Harding Game Notes
Great American Conference Weekly Notes
SEARCY – Harding continues its drive toward the Great American Conference championship on Saturday as the Bisons host Ouachita Baptist on Homecoming 2011. Kickoff at First Security Stadium is at 3 p.m. The new Jim Citty Football and Athletic Training Complex will be dedicated that morning at 11 a.m.
Harding and Ouachita Baptist enter the game as two of three teams remaining in the GAC with fewer than two conference losses.
The Bisons are 3-5 overall and 2-1 in GAC play after defeating Southwestern Oklahoma 70-28 on Saturday at First Security Stadium. It was the second time this season Harding scored 70 or more points. The Bisons rushed for 479 yards, the second-highest total ever, and was the fourth time this season Harding rushed for more than 450 yards.
Ouachita Baptist is 5-2 overall and 4-0 in GAC play. The Tigers lead the GAC standings and are ranked No. 8 in the first NCAA Division II South Central Region Poll. The top six teams advance to the NCAA II Tournament at the end of the regular season. Ouachita Baptist has won its last two, including a 53-43 victory over Southern Arkansas last Saturday in Arkadelphia.
GAME NOTES
* In Harding's three wins, the Bisons have outscored their opponents 70-0 off turnovers.
* Harding enters the game as the leader of Division II in rushing yards per game. The Bisons' 384.1 yards per game is 49.7 yards more than second-place Midwestern State.
* Harding and Ouachita Baptist are meeting for the 53rd time with the Bisons leading the series 28-20-4. Harding holds a 14-8-2 lead in games played in Searcy and has won 10 of the last 11.
* Harding currently averages 454.2 yards per game (9th in Division II). The school record for total offense is 459.2 yards, set in 2008.
* Harding is 19th in Division II in third-down conversions at 47% and fourth in fourth-down conversions at 74%.
* Harding has scored 26 touchdowns in the red zone this season, and all 26 have been rushing touchdowns.
* Harding is 493 rushing yards away from breaking the single-season school record of 3,565 rushing yards by the 1972 team. The Bisons have 33 rushing touchdowns, only three short of the 1972 team's mark of 36.
* Harding senior Jeremy Holt took over the lead in the GAC in all-purpose yards per game at 129.9. He has had over 100 all-purpose yards in five of Harding's eight games this season. Holt is sixth in career all-purpose yards at Harding with 3,689 yards and needs 133 yards to pass Santiago Collins (3,821, 2000-03) for fifth.
* Thirteen different Harding players have at least one rush of 20 yards or more this season.
* Harding senior Kale Gelles leads the GAC and ranks 19th in Division II with 104.3 rushing yards per game. He needs only 18 yards to become just the fourth Harding player with 2,000 rushing yards in a career.
* Gelles has nine career 100-yard rushing games. He needs one more to become just the second Harding player with 10 or more 100-yard games in his career. Alan “Snake” Dixon had 21 from 1970-73.
* Harding quarterback Chaz Rogers has completed 12 passes this season, five of them for touchdowns, and leads the GAC in QB efficiency at 194.3.
* Senior left guard Garrett Taylor leads Harding with 273 knockout blocks this season. Second place is sophomore center Dallon Hudson with 222.
* Harding enters the game as the GAC's leader in total defense (321.5), rushing defense (100.5), sacks (23), and opponent first downs (16.6).
* The Bisons have scored a school-record six defensive touchdowns this season. Last week, junior Jasper Bodiford joined former Bison Rob Stroud (1996) as the only two players to return two interceptions for touchdowns in the same season.
* Harding ranks 11th in Division II in rushing defense and allow a GAC low 3.1 yards per carry. The Bisons have held five opponents below 100 rushing yards this season.
* Harding has returned four of its 11 interceptions for touchdowns.
* Harding's leading tackler, Aaron Gillaspie, ranks ninth in the GAC with 6.6 tackles per game.
* The Bisons' top two tacklers on special teams are junior James Feher (7) and senior Dempsey Bonner (6).
* Harding has outscored its opponents 87-27 in the first quarter this season.
