Harding Football Game Notes
Great American Conference Notes
Pregame interview with Head Coach Ronnie Huckeba
The game will be streamed live on HardingSports.com and will air on KVHU 95.3 FM in Searcy with Billy Morgan and Jerry Mote on the call.
The Bisons enter the game 2-3 after falling 31-17 to West Alabama in Livingston last Saturday. Harding had six turnovers in the game and allowed West Alabama to rush for 280 yards on 47 carries.
West Georgia enters the game 2-2 after losing 50-30 at home to Henderson State. Wolves quarterback Emmanuel Taylor rushed for 67 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 180 yards and two more touchdowns in the loss.
GAME NOTES
* Harding has a +7 turnover margin and has outscored its opponents 49-0 off turnover in its two wins. The Bisons have a -11 turnover margin and have been outscored 70-7 off turnovers in its three losses.
* Harding leads West Georgia the all-time series 7-3 and his 4-0 vs. the Wolves in Searcy.
* West Georgia defeated Harding 28-21 last season in Carrollton, Ga. Harding rushed for 288 yards on 68 carries, the fifth-most rushes in a single game in Bison football history.
* Harding is 40-19 in home games since 2000.
* Harding enters the game as the Great American Conference leader in rushing offense with 371.2 rushing yards per game. In fact, the Bisons lead all of Division II in the category. Harding's 6.4 yards per carry rank second nationally and its 19 rushing touchdowns rank fourth.
* Harding has scored 26 touchdowns this season, nine more than any other team in the GAC.
* Harding ranks second in the GAC in third-down conversions (47.8) and first in fourth-down conversions (75%).
* Senior Kale Gelles leads the GAC in rushing at 107.2 yards per game. Gelles missed the West Alabama game with an injury but should be back against West Georgia. Gelles, currently 11th on Harding's career rushing list with 1,680 yards, could move all the way to sixth with a 100-yard rushing outing.
* Junior quarterback Chaz Rogers has scored eight rushing touchdowns, the most ever by a Harding quarterback. Only Jake Spitzlberger of Nebraska-Kearney, who has nine, has scored more rushing touchdowns at quarterback in Division II this season.
* Harding's top offensive lineman based on post-game film grades thus far this season is sophomore left tackle Jeremiah Vivio (85%), followed by senior left guard Garrett Taylor (80%).
* Harding's defense leads the GAC in total defense (233.4), rushing defense (94.2), passing defense (139.2), first downs allowed (13.4) and sacks (3.2). The Bisons are second in Division II in total defense and ninth against the pass.
* Only Slippery Rock (12.2) allows fewer first downs in Division II than Harding (13.4).
* Harding's leading tackler is junior linebacker Aaron Gillaspie with 35. He is tied for seventh in the GAC with 7.0 tackles per game.
* Eddy Carmona made a 50-yard field goal at West Alabama and became only the second Harding kicker ever with two field goals of 50 yards or more in the same season. Brent Goodwin made two 54-yard field goals in 1990.
* Junior James Feher leads Harding in special teams tackles with six, all on kickoff returns.
* Harding has outscored its opponents 66-7 in the first quarter and 104-37 in the first half.
