CHARLESTON, S.C. – Charleston Southern roared to a 27-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back in a 44-14 win over Gardner-Webb on Senior Day at Buccaneer Field. 

The Bucs scored three times in the opening six minutes and led 34-0 at halftime to clinch their second consecutive winning season under head coach Jamey Chadwell. CSU improved to 7-3 overall and 2-2 in Big South play. Gardner-Webb falls to 4-6 overall and 0-3 in conference play. 

CSU travels to Liberty next Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Williams Stadium in a game with FCS Playoff implications. 

The win is CSU's 17th in two seasons under Chadwell (17-6), the most in a two-year stretch in program history. His team wasted no time seizing control in the opening minutes on Saturday, scoring twice in the opening 3:01. 

"We wanted to start fast," Chadwell said. "Last year's game was a little bit more of a motivator that I think we let on. We felt like we didn't get off to a good start there, and thought that would be the key to the game here today. We put everything into that first quarter. It seemed like it couldn't go by fast enough."  

CSU finishes the season 5-1 at Buccaneer Field and, for 15 seniors playing their final home game, leave on one of the most dominant Big South efforts in CSU history. 

Seniors fueled the Bucs' hot start. Running back Christian Reyes had 163 yards rushing and a 4-yard touchdown run in the game's opening minutes. Linebacker Gabe Middlebrook hit Gardner-Webb quarterback Lucas Beatty moments later and Dylan Black squeezed the interception and scored from 37 yards out to build an early 20-0 lead. 

"Today was about these kids, especially our seniors, and what they've accomplished," Chadwell said of a group that is now 22-9 in their last 31 games.  "Those guys are walking out of here with most wins in season and 17 wins over two years. They've got a lot to be proud of regardless of if we won or lost. These are the types of men you'd want as sons. I'm proud of each and every one of them and the character they've shown through (theirs careers)."

The Bucs' defense scored twice and had a school-record four interceptions on the day, three coming in the first quarter. Freshman Davion Anderson continues to have a knack for the football. He returned a G-W pass deflected by JaJaun Perkins for 55 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter. 

CSU held Gardner-Webb to 100 total yards in the first half on 32 plays. 

Bucs' quarterback Austin Brown was 12-of-21 for 239 yards and a touchdown and CSU piled up 497 yards of offense in the win. 

CSU started fast, taking the opening kickoff and driving for a touchdown to take a quick 7-0 lead. Darius Hammond had a 38-yard return on the kickoff and the Buccaneers drove 55 yards in five plays to take the quick lead. Running back Ben Robinson weaved his way 27 yards up the left sideline on the option pitch for the score. 

The Bucs would add their second score less than a minute later. Troy McGowens intercepted Gardner-Webb quarterback Lucas Beatty on the opening play to give CSU a short field. Bucs' quarterback Austin Brown would  find tight end Nathan Prater down the seam for 39 yards to move the ball inside the G-W 5 and Christian Reyes would do the rest. He plowed his way into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 just 3:01 into the game. 

The Bucs' defense would put up the game's next touchdown on the ensuing possession. Linebacker Gabe Middlebrook leveled Beatty as he tried to throw and defensive end Dylan Black snatched the ball out of midair and raced 37 yards for the score. 

Reyes nearly dashed into the NCAA record books on CSU's next possession. The senior broke free from inside the Bucs' own one for 84 yards. He was angled out of bounds at the G-W 17 for the second longest run in CSU history and the longest of his career.

Following Reyes' run, the Bucs committed their first turnover of the game as Brown and Robinson fumbled an option pitch and G-W recovered just outside of its own red zone. 

Safety Demaris Freeman got the ball back moments later for the Bucs, leaping in front of tight end Mike Estes for the interception. It was the third turnover forced by the Bucs' defense in the first half.
CSU went right for the score as Brown found Nathan Perera open behind the G-W defense for a 32-yard touchdown to push the lead to 27-0 late in the first quarter. 

The Bucs finished the half with a 7-play, 60-yard touchdown drive as Brown found Chris Theodore for 32 yards to move the ball inside the G-W red zone. Hammond would plunge in from 1-yard out to give CSU a 34-0 lead at the half.

Gardner-Webb cut into the lead with a pair of touchdowns in the third, but a David Kennedy 29-yard field goal and Anderson's interception return kept the Buccaneers in control.

Theodore, a senior, had a career-high five catches for  114 yards.

The Bucs' defense finished with seven tackles for loss and five sacks. Safety D.J. Curl had a team-high seven tackles, followed by Freeman with six. Middlebrook added two tackles for loss to go with five stops. 

Beatty finished 16-for-30 for 189 with two touchdowns and three interceptions for G-W. 

-CSU-