BUIES CREEK – Western Carolina had to wait an extra day to take the field against Campbell. Once the game finally began, an early deficit proved too much for the Catamounts to overcome.

Campbell scored touchdowns on each of its first two possessions and built an 18-point halftime advantage before holding off Western Carolina’s second-half comeback for a 28-19 victory Sunday at Barker-Lane Stadium.

The game was originally scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m., but severe weather and a power failure forced the contest to be postponed until Sunday morning. The rescheduled game kicked off at 11:03 a.m. under sunny skies, with a temperature of 80 degrees. 

Campbell (2-0) wasted little time taking control.

The Camels marched 91 yards in 10 plays on their opening possession, with quarterback Kamden Sixkiller finding Brady Ambrose for a 6-yard touchdown. After Western Carolina went three-and-out, Campbell drove another 53 yards, and Sixkiller's 8-yard touchdown run gave the Camels a 14-0 advantage with four minutes remaining in the first quarter. 

Western Carolina (1-1) finally answered early in the second quarter when Bryan McCollum connected on a 23-yard field goal, but Campbell needed just five plays to respond. Ethan Lawrence capped a 64-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 21-3.

The Catamounts found their first touchdown late in the half. Quarterback Lex Thomas connected with Jai Boyd for a 48-yard score with 2:57 remaining, cutting the deficit to 21-10.

Any momentum from that play didn't last through halftime.

Taking over at its own 18 with 48 seconds left, Campbell went 82 yards in only 30 seconds. Sixkiller hit Spencer Jones for a 32-yard touchdown with 18 seconds remaining, sending the Camels to the locker room ahead 28-10. 

Those would be Campbell's final points.

Western Carolina's defense forced three second-half turnovers and gave the Catamounts opportunities to work their way back into the game. Jayden Cornelius intercepted Sixkiller early in the third quarter and returned it 47 yards to the Campbell 8. The Catamounts went backward from there, however, settling for McCollum's 40-yard field goal to trim the margin to 28-13.

Western Carolina made it a one-score game early in the fourth quarter. Thomas directed an 11-play, 65-yard drive and found Boyd for a 1-yard touchdown with 9:24 remaining. The extra point failed, leaving Campbell ahead 28-19. 

The Catamount defense produced another opportunity minutes later. With Campbell threatening at the Western Carolina 4, Fernando Jeanty intercepted Sixkiller, giving the offense the ball at its own 2 with 5:51 remaining.

Thomas responded by moving the Catamounts 73 yards in nine plays, including completions of 20 and 23 yards to AJ Colombo and a 21-yard connection with Marcus Striggles. The drive stalled at the Campbell 25, and McCollum's 43-yard field-goal attempt missed with 3:47 to play. 

Western Carolina never got the ball back. A roughing-the-kicker penalty on fourth down extended Campbell's final possession, and the Camels ran out the clock. 

Thomas finished 25-of-44 for 326 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Colombo led Western Carolina with six catches for 91 yards, while Boyd caught two passes for 49 yards, both touchdowns. 

Sixkiller completed 29 of 44 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted three times. Jones caught seven passes for 126 yards and a touchdown.

Campbell's biggest statistical advantage came on the ground. The Camels rushed for 198 yards while holding Western Carolina to just one net rushing yard on 18 attempts. Campbell finished with 528 total yards to Western Carolina's 327 and possessed the ball for more than 36 minutes. 

The loss dropped Western Carolina to 1-1, while Campbell improved to 2-0. Both teams are on the road at FBS opponents next week, with the Camels traveling to Florida and the Catamounts heading to Cincinnati.

GREENSBORO – For a few minutes Saturday night, the 25th Gate City Soup Bowl looked like it might develop into another fight between Greensboro's two Division III programs.

Then Greensboro College took over.

The Pride scored the final 35 points and rolled past crosstown rival Guilford 48-7 at Pride Field, producing the most points Greensboro has scored against the Quakers and its largest margin of victory in the series. Greensboro opened the season 1-0, while Guilford fell to 0-1.

Greensboro finished with 553 yards of offense, including 277 on the ground, and collected 31 first downs. Guilford managed 230 total yards and 16 first downs.

Quarterback Cameron Turner powered the Pride offense, completing 13 of 21 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns while adding 67 rushing yards and another score. KJ Brown caught four passes for 99 yards and a touchdown, while Sincere McIntyre turned both of his receptions into touchdowns.

The game initially appeared headed toward a much tighter finish.

Greensboro converted an early Guilford interception into a methodical 14-play, 80-yard drive, capped by Camron Torrence-Kelly's 4-yard touchdown run with 4:51 remaining in the first quarter.

