Harding Game Notes

Today's Game
The No. 13 Harding football team will play the seven postseason game in program history Saturday at 1 p.m. when it takes on No. 5 Pittsburg State in the first round of the NCAA Division II Super Region 3 Tournament.

Harding is the No. 6 seed in Super Region 3. Pittsburg State is No. 3. The winner of the game will meet No. 2 Minnesota State-Mankato next Saturday in Mankato.

Harding is playing a postseason game for the third straight season. The Bisons made the NCAA Division II Playoffs in 2012 and played in the Live United Texarkana Bowl in 2013.

Harding's seven postseason games include:
    1972 Cowboy Bowl (Lawton, Okla.)
        Harding 30, Langston 27
    1976 San Jacinto Shrine Bowl (Pasadena, Texas)
        Abilene Christian 22, Harding 12
    1989 NAIA Playoffs (Emporia, Kansas)
        Emporia State 32, Harding 9
    1992 NAIA Playoffs (Searcy, Ark.)
        Central State 34, Harding 0
    2012 NCAA Division II Playoffs (Maryville, Mo.)
        Northwest Mo. St. 35, Harding 0
    2013 Live United Texarkana Bowl (Texarkana, Ark.)
        Harding 44, Texas A&M-Commerce 3

Harding had 14 players named All-Great American Conference and slot back Zach Shelley was named GAC Freshman of the Year.
    1st Team
    Romo Westbrook, SR, FB
    Donatella Luckett, SR, UT
    Tory Day, SR, OL
    Romas Roberson, SR, DL
    Dennis Buckner, SR, OLB
    Darious Lane, SR, CB
    Darious Lane, SR, ST
    2nd Team
    Ahmad Scott, SR, RB
    Alapeti Magalei, SR, FB
    David Lee, SR, C
    Mike Gallaway, SR, OL
    Trevon Biglow, SO, DE
    Daylan Skidmore, SO, ILB
    Devonte Britt, SR, S

The Bisons will be playing their ninth straight game as a nationally-ranked team. Harding entered the AFCA poll on Sept. 15 at No. 20 and is currently ranked No. 13. Harding's highest ranking was No. 12 on Nov. 12, 2012. The Bisons are at No. 13 for the second time this season.

Harding is currently on a school record nine-game road winning streak. The Bisons broke the record with a 28-24 victory over Henderson State on Oct. 25. Harding's streak began with a 28-14 victory over Southern Arkansas on Oct. 3, 2013.

Harding and Pittsburg State are meeting for the first time in football.

Saturday's game will be the 623rd game in program history. Harding enters the game with a record of 306-298-18. The Bisons earned their 300th victory at Southern Nazarene on Sept. 27.

Harding has overwhelmingly outscored its opponents in every quarter this season, but the greatest difference comes in the second half where the Bisons have outscored opponents 215-32. Harding has scored 230 points in the first half and 215 points in the second half.

Harding has scored on 39 of its 48 red-zone trips, with 36 touchdowns. Bison opponents have scored on only 14 of their 27 red-zone trips, with only 10 touchdowns.

Through ten games, Harding has 53 plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or more (36 rushing, 17 passing). Harding's opponents have 29 plays of 20 yards or more (7 rushing, 22 passing). Harding has 16 plays of 50 yards or more (eight of them rushing plays). Ahmad Scott leads Harding with nine plays of 20 yards or more, seven rushes and two kickoff returns.

Winning Tradition
Harding has won 27 games in the last three seasons. Harding won 18 games over the last two seasons, breaking the previous record of 17 wins in 1972-73.

Harding has broken the school record for wins in three seasons. The Bisons from 1971-73 won 23 games.

Head Coach Ronnie Huckeba
Harding is in its eighth season under head coach Ronnie Huckeba. Now in his 29th season as a coach at Harding, Huckeba has a 49-34 overall record as head coach.

Offensive Notes
Harding's offense enters the game ranked No. 2 in Division II in rushing offense (386.0 yards per game). Lenoir-Rhyne leads Division II with 415.5 rushing yards per game.

Harding has four of the top 20 single-game rushing yardage total in DII (5th - 500 vs. Southern Ark., 16th - 467 vs. Southeastern Okla., 17th - 462 vs. Southern Nazarene, and 20th - 454 vs. Ark.-Monticello).

Harding ranks No. 4 in DII in passing efficiency (169.72). The Bisons have completed 52 percent of passes for an average of 20.3 yards per completion. Harding has nine passing touchdowns and only five interceptions.

The Bisons rank No. 5 in NCAA II in scoring offense with 44.5 points per game. Harding, who leads the GAC in the category, has scored more than 40 points eight times this season.

Harding ranks No. 6 in DII in 3rd Down Conversion Pct. (51.5 percent). The Bisons have converted 70 of their 136 3rd Downs. Harding is also No. 9 in 4th Down Conversions at 66.7 percent (16-of-24).

Harding ranks No. 6 in NCAA II in time-of-possession. The Bisons average 34:31 and have won the TOP battle in nine of its 10 games.

