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.

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.

Campbell football beats East Tennessee State 49-37 behind Kamden Sixkiller’s four touchdowns

JOHNSON CITY, TN – Campbell opened its season with the kind of offensive performance that can travel. Behind a huge night from quarterback Kamden Sixkiller, the Camels outlasted East Tennessee State 49-37 on Saturday in a game that featured 1,042 combined yards, 12 scoring drives and a late fourth-quarter answer that finally put the Buccaneers away.

Sixkiller carried Campbell throughout, completing 29 of 42 passes for 343 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He also led the Camels on the ground, rushing 10 times for 95 yards and two more scores. His final touchdown, a 14-yard keeper with 1:53 remaining, capped an 82-yard drive and gave Campbell breathing room after ETSU had trimmed the deficit to five.

Campbell never trailed by more than seven and answered nearly every ETSU push with one of its own. Sixkiller started the scoring with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Evan Austin, finishing an eight-play, 75-yard opening drive. ETSU tied it on Max Mims’ 18-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Weary, but Campbell responded late in the first quarter when Elijah Lawrence scored from three yards out.

The second quarter turned the game into a back-and-forth shootout. ETSU took a 21-14 lead on rushing touchdowns by Jermaine Albritton and Travon Peyton, but Campbell answered with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that Sixkiller finished with a five-yard touchdown run. After an ETSU missed field goal, Campbell moved 64 yards in 1:23 and went back in front on Sixkiller’s 26-yard touchdown pass to Stevie Keener with 25 seconds left in the half.

ETSU still managed to add a 44-yard Ewan Johnson field goal as time expired, cutting Campbell’s halftime lead to 28-24. The score reflected the pace of the first half, when the two teams combined for 527 yards and seven scoring possessions.

Campbell created separation late in the third quarter. Devin Thomas finished a six-play, 65-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run, then added a one-yard score early in the fourth after the Camels turned an ETSU fumble into a short field. That touchdown gave Campbell a 42-24 lead, its largest of the game.

ETSU did not go quietly. Mims, who completed 33 of 41 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns, led the Buccaneers back with a fourth-quarter push. Da’Quan Rucker scored on a four-yard run with 10:34 remaining, and Mims later found Brandon Winton for a six-yard touchdown that pulled ETSU within 42-37 with 5:34 left.

That set up the game’s decisive drive. Facing third-and-2 at the Campbell 40, Sixkiller broke free for a 42-yard run to the ETSU 18, flipping the field and draining the clock. Three plays later, he kept the ball again and scored from 14 yards out to restore the 12-point cushion.

Campbell finished with 514 total yards, including 343 passing and 171 rushing. Austin led the receiving group with four catches for 93 yards and a touchdown, while Aaryn Tate added 55 yards, Spencer Jones had 49 and Jon Gullette caught seven passes for 43 yards. Keener’s lone touchdown catch gave Campbell a halftime lead it never lost.

The Camels also won the turnover battle, recovering two ETSU fumbles and turning one into points. Caleb Battaglia led Campbell defensively with 12 tackles, including eight solo stops and a forced fumble. Vincent Sheppert added seven tackles and also forced a fumble.

ETSU outgained Campbell 528-514 and had 28 first downs to Campbell’s 24, but the Camels were more efficient in the red zone, finishing 5-for-5 with five touchdowns. Campbell also converted three of four fourth-down attempts and held the ball for 32:53.

For Campbell, the difference was the ability to finish drives and answer late. On a night when neither offense had much trouble moving the ball, Sixkiller’s dual-threat performance gave the Camels the final response they needed.

BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb has turned to one of college football’s fastest-rising young coaches to lead its program into a new era. Vice President and Director of Athletics Brendan Fahey announced that Kris McCullough, the record‑setting head coach at Texas‑Permian Basin, has been hired as the next head football coach of the Runnin’ Bulldogs.

McCullough, 30, arrives in Boiling Springs with a résumé that reads like a decade’s worth of momentum compressed into a few remarkable seasons. Hired at UTPB in December 2022 as the youngest head coach in college football, he quickly transformed the Falcons into a Division II contender. His debut season produced a 10‑2 record, the first Lone Star Conference championship in school history, and a national ranking as high as No. 18. Two years later, he delivered the best season the program had ever seen: 11 wins, a trip to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals, and a No. 3 final ranking in the AFCA poll.

Across his two playoff seasons at UTPB, McCullough’s teams became known for explosive offense, disciplined defense, and a knack for developing talent. The 2025 Falcons ranked among the nation’s best in passing offense, total yards, total touchdowns, and pass defense, while linebacker Tristan Exline emerged as a Harlon Hill Trophy finalist. In all, 27 players earned All‑Lone Star Conference honors last fall.

Fahey said those results—and the culture behind them—made McCullough the clear choice.

“Kris’s proven track record speaks for itself,” Fahey said. “He has built a culture of excellence both on and off the field. His ability to recruit elite talent, develop players, and win championships makes him an ideal leader here at Gardner‑Webb.”

Before his rise at UTPB, McCullough engineered a dramatic turnaround at East Central University, guiding the Tigers to a 9‑3 season and a Heritage Bowl victory in 2022—their best campaign since 1993. His earlier stops included Fairmont State, Old Dominion, and Henderson State, where he began his coaching career as an undergraduate assistant.

McCullough has collected a long list of accolades along the way, including 2023 Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year and national “Under‑40” and “Under‑35” recognitions from Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, AFCA, and 247Sports.

A native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, McCullough said he and his family are eager to join the Gardner‑Webb community.