The Pride struck much faster on their next possession. Turner found Brown for a 54-yard touchdown to push the lead to 13-0 with 1:53 remaining.

Guilford immediately responded.

After two completions to Shane Shapiro helped move the Quakers to their own 42, Maurice Andrews broke free for a 58-yard touchdown run with 14 seconds left in the quarter. Ryan Black's extra point cut Greensboro's advantage to 13-7.

It would be Guilford's only score.

Greensboro increased the lead to 20-7 early in the second quarter when a punt return gave the Pride possession at the Guilford 27. Turner found McIntyre for a touchdown on the first play.

Guilford later produced a 15-play drive into Greensboro territory but turned the ball over on downs. The Quakers did create three takeaways during the game, but were unable to turn them into points. Greensboro carried the 20-7 advantage into halftime.

The Pride ended any uncertainty quickly in the third quarter.

After Greensboro's defense forced a three-and-out to begin the half, Kyjuan Westmoreland ran 36 yards on the Pride's first play. Turner then hit McIntyre for a 19-yard touchdown, stretching the lead to 27-7 just 2:12 into the half.

Torrence-Kelly added his second touchdown on a 7-yard run later in the quarter, and Turner scored from 15 yards out to give Greensboro a 41-7 advantage.

Austin Seabrook's 10-yard fourth-quarter touchdown completed the scoring.

Greensboro's offensive balance proved difficult for Guilford to contain. Westmoreland led the Pride with 84 rushing yards, Turner added 67 and Torrence-Kelly finished with 60 yards and two scores. Greensboro averaged 7.3 yards per play.

Guilford quarterback Tristan Gabrels finished 15 of 38 for 126 yards with one interception and was sacked three times. Shapiro caught 10 passes for 69 yards, while Andrews' touchdown accounted for more than half of the Quakers' 104 rushing yards.

The loss did include a milestone for Guilford linebacker Nick Iannone. His early tackles pushed him past Robert Smith for the Quakers' career record, giving Iannone 329 total tackles and counting.

Both Greensboro schools now move on from the rivalry game. Guilford makes its home debut Saturday against Methodist, while Greensboro travels to Roanoke College.

For the Pride, they'll do so after turning the 25th Soup Bowl into a record-setting night against their neighbors.

WINSTON-SALEM – For more than two quarters Saturday night, Winston-Salem State's defense kept giving the Rams a chance.

Eventually, Rayvon Durant and Mars Hill broke through.

Durant rushed for a career-high 201 yards and two touchdowns, while the Lions' defense held Winston-Salem State to just 83 yards of offense in a 17-0 victory at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Mars Hill improved to 1-0 with its first shutout since 2012. Winston-Salem State dropped to 0-2 after being blanked in its home opener before a crowd of 8,700.

The final margin did not reflect how long the game remained in doubt.

Neither team scored in the first half, although Mars Hill controlled much of the football and twice moved deep enough into WSSU territory to attempt field goals. Matthias Newsome missed attempts from 21 and 30 yards in the second quarter, leaving the game scoreless at halftime.

Mars Hill's inability to turn drives into points helped keep WSSU within reach despite a sizable difference in offensive production.

The breakthrough finally came with 6:25 remaining in the third quarter.

Facing third-and-1 from the Mars Hill 48, Durant burst through the Rams' defense and went 52 yards for the game's first touchdown. The three-play scoring drive covered 61 yards in only 53 seconds and gave the Lions a 7-0 advantage.

Winston-Salem State responded with one of its best possessions of the night.

The Rams converted a third-and-25 when Deiondre Goldston found Sean Walker Jr. for 26 yards, then moved to the Mars Hill 28 after an 18-yard completion to Jamison Funderburk. But Caden Hilemon intercepted Goldston in the end zone, ending the threat and preserving the Lions' seven-point lead.

It was a fitting result for a Mars Hill defense that controlled the game.

WSSU finished with only 17 rushing yards on 24 attempts and 66 yards through the air. The Rams averaged 1.8 yards per play, converted only two of 11 third downs and never reached the red zone.

Mars Hill recorded three sacks and nine tackles for loss. Jamarion Farrior led the Lions with eight tackles, while Isaac Weaver, Aden Allsbrook and Russell Barnett recorded four apiece. Hilemon supplied the game's only turnover with his third-quarter interception.

Mars Hill's offense wasn't explosive outside of Durant, but the Lions steadily wore down the WSSU defense.

They ran 72 offensive plays and held the ball for more than 35 minutes, finishing with 366 yards. Of those, 289 came on the ground as Mars Hill averaged 5.8 yards on 50 rushing attempts.

