Postgame Interview with Head Coach Ronnie Huckeba
MONTICELLO, Ark. – The 14th-ranked Harding Bisons have owned the third quarter of games this season. That proved pivotal in Saturday's 55-15 victory over Arkansas-Monticello at soggy Convoy Leslie-Cotton Bowl Stadium.
Harding outscored Arkansas-Monticello 14-0 in the third quarter and set a school record with its ninth consecutive victory. The Bisons improved to 5-0 to start the season for the fifth time and the second time in the last three seasons. Arkansas-Monticello lost its fourth straight to Harding and fell to 1-5.
Harding has now outscored its opponents 56-0 in the third quarter this season. The Bisons used two long drives in the third quarter to put the game away after leading 27-15 at halftime.
Senior Ahmad Scott scored a 6-yard touchdown that completed a 9-play, 77-yard drive with 11:19 left in the third, and senior Romo Westbrook scored from a yard out at the end of a 12-play, 72-yard drive. The second touchdown gave Harding a 41-15 lead.
Westbrook carried 22 times for 150 yards. It was his third 100-yard game of the season and the ninth of his career, tying him with Chris Pierson (1996-97) and Jim Howard (1964-67) for fourth on Harding's career list. Alapeti Magalei added 53 rushing yards on 12 carries, Zach Shelley added 51 yards on four rushes, and Matthew Tenison rushed six times for 50 yards.
Harding's defense recovered six fumbles, one short of the school record, and held an opponent scoreless in the second half for the third straight game.
The Bisons entered the game as the top-ranked rushing team in NCAA Division II at 399.3 yards per game and improved on that average with a 454-yard effort on 72 rushes. Harding scored seven rushing touchdowns, its third straight game with seven or more.
Harding scored the first 21 points of the game and recovered four Arkansas-Monticello fumbles in the first half.
Harding quarterback Keenan Kellett rushed for two of his three first half touchdowns to give the Bisons a 14-0 lead after the first quarter.
Junior defensive lineman Lou Daranda stripped the ball away from Arkansas-Monticello quarterback Hunter Leppert and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown to give Harding a 21-0 lead with 14:43 left in the first half.
A series of Harding mistakes then led to 15 straight UAM points. Freshman running back Jeremy Jackson scored on a 39-yard run on a play where Harding's defense had only 10 players on the field. A Harding fumble led to Arkansas-Monticello's next score, a 7-yard touchdown pass from Leppert to Deadrien Terry. Harding's Darious Lane blocked the extra point, and the Bisons led 21-13.
On Harding's next possession, the Bisons lined up to punt but the snap was over the head of punter Tristan Parsley and into the end zone for a safety.
The next three drives all ended in turnovers, two fumbles for Arkansas-Monticello and an interception thrown by Harding. Bison defensive lineman Devon Carter recovered the second Boll Weevil fumble at the UAM 44.
Harding handed the ball to Westbrook five straight times to get to the UAM 2 where Kellett scored his third rushing touchdown of the game and the seventh in three games in his career against the Boll Weevils. The snap on the extra point was mishandled and Harding led 27-15 at halftime.
Scott (6 yards) and Tenison (19 yards) added touchdowns for the Bisons in the fourth quarter.
Harding returns to Searcy next Saturday for a matchup with undefeated Ouachita Baptist. The game begins at 6 p.m., but fans are encouraged to arrive early. At 5 p.m., Harding's 1959 team will dedicate the university's new scoreboard to its coach Carl Allison and to Dr. Clifton L. Ganus, Jr., in a ceremony behind the scoreboard.