“This is an awesome opportunity and a program with rich history,” he said. “It will take every Runnin’ Bulldog to continue to move this program forward. Sko Dawgs.” 

ELON – Landen Clark accounted for six touchdowns and Elon finished its 2025 season at .500 with a 55-17 victory over North Carolina A&T on Saturday afternoon at Rhodes Stadium. The Phoenix improved to 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the CAA while the Aggies fell to 2-10 and 2-6.

Clark threw for 231 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 105 yards and two more scores. His second rushing touchdown broke Elon's single-season record with 11, surpassing the mark previously shared by John Taylor in 2004 and Jalen Hampton in 2022. The redshirt freshman capped his record-breaking performance with an 86-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Elon's offense produced 468 total yards and scored on eight of its first nine possessions. The defense forced three turnovers, recorded nine sacks and registered 13 tackles for loss.

The Phoenix needed just six seconds to take the lead on their opening drive. DJ James-Hamilton returned the opening kickoff 66 yards to the North Carolina A&T 29-yard line, and Clark connected with Landyn Backey on a 29-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage for a 7-0 advantage.

Elon extended its lead to 14-0 when Clark scored on a two-yard run with 11:21 remaining in the first quarter. The drive covered 16 yards in four plays after Hart III recovered a fumble at the A&T 16-yard line. Luke Barnes added a 27-yard field goal at the 4:00 mark, capping a 12-play, 43-yard drive that consumed more than five minutes.

North Carolina A&T got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter when Andrew Brown connected on a 34-yard field goal, finishing a seven-play, 62-yard drive. The Aggies cut the deficit to 3-17 at the 14:56 mark.

Clark and the Phoenix offense responded immediately. On the second play of Elon's ensuing possession, Clark hit Isaiah Fuhrmann in stride for a 76-yard touchdown pass. The score came at 13:50 and extended the lead to 24-3.

The Aggies answered with their lone touchdown of the first half. Nelson Layne connected with Michael Carlock-Williams on a 29-yard scoring strike, finishing an eight-play, 88-yard drive at the 4:26 mark. The touchdown brought North Carolina A&T within 10-24.

Elon closed the half with 10 unanswered points. Barnes added his second field goal of the game, a 27-yarder at 1:07, and Dan Frederick scored on a 19-yard run with 52 seconds remaining. The Phoenix took a 34-10 lead into halftime after scoring on two-play drives covering 28 and 8 yards.

North Carolina A&T opened the second half with another scoring drive. Layne found Carlock-Williams again, this time for a 31-yard touchdown with 11:18 left in the third quarter. The two-play, 36-yard drive trimmed Elon's advantage to 17-34.

The Phoenix responded with a methodical 14-play, 70-yard drive that consumed nearly six minutes. Clark capped the march with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Fuhrmann at 5:32, pushing the lead to 41-17.

Clark connected with Zimere Winston for a 54-yard touchdown with 1:08 remaining in the third quarter. The single-play scoring drive followed a failed fourth-down conversion by the Aggies and extended Elon's lead to 48-17.

Clark added his record-breaking touchdown in the fourth quarter. On third-and-one from the Elon 14-yard line, he broke through the line and raced 86 yards to the end zone at 8:30. The three-play, 95-yard drive put the Phoenix ahead 55-17.

Fuhrmann finished with five receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns, recording his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season. The sophomore ended the campaign with 46 catches for 907 yards and nine touchdowns.

Frederick rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries, establishing a career high. It marked the first time since 2009 that two Elon players rushed for 100 yards in the same game, when Jamal Shuman and AJ Harris accomplished the feat against Presbyterian.

Backey caught three passes for 50 yards and one touchdown while Winston added one reception for 54 yards and a score.

The Elon defense held North Carolina A&T to 217 total yards. Kahmari Brown led the unit with eight tackles, three tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. The sophomore is now tied for Elon's career sacks record with 16.5 after just 23 games.

Brodie Carroll recorded a team-high 10 tackles while Asher Cunningham added seven stops. Hart III registered an interception and fumble recovery while Jake Louro contributed two sacks.

Barnes finished 2-for-2 on field goal attempts and converted all seven extra point attempts. The junior improved to 11-for-11 on field goals from inside 40 yards this season.

Layne completed 11 of 20 passes for 160 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for North Carolina A&T. He rushed 21 times for 33 yards but was sacked nine times for 78 yards in losses. Carlock-Williams caught two passes for 60 yards and both Aggies touchdowns.

North Carolina A&T managed just 57 net rushing yards on 35 attempts. The Aggies converted four of 14 third-down attempts and went 0-for-1 on fourth down.

Elon's 55 points were its most against a CAA opponent since joining the league in 2014 and matched its season high set against Davidson on September 6. The total tied for the Phoenix's highest output in a game since defeating Davidson 56-0 on September 5, 2009.

Top Performers

Landen Clark, Elon QB

- 10-of-24 passing, 231 yards, 4 TDs

- 14 rushes, 105 yards, 2 TDs

- Set single-season rushing TD record (11)

Isaiah Fuhrmann, Elon WR

- 5 receptions, 111 yards, 2 TDs

- Fourth 100-yard receiving game of season

Dan Frederick, Elon RB

- 17 rushes, 101 yards, 1 TD

- Career-high rushing yards

Kahmari Brown, Elon DL

- 8 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2.5 sacks

- 2 forced fumbles

- Tied school career sacks record (16.5)

Michael Carlock-Williams, N.C. A&T WR

- 2 receptions, 60 yards, 2 TDs