Durant accounted for most of that production. The senior carried 28 times for 201 yards, averaging 7.2 yards per attempt. Nate Crosby Jr. added 51 yards on 12 carries, while quarterback Lukas Kachilo completed 12 of 22 passes for 77 yards without an interception.

Still leading only 7-0 midway through the fourth quarter, Mars Hill put together the kind of possession that had defined the night. The Lions marched 55 yards in nine plays while taking 5:29 off the clock before Newsome connected on a 22-yard field goal with 5:02 remaining.

WSSU went backward on its ensuing possession, and Mars Hill took over at the Rams' 35 following a 28-yard punt return.

Durant finished the job.

After runs by Crosby on the first two plays, Durant ripped off 32 yards to the WSSU 1 before scoring on the next snap. His second touchdown made it 17-0 with 2:34 remaining and effectively ended any hope of a Rams comeback.

Winston-Salem State's Jamison Funderburk led the Rams with 36 rushing yards and added 19 receiving yards. Walker caught four passes for 37 yards. Defensively, Camden Martin and Maurice Odom each finished with 11 tackles.

Both teams now turn toward conference play against another North Carolina opponent.

Mars Hill opens its home schedule and South Atlantic Conference slate Saturday against Catawba. Winston-Salem State remains at Bowman Gray Stadium to open CIAA play against Johnson C. Smith.

BOONE – App State wasted little time showing what its revamped roster could be capable of Saturday.

The Mountaineers overwhelmed Maine on both sides of the ball, piling up 647 yards of offense and forcing two turnovers in a 55-3 victory before 33,664 fans at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

Quarterback Malachi Singleton led the way for App State, completing 22 of 24 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns as the Mountaineers built a 31-0 halftime lead and never allowed the Black Bears to make the game competitive. App State finished with 348 passing yards and 299 rushing yards while averaging 9 yards per offensive play.

Maine, meanwhile, managed 250 total yards and 12 first downs. Quarterback Eddie Buehler completed 18 of 32 passes for 198 yards but was intercepted twice, while the Black Bears were held to 52 rushing yards on 28 attempts.

App State's first possession ended with a turnover deep in Maine territory, but that proved to be one of the few opportunities the Mountaineers failed to capitalize on.

Treyaun Webb opened the scoring midway through the first quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run that capped a four-play, 78-yard drive. James London then extended the lead to 10-0 with a 31-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

From there, Singleton took control.

He found tight end Darrin Fugitt for a 5-yard touchdown with 9:32 remaining in the second quarter, pushing the advantage to 17-0. Less than six minutes later, Singleton connected with Samuel Pickett III for a 14-yard touchdown. Pickett struck again just before halftime, hauling in a 7-yard scoring pass with seven seconds left to send App State into the locker room with a 31-point cushion.

That final first-half score was set up by one of the game's biggest defensive plays.

Maine had moved into App State territory late in the second quarter before Buehler was intercepted by Caleb Pitts at the App State 30. Pitts returned the interception 15 yards to the 45, giving the Mountaineers enough time to add another touchdown before the break.

The pressure continued after halftime. Colton Phares intercepted Buehler on Maine's opening possession of the third quarter after pressure from Dre Walker, and App State answered with a seven-play, 69-yard drive. Jaquari Lewis finished it with a 12-yard touchdown run for a 38-0 lead with 9:14 remaining in the period.

Maine finally broke through with 51 seconds left in the third quarter when Samuel Tremblay converted a 40-yard field goal, completing an 18-play, 52-yard possession and cutting the deficit to 38-3. It would be the Black Bears' only scoring drive of the afternoon.

App State's reserves kept the offense moving in the fourth.

Henry Hasselbeck helped direct a 75-yard drive that ended with receiver Nate Branch racing 36 yards for a touchdown, increasing the lead to 45-3. Three minutes later, Jackson Grier broke loose for a 28-yard touchdown run to make it 52-3. London added a 32-yard field goal with 2:12 remaining to complete the scoring.

Pickett finished with five receptions for 76 yards and two touchdowns, while Fugitt caught four passes for 47 yards and a score. Branch contributed 55 receiving yards and 44 rushing yards, including his touchdown.

App State spread its rushing production throughout the lineup. Lewis led the Mountaineers with 69 yards on 11 carries, while Ja'Quez Cross added 66 yards and Hasselbeck rushed for 53. The Mountaineers scored four times on the ground and three times through the air.

