SEARCY – Harding football will look to open a season with three straight wins for the first time since 2004 on Saturday when the Bisons play future Great American Conference foe Southern Nazarene in Bethany, Okla. Kickoff at SNU Football Stadium is at 6 p.m.

The game will air live in Searcy on KVHU 95.3-FM with Billy Morgan and Jerry Mote on the call. Live stats and a live blog will be available on HardingSports.com, and the game will be replayed Monday on the Harding Sports Network.

Saturday's game will be Harding's third straight on the road to open 2012. The first two road games have been impressive victories for the Bisons. Harding defeated North Alabama 31-10 in Florence and cruised to a 52-7 victory over Arkansas-Monticello last Saturday. The Bisons last won their first three road games of a season in 2002, when the team finished with a 9-2 overall record.

Harding, which led Division II in rushing yards per game in 2011, has continued that success in the first two games. The Bisons are averaging 325.0 rushing yards per game, good for fifth in Division II, and have three of the top 10 rushers in the GAC. Senior quarterback Kelvin Martin leads the Bisons with 63.0 rushing yards per game.

Martin has also found a weapon at wide receiver. Sophomore Donatella Luckett, a converted fullback, has caught seven of Martin's nine completions for 223 yards and three touchdowns. Luckett leads the GAC with 111.5 receiving yards per game and leads Division II with 31.86 yards per reception.

Harding's defense is ranked in the top 10 in Division II in several categories, but perhaps the most telling are the Bisons' red zone numbers. In two games, Harding's opponents have only reached the red zone (inside the Harding 20-yard line) four times, and scored only one touchdown.

Harding defense is only allowing 8.5 points per game and has not allowed a touchdown pass. Senior linebacker Aaron Gillaspie leads the Bisons in tackles with 13, eight of them on rushing plays. He also has forced a fumble and has one of Harding's two interceptions.

Harding's special teams have also played a factor in its early season success, especially on punt returns. Senior Roderick Cohn ranks second in Division II with a 29.8-yard punt return average. Three of his four returns have gone for 30 yards or more, and he was named GAC Special Teams Player of the Week after returning three punts for 84 yards against Arkansas-Monticello.

The Bisons' opponent this week is a team in transition. Southern Nazarene has been playing football since 2000 in the NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference, but is now a provisional member of NCAA Division II and will play a full GAC schedule next season.

Southern Nazarene is off to an 0-3 start and is coming off a 17-7 loss to Friends University in Wichita, Kan. The Crimson Storm has struggled offensively (-13 rushing yards on the season) but has a defense that has forced nine turnovers and scored two of the team's six touchdowns.

Getting off to a good start in the game could be key for both teams. Harding has outscored its opponents 35-3 in the first quarter, while Southern Nazarene has been outscored 56-0.