Western Illinois secured a thrilling 29-24 victory over Gardner-Webb on Saturday afternoon in what marked the final regular season game for both teams. The standout performer was quarterback Carson Carswell, who threw for two touchdowns and added a rushing score to lead his team to victory.
Carswell made an immediate impact, throwing both touchdown passes in the first quarter. He connected on a 49-yard strike to Brandon Lainer and a 17-yard pass to Alex Williams. His 1-yard rushing touchdown later in the game put the Leathernecks ahead 21-10. Additionally, Markell Holman contributed a 1-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 29 points, concluding the day with 137 rushing yards on 33 attempts. Carswell finished the game with a total of 203 passing yards.
For Gardner-Webb, quarterback Cole Pennington threw for two touchdowns, starting with a 26-yard pass to Caleb Borders. The Runnin” Bulldogs successfully completed a 2-point conversion to narrow the deficit to 11 points as they headed into the final quarter. Pennington”s second touchdown throw came in the form of a pass to Chris Lofton, which brought the score to 29-24. However, they were unable to convert on their second 2-point attempt.
Pennington completed 29 of his 40 pass attempts, accumulating 356 yards, although he did throw one interception. Lofton emerged as the leading receiver for the Runnin” Bulldogs, catching 11 passes for 169 yards.
This matchup highlighted the competitive spirit of both teams as they closed out their seasons, with Western Illinois finishing with a record of 4-8 and Gardner-Webb concluding at 7-5.
