Box Score
SEARCY—The Harding Bisons rallied in the final minute of the game for a 43-40 season-opening victory over the Southwest Baptist Bearcats at First Security Stadium on Thursday night. It was Harding's sixth straight season-opening victory.
Harding and Southwest Baptist traded leads four times and combined for 31 points in the fourth quarter alone.
The Bearcats led 40-35 with 2:04 remaining and needed only to run out the clock for the victory. Harding's defense held Southwest Baptist to one yard on the first two downs. On the third down, Bearcat quarterback Steven Gachette, who passed for 379 yards and set stadium records with 40 completions on 61 attemtps, panicked and spiked the ball into the ground, stopping the clock with 1:15 remaining.
Sophomore Zac Ross returned the ensuing punt 20 yards to give Harding possession at Southwest Baptist's 26-yard line with 1:02 remaining.
After throwing a pair of incomplete passes, Harding quarterback David Knighton found senior Heath Adams for a 19-yard gain, moving to the 12-yard line. Knighton then completed a pass to Ross, who reached the 1-yard line, and senior Ardell Briggs followed with the game-winning touchdown run with 32 seconds remaining.
Senior Rocky Hall intercepted a pass from Gachette to end the game.
The Bisons led 28-24 after the third quarter, but Southwest Baptist took the lead with 13:36 left when Gachette completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Deon Whiteside, giving the Bearcats a 31-28 lead.
Junior quarterback David Knighton connected with redshirt freshman Jordan Watson for a 44-yard touchdown on the following possession to give the Bisons a 35-31 lead.
Southwest Baptist took the lead and the momentum over the next three minutes. Gachette collected his fourth touchdown pass of the game on a 10-yard pass to Lamarcus Windham. Kicker Jeremy Ware missed the extra point but Southwest Baptist retook the lead 37-35.
After Harding and Southwest Baptist exchanged possession on fumbles, Southwest Baptist regained possession on when Jordan Jackson intercepted a pass from Knighton at Harding's 15 yard line. Ware kicked a 34-yard field goal to extend Southwest Baptist's lead to 40-35 with 10:17 remaining.
Knighton completed a career-high 28 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed 11 times for 51 yards.
Webster was Harding's leading rusher with seven carries for 56 yards. He also had five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. Watson had six carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns.
Southwest Baptist compiled 519 yards of total offense and had 28 first downs, tying the most ever by an opponent at First Security Stadium.
Harding trailed 14-0 to open the game and allowed two safeties in the second quarter but scored two touchdowns in the second quarter to lead 21-18 at halftime.
The Bisons will play again Sept. 8 against Missouri Southern beginning at 6 p.m. in Joplin, Mo. The Lions were 51-0 winners over Haskell on Thurday.
