Harding Rallies, Falls In OT To No. 17 Delta State

By Amanda Pruitt

Senior quarterback David Knighton passed for 523 yards and seven touchdowns

Box Score

Box Score

SEARCY — Harding senior quarterback David Knighton passed for more than 500 and seven touchdowns Saturday, but No. 17 Delta State had a 500-yard passer of its own in Garrett DeWitt. Harding rallied to score 21 points in the fourth quarter to tie the game, but the Statesmen won 56-49 in overtime at First Security Stadium.

Knighton tied a school and Gulf South Conference record with 42 completions, good for 523 yards, just three yards short of the school record he set last November in a 62-55 victory over Arkansas Tech. His seven touchdown passes also tied a Harding record.

Harding (1-3, 0-1 GSC) began its late-game comeback when junior wide receiver Kurt Adams caught a 23-yard touchdown pass while on his back in the endzone to cut the Statesmen's lead to 49-35 with 13:24 left in regulation.

The Bisons defense, which had given up 487 yards through the first three quarters, held Delta State to a three-and-out and received possession at the Statesmen's 45-yard-line. Harding scoed two plays later when Knighton completed a passed to freshman Jeremy Holt, who broke away for a 40-yard touchdown with 11:07 remaining.

Delta State (2-1, 1-0) marched the ball to Harding's 1-yard line on the following possession, but Dedrick Wilson fumbled and the ball was recovered by senior linebacker Sevohn Greer with 6:33 left in the third quarter. The Bisons later scored when Knighton found senior running back Alan Webster for a wide-open 16-yard touchdown to tie the game 49-49 with 2:14 left.

The Statesmen quickly scored in overtime when Betterson caught a 9-yard pass for a touchdown, his fourth of the game. Harding got a first down when Delta State was called for a penalty, but could not score as Delta State won 56-49. It was Harding's first overtime loss since 1999.

Delta State improved to 9-0-1 all-time against the Bisons. Harding fell to 5-18 all-time against nationally ranked teams.

Both offenses featured passing and lots of it. Harding and Delta combined for 1,051 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns. The teams collected only 72 yards of combined rushing.

Adams caught six passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns, breaking the school record with seven consecutive games with a receiving touchdown. He tied Santiago Collins (2000-2003) for fourth in career touchdowns with 16. Sophomore Jordan Watson set career bests with nine catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns.

DeWitt threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter to give Delta State an early 21-0 lead. The Statesmen widened the scoring margin when Chad Schroeder ran back a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown as his team led by 28 points with 13:54 left in the first half.

Harding finally got on the scoreboard when Adams caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Knighton, but Garrett passed for his fourth touchdown four minutes later to make the score 35-7 with 5:56 remaining in the half.

Knighton passed to Watson for an 11-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 35-14 with 4:54 left in the second quarter. On the following kickoff by Ryan Ferrell, the Bisons recovered. The next play, Knighton completed a 40-yard touchdown to Julian Firman to give Harding its second touchdown in nine seconds.

Delta State led at halftime 35-21, and the Statesman led 42-28 after the third quarter.

DeWitt completed 36-of-57 passes for 514 yards and six touchdowns. Schroeder caught 13 passes for 165 yards, and Betters caught eight passes for 83 yards and four touchdown.

Harding will be televised as the GSC Game of the Week next Thursday against North Alabama in Florence, Ala., at 7 p.m.

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