•    The 16th-ranked Harding football team will play its second straight road game Saturday at 6 p.m. when the Bisons take on Southern Nazarene at SNU Football Stadium in Bethany, Oklahoma.

•    The Bisons will be playing their first game as a nationally-ranked team this season. Harding entered the AFCA poll on Sept. 15 at No. 20 and is currently ranked No. 16, its highest ranking since being No. 12 in the Nov. 12, 2012 poll. The Bisons were ranked No. 22 in the Sept. 16 D2Football.com poll and are now No. 20.

•    Harding is looking to extend a six-game overall winning streak. It is the fifth-longest active winning streak in NCAA Division II. A victory would give the Bisons only their third winning streak of seven games or more in program history. The school record winning streak is eight games (10/28/72-9/29/73).
 
•    Harding enters the game with a five-game road winning streak, only two short of the school record of seven straight road wins from 1971-73.

•    Harding and Southern Nazarene are meeting for the third time with the Bisons leading the series 2-0. Harding won the first game of the series 42-13 in Bethany in 2012. In 2013, Harding defeated Southern Nazarene 63-21 in Searcy.

•    Saturday's game will be the 615th game in program history. Harding enters the game with a record of 299-297-18. The Bisons are seeking the 300th victory in program history.

•    Harding head coach Ronnie Huckeba is in his eighth season as head coach of the Bisons and has a record of 42-33.

•    Harding kicker John Gay made six extra points last week to surpass Jeremy Thompson as the Bisons' career leader with 116 extra points. He currently ranks 10th in extra points made among active Division II kickers.

•    Senior running back Romo Westbrook ranks fifth in career rushing yards at Harding with 2,072 yards. He needs 184 yards to pass former teammate Kale Gelles (2,256, 2008-11) for fourth place.

Last Game in One Paragraph
•    Redshirt freshman Zach Shelley and senior wide receiver Donatella Luckett both scored two touchdowns, and Harding's defense intercepted five passes in a 45-7 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma in Alva. Harding rushed for 310 yards and allowed only 35 rushing yards.

Winning Tradition
•    Harding has won 20 games in the last two-plus seasons. Harding won 18 games over the last two seasons, breaking the previous record of 17 wins in 1972-73.

•    Harding needs four more wins this season to break the school record for wins in three seasons. The Bisons from 1971-73 won 23 games.

•    Harding has played in the postseason in each of the last two years, a first for the Bison program. In 2012, Harding reached the NCAA II Super Region 3 Playoffs, meeting Northwest Missouri State, and last season the Bisons won the inaugural Live United Texarkana Bowl 44-3 over Texas A&M-Commerce.

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 41-33 overall record as head coach. Under Coach Huck, the Bisons are 15-20 on the road and 32-25 in conference games.

FIRST QUARTER SUCCESS
Harding led Northwestern Oklahoma 7-0 after the first quarter last Saturday, and has outscored its opponents 157-37 in the first quarter over the last 13 games. Over the last four-plus seasons, Harding has scored 428 first-quarter points to only 151 by its opponents.

AFCA Poll
Harding moved up four spots from No. 20 to No. 16 during its bye week. It is Harding's highest ranking since Nov. 12, 2012 when the team was No. 12.

The Series with Southern Nazarene
Harding and Southern Nazarene are only playing for the third time. The series started in 2012 and continued last season. Harding has scored 12 rushing touchdowns in the two games.

2012 meeting
    • Harding set a school record by running 79 rushing plays at Southern Nazarene.

2013 meeting
    • Harding rushed for 505 yards, the second-highest single-game total in program history.
    • Harding set a school record with 9.9 yards per rush.
    • Harding scored seven rushing touchdowns.
    • Harding gained 650 total yards, third-highest in a Bison single game, and set a school record with 11.0 yards gained per play.
    • Harding's defense had seven quarterback sacks.

Harding's individual best games against Southern Nazarene: RUSHING - D'Nico Jackson-Best (12 rushes, 103 yards in 2012); PASSING - Jacob Moore (2-of-3, 85 yards, 1TD in 2013); RECEIVING - Donatella Luckett (2 receptions, 60 yards in 2013); TACKLES  - Romas Roberson (10 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks in 2013).

Harding vs. Southern Nazarene – Last Meeting
Harding's flexbone offense continued its assault on the Great American Conference with 650 total yards in a 63-21 victory over Southern Nazarene on Sept. 28, 2013 at First Security Stadium.

Harding (2-1, 2-1) rushed for 505 yards and completed four passes for 145 yards in its third-highest offensive output in program history.

Junior Keenan Kellett made his first career start at quarterback for the Bisons after missing the first two games with an injury and scored on a 34-yard touchdown run on his second play from scrimmage.

Harding used 13 different rushers and scored seven rushing touchdowns, including two each from juniors Alapeti Magalei and Romo Westbrook. Third-string quarterback Park Parish led the Bisons in rushing with 86 yards on six carries and a touchdown.