Harding senior running back Romo Westbrook is second in career rushing yards with 2,841 yards. He needs 1,271 yards to pass Alan Dixon (1970-73) for first.

Westbrook rushed for 102 yards vs. East Central and eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season. He is at 1,059 yards, sixth most in a Harding season. Westbrook needs 41 yards to pass Kale Gelles (1,099 in 2010) for fifth.

Westbrook is one of only four Harding players to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season twice. The other three are Alan Dixon (1972 & 1973), Chris Pierson (1996 & 1997), and Kale Gelles (2010 & 2011).

Westbrook scored his 27th career touchdown vs. Southeastern Oklahoma and is third on Harding's career touchdowns list. He needs two more touchdowns to tie Kurt Adams (2006-10) for second.

Westbrook ranks No. 2 in the GAC and No. 36 in NCAA Division II with 105.9 rushing yards per game. He is No. 2 in the conference and No. 22 in DII with 6.34 yards per rush.

Westbrook ranks 21st among active players in NCAA Division II with 2,998 career rushing yards. He is 14th with 6.3 yards per carry and 41st with 26 rushing touchdowns.

With his 102-yard effort vs. East Central, Westbrook has 12 career 100-yard rushing games. He moved ahead of Kale Gelles (2008-11) for second. Alan Dixon is Harding's career leader with 21 100-yard games.

Westbrook has six 100-yard rushing games this season, tied for second in an HU single season. He exceded his total from last season and is tied with Alan Dixon (6, 1973) and Chris Pierson (6, 1997) and trails only Alan Dixon (8, 1972).

Westbrook and teammate Donatella Luckett could become just the second set of Harding teammates to have over 3,000 career all-purpose yards at the same time. Westbrook has 3,074 yards, with Luckett at 2,921. The other duo: Jeremy Holt (3,944 in 2008-11) and Kale Gelles (3,038 in 2008-11).

Harding rushed for 311 yards against Arkansas Tech and have now rushed for over 300 yards 30 times in the last 42 games since 2011. The Bisons have rushed for over 400 yards 14 times since 2011.

Harding wide receiver Donatella Luckett scored on a 3-yard reverse against Henderson State, only the second of his 20 career touchdowns that came inside the Red Zone. He still averages 48.1 yards per touchdown.

Senior Keenan Kellett is Harding's starting quarterback. He will make his 20th career start, and the Bisons have a 17-2 record in his previous 18 starts. Kellett has 17 career rushing touchdowns and 18 touchdown passes.

Defensive Notes
Harding's defense has allowed only three rushing touchdowns this season. The school record for fewest rushing touchdowns allowed is six, set by the 1962 team.

Harding ranks No. 5 in NCAA II in Turnovers Gained (33) and No. 6 in Fumbles Recovered (16).

Harding leads the GAC and ranks No. 5 in NCAA II in total defense, allowing just 268.7 yards per game.  The Bisons have held six opponents to 300 yards or fewer.

Harding's rush defense leads the GAC and ranks No. 3 in NCAA II at 70.3 yards per game. The Bisons have held eight of their 10 opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards.

Harding leads the GAC and is No. 4 in NCAA II in turnover margin. The Bisons have forced 33 turnovers, including 16 fumbles, and 17 interceptions. Harding has only 18 turnovers, 13 fumbles and five interceptions.

Harding's defense has allowed opponents only 27 trips to the Red Zone in 10 games, the fewest among GAC teams. Harding's offense has made 48 trips to the Red Zone. The Bisons lead the GAC and  rank No. 3 in NCAA II in Red Zone Defense, allowing only 14 scores (10 TD, 4 FG).

Harding has two defensive players in the top 50 in the GAC in tackles per game -- LB Daylan Skidmore (34th, 5.2 tackles per game) and DB Devonte Britt (40th, 4.9).

Special Teams Notes
Senior kicker John Gay made 5-of-6 extra points vs. Arkansas Tech.  Gay is Harding's record holder with 161 career extra points, ranks third in career scoring with 233 points (needs nine to pass Jeremy Thompson for second and 11 to pass Coy Nance for first). Gay has made 24-of-32 field attempts in his career, including 8-of-10 from 40 yards or more.

Harding kicker John Gay ranks fifth in the GAC and third among kickers in scoring with 6.9 points per game. Gay has made 57-of-60 extra points this season.

Harding has only punted 25 times this season, fewest in the GAC and second-fewest in NCAA II (Carson-Newman, 19).

Harding ranks fourth in the GAC with 21.0 yards per kickoff return and are one of five teams with a kickoff return touchdown.

The Bisons rank third in the GAC with 10.5 yards per punt return and are one of five teams with a punt return touchdown.

Harding kickoff returner Donatella Luckett has 918 career kickoff return yards to rank ninth in program history.

Sophomore linebacker Benjamin Shields is Harding's leading tackler on special teams with 10 tackles on kickoff returns. Junior Frank Herbert is second with eight tackles, all on kickoffs.