Gresock’s 2 TD runs, Richardson’s late INT help Gardner-Webb hold on, beat E. Illinois 31-28

Gresock’s 11-yard touchdown run with 9:56 left in the first quarter opened the scoring and his TD from the 3 gave Gardner-Webb (4-6, 3-3 OVC/Big South) a 31-7 lead with 8:10 to go in the third.

Cooper Willman caught a pass from Pierce Holley at the 1 and powered his way into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown with about 3 minutes left in the third quarter, scored on an 80-yard catch-and-run with 11:33 to play and his 25-yard TD reception with 4:59 to play trimmed Eastern Illinois’ deficit to 31-28.

After a Gardner-Webb punt, Holley hit Willman for a 40-yard gain with 2 minutes left and his 17-yard scramble two plays later made it first-and-10 at the 28, but the defense stiffened. CJ Nelson and Raequan Ousley sandwiched pass break-ups around Pius Njenge’s sack of Holley for an 11-yard loss to make it fourth-and-22 and set up Richardson’s game-sealing interception.

Jay Billingsley kicked a 50-yard field goal in the first quarter for the Runnin’ Bulldogs and missed attempts from 32 and 40 yards in the fourth.

Willman finished with 11 receptions for a program-record 291 yards and three touchdowns for Eastern Illinois (2-8, 1-5) and Holley was 20-of-36 passing for 458 yards and four TDs.