What Catawba’s defense did to the visiting Bulldogs on a sunny homecoming Saturday was both enlightening and frightening. The Tribe “D” rained on the Bulldogs’ parade and now reigns as the unquestioned No. 1 unit in the SAC.

Gardner-Webb ventured to Catawba’s newly named Kirkland Football Field without a whole lot of respect for the Tribe’s defense. Heck, make that no respect at all.

“Gardner-Webb came here talking trash,” said Catawba head coach David Bennett. “They came out while we were warming up and started hollering, ‘We got the best defense in the nation, and you all ain’t nothin’. Our boys didn’t say anything, but it got ‘em motivated.

“And they decided to let their actions talk.”

The Tribe defense’s actions weren’t just loud, they were downright nasty.

Not the bad kind of nasty. The church-going Bennett wouldn’t approve of that. No, this was the good sort of nasty, where you belt people hard and clean until they finally just don’t want any more.

The first half was mind-boggling. The only Bulldog fans who enjoyed it were members of punter Jason McManus’ family. They got to watch Jason do his thing six times before intermission.

Gardner-Webb’s only other first-half possession was a good deal less successful.

On that one, Catawba nose man Derrick Montgomery, back in the lineup after an injury, separated the Bulldogs’ 240-pound running back Justin Richardson from the football and DB Alvis James scooped it up and took it in for a touchdown to give the Tribe a 14-0 lead.

When the Bulldogs went to the locker room at the half — yes, with their tails between their legs — they had accumulated two first downs against the aroused Tribe.

They had completed one pass for all of three yards. They had converted one of seven third-down situations and had piled up 24 rushing yards in 18 attempts. In a half of football, the Bulldogs, who came in 5-1 and averaging 33 ppg, and who came to Salisbury ranked 15th in Division II, managed 1 yard per offensive play.

Chances are that after that first, brutal 30 minutes the Bulldogs knew exactly who had the best defense in the SAC and the best sackers in the SAC, and it wasn’t them.

“Let’s just say we were ready to play,” said Catawba defensive end Shaun Sanders.

“We knew that the stats that had their defense rated above ours didn’t mean much,” said Catawba backer Jason Cross, the former South Rowan High standout. “We’d played Carson-Newman and Presbyterian. We shut down PC and stopped Carson-Newman most of the game. Gardner-Webb hadn’t played anybody like that.”

Believe it or not, Gardner-Webb ran three plays in the first half on the Catawba side of the field.

And those came immediately after Bulldog defensive end Brian Brooks blocked a Matt Gross field goal attempt. A melee for that loose ball followed, and Gardner-Webb finally got possession at the Tribe 48 with 11:19 left in the first half.

It was one of those times when momentum can swing. Instead, the Catawba defense came out swinging one more time.

A first-down sweep was wiped out by Cross and safety Dyran Peake before it got to the corner.

A second down pass fell incomplete as Bulldog QBJeremy Martin had to fling as he fled from a trio of Tribe linemen.

Then on third-and-10, Sanders made like Mr. Sandman and put Martin to sleep for a 9-yard loss.

On fourth down, McManus punted back to the Tribe, as the entire Catawba sideline went crazy.

“We just did our roles,” said Sanders. “When everyone does that our defense can be pretty good.”

“The defense’s job is not to let them score,” said Cross. “No matter where they get the ball, and no matter what.”

The Tribe defense emerged from the locker room for the second half in no better mood than it had been in for the first 30 minutes.

Gardner-Webb’s first play of the second half was a run by Richardson. Montgomery almost jerked his helmet from his head, then burly ex-Kannapolis Wonder linebacker Steve McKnight drilled him in the mid-section. Then, Shawn McBride finished him off.

Two more incompletions and it was time for McManus to punt again.

The Tribe’s offense scored on the ensuing possession as QBMitch Ellis hit a leaping Cedric Squirewell in the end zone for a 21-0 lead.

When the Bulldogs got the ball again, things got no prettier. Tribe tackle Radell Lockhart sacked Martin for an 8-yard loss. Then came a penalty. Then came a short completion that became a fumble when Cross and Todd McComb leveled receiver Derek Middleton.

“Todd and I hit him at the same time,” said Cross. “Ididn’t even know he fumbled until I heard the crowd hollering.”

Peake pounced on the fumble, and moments later, Ellis had the Tribe in the Bulldog end zone one more time. This time on a pass to Nick Means.

“Don’t forget our offense was fired up too,” said Bennett. “They wanted to show they could move the ball on that Gardner-Webb defense.”

Now it was 28-0, and even though the scoreboard said there were still 24 minutes of football to be played, this one was all over.

Gardner-Webb finally did score in the second half. The Dogs got a TD when James gambled for an interception instead of conceding a short gain.

But it was a mistake of aggressiveness — not timidity — so James’ teammates could live with the defensive unit’s only error in 60 minutes of football.

“We wanted the shutout but we weren’t too disappointed,” said a grinning Sanders. “We’ll get some.”

“Nah, we didn’t get on Alvis,” said Lockhart. “They just got lucky. They couldn’t make that play again. No way.”

Even the Catawba 2s and 3s wouldn’t let the Bulldogs scratch down the stretch. They’d caught the defensive fever, as well. Huge Catawba reserve Montrice Smith nearly scored a touchdown that would have brought down the house when he rumbled with a fumble late in the contest.

Mostly, though, this was no contest at all.

Gardner-Webb’s vaunted size (over 300 pounds per man on the offensive line) was no match for the Tribe’s superior quickness.

It was a sweet win for Bennett, in its own way as tasty as last week’s payback victory over Presbyterian. Last week, the Tribe showed it could handle adversity. This week it showed it could handle success without losing its work ethic.

“I wanted this win,” said Bennett. “Wanted it so we could give gameballs to coach Gordon Kirkland’s family. Because 50 years ago he was talking God and family to his team, just like we’re trying to do this team now. He was a special man, and this is a special team. They came through for him today.”

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The Bulldogs were already on the bus when a beaming Bennett addressed his team shortly after the game.

“If they’ve (Gardner-Webb) got the best defense in the conference, then men, what in the world have we got!” he yelled.

This time the Tribe players talked with their mouths. They let out a roar that could probably be heard as far away as Boiling Springs.

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