Harding Game Notes
SEARCY – Harding football will play the second of three road games to start the season Saturday against Arkansas-Monticello at Convoy Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium. Kickoff is at 6 p.m., and the game will be aired live in Searcy on KVHU 95.3-FM.
Harding's season opener went well. The Bisons defeated North Alabama 31-10 and unveiled sophomore
Donatella Luckett as a wide receiver who will get opponents' attention. Luckett had five receptions for 136 yards and two did-you-see-that touchdowns.
Defensively, Harding's experienced squad limited North Alabama to 19 passing yards, one touchdown, and no trips inside the red zone. Senior defensive ends
Ty Powell and
Josh Aldridge both had two sacks, and senior linebacker
Aaron Gillaspie had his first career interception, setting up Harding's first touchdown.
Last season, Harding opened with an impressive 63-14 victory at Southern Arkansas, but struggled in a week-two loss at home against Henderson State.
The Bisons' week-two opponent in 2012 has played an unusual schedule in its first two games. Arkansas-Monticello opened with College of Faith, an on-line institution from Memphis that has changed its name three times in three years. Harding fans might remember them as Shepherd Tech, the team the Bisons defeated 75-0 last season in Searcy.
The Boll Weevils won their first game 78-0, and then lost 31-24 to NCAA Division I opponent Northwestern State (La). Arkansas-Monticello had more total yards (276-256) but threw three interceptions and gave up the game-winning touchdown with 5:41 left in the game.
Both Harding and Arkansas-Monticello have stellar numbers against the pass early in the season. The Bisons allowed only 19 yards on 18 passing attempts in the opener, and the Boll Weevils have yielded only 166 passing yards and have three interceptions.
Harding and Arkansas-Monticello will be playing for the 48th time. The Weevils have a scant 24-23 lead in the series, but the Bisons have won 12 of 23 meetings in Monticello. The two teams did not meet last season.
