BOILING SPRINGS (AP) — Carlton Aiken threw for 296 yards and pair of scores and his 6-yard TD toss to Naril Gaither sent Gardner-Webb past Presbyterian 31-24 in double overtime on Saturday.

Gaither ran for 154 yards on 18 carries and set a Gardner-Webb (2-0) record with a 96-yard romp late in the first quarter for the game’s first score.

Presbyterian’s last lead of the day came at the end of an 11-play, 82-yard drive with 70 seconds left in regulation when Tyler Huff’s intended receiver could not haul in a pass which ricocheted into the hands of running back Delvecchio Powell II who ran it in from 20 yards for a 24-21 Blue Hose advantage (0-1).

On the ensuing drive, Aiken marched the Bulldogs from their own 28 to Presbyterian’s 20 to set up Kurt Everett’s 37-yard field goal as time expired. Huff threw for 307 yards and two scores and was intercepted twice.

James Madison 20, Elon 17

ELON (AP) — Percy Agyei-Obese’s 8-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter lifted FCS top-ranked James Madison to victory over Elon in the Colonial Athletic Association opener.

The go-ahead touchdown came after James Madison blocked a punt to start a drive at the 33-yard line, fumbled the ball away five plays later at the Elon 10 then recovered a fumble on the next play, also at the Phoenix 10. Two plays later Agyuei-Obese went in untouched for the go-ahead score with 7 1/2 minutes remaining. Elon went three-and-out on its next possession then James Madison consumed the final six minutes on the ground.

The Dukes (3-0, 1-0) went 1 of 9 on third-down conversions through three quarters but backup quarterback Gage Moloney came on to lead both fourth-quarter Dukes touchdown drives, passing 18 yards to Antwane Wells to close within 17-13.

Ethan Ratke kicked two field goals for the Dukes, who were ranked No. 1 this week for the first time since 2017.

JR Martin threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Bryson Daughtry and McKinley Witherspoon had a 1-yard scoring run with six seconds left in the first half as Elon (1-2, 0-1) led 17-3.

VMI 30, Western Carolina 7

CULLOWHEE (AP) —  Korey Bridy ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns to lead VMI to a 30-7 victory over Western Carolina.

It was the second straight win for VMI (2-0, 2-0 Southern Conference), which opened its season with a 14-10 victory over then-No. 10 Furman, its first win over a ranked opponent since 2002.

Bridy scored on a 6-yard run in the first quarter and from the 1 late in the third. Both touchdowns capped long drives. Reece Udinski had a TD pass and completed 30 of 41 passes for 239 yards for the Keydets. Jerry Rice made field goals from 27, 29, and 32 yards.

Western Carolina’s Mikai Stanley ran for a 5-yard touchdown with 6:30 remaining to cap the scoring. Donnavan Spencer had 98 yards rushing on 18 carries for the Catamounts (0-6, 0-3), who played four games in the fall and had their first home game this season.

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