For Maine, Rashawn Marshall led the rushing attack with 37 yards on 13 carries. The Black Bears' longest offensive gain came on a 47-yard Buehler completion to Corey Rideout in the fourth quarter, but the possession ended on downs.

The result gave App State a convincing opening victory in its second season under head coach Dowell Loggains, while Maine fell to 1-1.

CHARLOTTE – Charlotte kept finding answers Saturday night. The problem was The Citadel always seemed to have one more.

The Bulldogs outlasted the 49ers 43-41 in triple overtime at Jerry Richardson Stadium, handing Charlotte a season opening loss despite 538 yards of offense and a resilient performance from quarterback Cole Gonzales.

Charlotte twice answered The Citadel touchdowns in overtime before the Bulldogs ultimately prevailed on a two-point conversion.

“They out-executed us,” Charlotte coach Tim Albin said. “I mean, that’s what happened.”

The Citadel improved to 1-1 while Charlotte fell to 0-1. The Bulldogs were outgained 538-400 but rushed for 268 yards and six touchdowns on 50 attempts. Charlotte finished with 322 passing yards and 216 on the ground. 

The 49ers hurt themselves early.

Gonzales threw two first-quarter interceptions, the first helping set up a short field for The Citadel. Gaven Garcia finished the ensuing possession with a 2-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead.

Charlotte responded immediately. Khamani Alexander broke loose for a 66-yard touchdown, part of a career night in which he rushed for 138 yards on just 14 carries. 

Gonzales settled down after the early turnovers. His 43-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Eley put Charlotte ahead 14-7 in the second quarter, and the 49ers carried that advantage into halftime.

“He’s a playmaker. He’s tough,” Albin said of Gonzales. “He had two picks in the first quarter and I liked his body language. He’s a leader. He’s under the fire, and he didn’t get rattled.”

The Citadel turned to Nick Billoups at quarterback in the second half, and the Bulldogs found their rhythm.

Sebastien Boyle tied the game with a 56-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. Gonzales responded with an 11-yard touchdown run before Garcia scored from a yard out, leaving the teams tied 21-21 entering the fourth. 

Billoups gave The Citadel a 28-21 advantage on a 2-yard touchdown run with 12:11 remaining.

Charlotte refused to go away.

The 49ers put together a 14-play, 72-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, capped by Gonzales' 6-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Hampton with 24 seconds remaining to force overtime.

That resilience stood out to Charlotte defensive back Kadin Schmitz.

“I think we didn’t have any quit,” Schmitz said. “We continued to fight.”

Garcia scored from 25 yards out on The Citadel’s first offensive snap of overtime. Gonzales answered with an 8-yard touchdown run, sending the game to a second overtime tied at 35.

Charlotte then grabbed the advantage when Gonzales connected with Hampton for an 18-yard touchdown. But the 49ers failed on the required two-point conversion, leaving the score 41-35.

Billoups answered with another 2-yard touchdown run for The Citadel. A diving tackle by Dy’Lon Womack forced the game into triple overtime, beginning a series of two-point conversion plays. The Bulldogs were successful on their attempt and a Charlotte pass went wide, giving the visitors a 43-41 victory.

The loss overshadowed one of Charlotte’s most productive offensive performances in recent memory.

Gonzales completed 28 of 41 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for two more scores. Hampton caught eight passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns, and Jaden Barnes added seven receptions for 93 yards. Alexander averaged 9.9 yards per carry. 

The Citadel countered with Garcia’s 137 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Boyle added 70 rushing yards, while Billoups rushed for two scores and completed 7 of 10 passes for 91 yards. 

Charlotte converted 11 of 17 third downs and produced 21 first downs, but its two interceptions and failed fourth-down attempt helped swing the game. The 49ers’ defense did not force a turnover. 

“We had chances to win the game,” Albin said. “Didn’t get it done.”

For Schmitz, the question now is what Charlotte does with it.

“It’s not at all how we wanted things to go,” he said. “But just to see the continued fight, to see the more positivity on the sideline – I like to see that a lot.”

The road only gets harder for the 49ers, who travel to Oxford Mississippi next week to take on an Ole Miss team fresh off a berth in the College Football Playoff.

WINSTON-SALEM – Gio Lopez waited nine months to get hit again.

Once he did, Wake Forest's new quarterback could get back to doing what he came to Winston-Salem to do.

The North Carolina transfer threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns as Wake Forest raced to a 28-3 halftime lead and opened its season with a 38-16 victory over Akron on Thursday night at Allegacy Financial Stadium.

Lopez completed 21 of 32 passes without an interception and helped the Demon Deacons pile up 559 yards of offense. Wake Forest averaged 8.2 yards per play and scored touchdowns through the air from 27, 72 and 78 yards. 

