for a 1-yard touchdown with 26 seconds left in the half. LaCrue scored one more time on a 1-yard run in the third quarter to push the Panthers lead out to 24-0. Both LaCrue and Connor Wolf saw time under center. LaCrue rushed for 22 yards and the two touchdowns. He was also 2-of-3 pass for 34 yards. Wolf passed for 134 yards and two scores. Tennessee State ended the shutout early in the fourth quarter as Byron McNair connected with Snap Reed for a 28-yard score. McNair passed for 205 yards. Reed led TSU with four catches for 52 yards. EIU’s defense was led by Ja’Wuan Nickson with seven tackles and a tackle for loss.