Harding Football Faces Road Test at Southeastern Oklahoma

Harding Game Notes

•   Harding will continue its push for its second straight postseason berth Saturday when it takes on Southeastern Oklahoma in Durant at 2 p.m. The Bisons enter the game ranked No. 10 in the NCAA Division II Super Region 3 Rankings.

   NCAA Super Region 3 Rankings
   1.   Northwest Missouri State (8-0)
   2.   Minnesota State-Mankato (8-0)
   3.   Minnesota Duluth (7-1)
   4.   St. Cloud State (7-1)
   5.   Henderson State (8-0)
   6.   Pittsburg State (7-1)
   7.   Missouri Western State (7-1)
   8.   Washburn (8-0)
   9.   Emporia State (7-0)
   10.   Harding (5-2)

•   Saturday's game will be matchup of the Great American Conference's top two running backs. Harding junior Romo Westbrook leads the GAC with 109.9 rushing yards per game, and Southeastern freshman Devlon Wortham is second at 107.9 rushing yards per game. Westbrook will be looking to become only the second Harding player ever to rush for more than 100 yards in five consecutive games. Alan "Snake" Dixon rushed for 100 or more seven straight games in 1972.

•   Harding is coming off a 45-30 loss to No. 5 Henderson State on Homecoming Saturday in Searcy. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Bisons.

•   Southeastern Oklahoma is also coming off a loss. Southeastern lost 25-21 on Saturday to Northwestern Oklahoma in Alva. The teams combined for 691 rushing yards (SOSU - 284, NWOSU - 307).

•   Harding enters the game as D2's leader in rushing yards per game (398.4), yards per rush (7.04), and rushing touchdowns (37). The Bisons are the only team in D2 averaging more than 7.0 yards per rush.

•   Four D2 teams have scored eight rushing touchdowns in a game this season. Harding is the only team to do it twice (vs. Northwestern Okla., 9/14 & vs. Ark.-Monticello, 10/12).

•   Harding also leads D2 with 25.49 yards per pass completion. The Bisons average 7.10 more yards per reception than second-place Lenoir-Rhyne (18.39).

•   Harding has scored a touchdown in 23 of 28 quarters played this season.

•   Harding and Southeastern Oklahoma are meeting for the 25th time with the Bisons leading the series 17-7 overall. Harding has won four of the last five meetings, including a 31-9 victory last season in Durant.

•   Saturday's game is the eighth of 10 GAC games for the Bisons. The 2013 season will be the first in program history that every game of the regular season is a conference game.

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