For Lopez, it was his first game action since suffering a broken fibula the last time he was tackled.

“I was like, ‘I haven't been tackled in like nine months,’” Lopez said. “You get that first hit, you're like, ‘All right, we're good.’”

Wake Forest didn't need long to settle in.

Lopez capped an eight-play, 82-yard opening possession with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Ke'Shawn Shanks. Connor Calvert added a 25-yard field goal later in the first quarter to make it 10-0.

Then the Demon Deacons started producing the explosive plays that broke the game open.

Lopez connected with Antonio Meeks for a 72-yard touchdown less than four minutes into the second quarter. After another Calvert field goal, Lopez found Carlos Hernandez for a 78-yard score, giving Wake Forest a 28-0 advantage with 4:57 remaining before halftime. Akron's only first-half points came on a 28-yard field goal. 

“I felt very in control,” Lopez said. “I trust Coach Ezell when he's telling me what the play is or whatever the check is. So it's full belief in Coach Ezell just to get us in the right situation, and I just go and execute the play that he called.”

Hernandez became Lopez's biggest target, catching five passes for 165 yards. Kam Shanks finished with five receptions for 55 yards, while Antonio Meeks had three catches for 93.

Lopez credited his receivers for turning throws into big gains, something Wake Forest couldn't fully simulate during practices designed to limit contact.

“They did a really good job with the ball in their hands,” Lopez said. “To see those guys make plays with the ball in their hand after the catch was super exciting for me just to be a fan and watch those guys play.”

His connection with Hernandez goes beyond football.

“That's my best friend,” Lopez said. “We're super close off the field and super close on the field.”

Wake Forest also found explosiveness on the ground. Running back Ty Clark rushed seven times for 105 yards, including a 57-yard run, while Deuce Lawrence added 52 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown. 

Yet coach Jake Dickert wasn't interested in allowing a comfortable season-opening victory to obscure Wake Forest's mistakes.

“Success can be an illusion,” Dickert said. “I thought we were sloppy in a lot of phases of this game.”

Wake Forest managed only three points in the third quarter and was outscored 13-7 in the fourth as Akron scored twice against the Demon Deacons' reserves. Dickert also wanted more physicality from the running game and was disappointed with how his defense finished.

“There's so much to clean up from this tape,” Dickert said. “We'll show them the good, we'll be excited about where we go from here, but we've got to be a better football team in nine days.”

Lopez offered a similar assessment.

“I think we did a really good job executing the playbook,” he said. “I think we've got to be better in the second half, just overall keeping the energy going.”

The degree of difficulty now increases.

Wake Forest travels to West Lafayette, Indiana, in nine days to face Purdue at Ross-Ade Stadium.

“I think we're super excited to go to Purdue,” Lopez said, “go to their stadium and play in a stadium that isn't ours, but try to win a game.

Gardner-Webb fires football coach Kris McCullough after one game; Pete Bennett takes over as interim coach

BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner Webb University has dismissed head football coach Kris McCullough, ending a tenure that lasted one game and placing the Runnin’ Bulldogs under interim leadership early in the 2026 season.

McCullough, hired in December 2025, arrived in Boiling Springs as a rising offensive mind after successful head coaching stops at East Central and UT Permian Basin. His hiring followed the departure of former coach Cris Reisert, who led Gardner Webb for two seasons, including a 7 5 campaign in 2025, before leaving to become Toledo’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. McCullough inherited a program that had experienced recent postseason success under Tre Lamb and remained competitive in conference play, but his Gardner Webb tenure ended before it could develop beyond the opening week.

University officials announced that McCullough’s contract had been terminated, effective immediately, and said the school would have no additional comment. The dismissal came two days after Gardner Webb suspended him pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation; the university has not publicly disclosed the cause of the investigation or the reason for the firing. McCullough coached one game for the Bulldogs, a 35 17 season opening loss at Austin Peay.

Special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Pete Bennett will continue as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2026 season. The move continues a period of transition for Gardner Webb football, which has now gone from Tre Lamb to Reisert to McCullough to Bennett in a short span. The program’s recent history has included conference titles, FCS playoff appearances and a rebuilt identity, but frequent leadership changes have made sustained momentum difficult.

Gardner Webb now turns its focus to stabilizing the season while determining its next long term direction. Bennett inherits a team still near the beginning of its schedule, with the Bulldogs trying to regroup quickly after an abrupt coaching change and a season opening loss. Gardner Webb is scheduled to continue its road swing next week at Wofford, with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Spartanburg.