Kellett and backup quarterback Jacob Moore both threw touchdown passes. Kellett hit junior Donatella Luckett on a 60-yard strike in the first quarter, and Moore found senior Alex Finley on a 35-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA LEFTOVERS
•    Harding moved above .500 as a program at 298-297-18. It is the first time Harding has had a winning record since the team was 2-1 in the 1924 season.
•    Harding extended its series lead to 6-4 over Southwestern Oklahoma, including 3-1 in GAC games.
•    Harding has won the last three games at home against Southwestern by a total of 150-41.
•    Harding is now 40-21-3 in season openers, has won 10 of its last 13, and eight straight at home.
•    Harding had a 226.0 passing efficiency, the seventh-best figure in program history. The Bisons completed 7-of-12 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Kellett's passing efficiency of 246.6 was a career best and the fifth-best ever by a Bison.
•    Keenan Kellett averaged 14.6 yards per pass attempt, completing 11 passes for 161 yards.
•    Harding limited Southwestern to only 7 rushing yards, tied for eighth-fewest by a Bison opponent and the second-best effort by Harding in a GAC game.
•    Harding's defense allowed only 197 total yards, its fourth-lowest figure in a GAC game.

NORTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA LEFTOVERS
•    Romo Westbrook scored his 21st career rushing touchdown on Harding's first play from scrimmage.
•    Donatella Luckett scored his 17th and 18th career touchdowns, the first on a 45-yard screen pass and the second on an 18-yard reverse. It was the shortest touchdown of his career.
•    Luckett had 105 receiving yards on five receptions, his third career game with over 100 receiving yards.
•    Redshirt freshman Zach Shelley led Harding in rushing with 87 yards on four carries with touchdowns of  29 and 52 yards.
•    Dennis Buckner became Harding's first defensive player since Philip Mion against Ouachita Baptist last season with two interceptions in a game.
•    Buckner returned the second interception 36 yards for a touchdown. Darious Lane was the last Bison to return an interception for a touchdown, last season vs. East Central.
•    Kicker John Gay made a 41-yard field goal, his fourth straight from 40 yards or more.
•    Harding rushed for 310 yards and four touchdowns to give HU 23 games of 300 rushing yards or more in its last 35 since 2011.
•    Harding made five interceptions, the most by Harding in a GAC game, third-most ever, and the first five-interception game since Oct. 10, 2009 against Ouachita Baptist.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
•    Harding's leading rusher after two games is backup quarterback Park Parish who has 147 rushing yards on 15 carries, a 9.8 yards-per-rush average. Parish has played four series in the first two games.

•    Senior Romo Westbrook ranks 29th among active players in NCAA Division II with 2,072 career rushing yards. He is 11th with 6.2 yards per carry and 41st with 21 rushing touchdowns.

•    Westbrook rushed for 100 yards on 18 carries vs. Southwestern Oklahoma for his seventh career 100-yard game. Only five running backs in Harding history have more 100-yard games. Mike Vanlandingham is next with eight.

•    Westbrook needs 184 rushing yards to move into fourth in career rushing yards at Harding.

•    Harding rushed for 325 yards against Southwestern Oklahoma and have now rushed for over 300 yards 22 times in the last 34 games since 2011.

•    Harding currently ranks No. 8 in NCAA II in rushing offense with 317.5 rushing yards per game. Harding ranked No. 3 in NCAA II in rushing offense last season with 359.7 yards per game. The Bisons rushed for over 300 yards eight times, over 400 yards four times, and over 500 yards once (505 vs. Southern Nazarene).

•    Harding has finished in the top five in rushing offense in each of the last four seasons.

    HARDING'S NCAA RUSHING OFFENSE RANKINGS (SINCE 2009)
    2013 - No. 3 (359.70)
    2012 - No. 4 (320.55)
    2011 - No. 1 (360.91)
    2010 - No. 5 (272.20)
    2009 - No. 124 (94.55) - HU's last season in the spread offense

•    Harding has scored 43.5 points per game in its first two games and ranked No. 15 in NCAA II. Harding ranked No. 7 in NCAA II last season in scoring offense with 43.5 points per game. It broke the previous school record of 35.5 points per game in 2011. The Bisons averaged 55.4 points per game in its five home games.

•    Harding has reached the Red Zone 11 times in two games and have scored six touchdowns and one field goal.

•    While Harding's offense is know for its huge rushing numbers, the Bisons currently rank No. 3 in NCAA II in passing efficiency (199.68) and No. 5 in yards per completion (20.43).

•    Harding wide receiver Donatella Luckett scored on a 45-yard touchdown reception and an 18-yard reverse vs. Northwestern Oklahoma. Luckett now has 18 career touchdowns, all of them of 18 yards or more and averaging 49.6 yards per touchdown.

•    Luckett has 2,669 all-purpose yards in his career to rank 13th all-time at Harding.

•    Senior Mike Thompson, a 1st Team All-GAC offensive lineman last season, anchors the Bison line. Thompson has started 24 consecutive games, including all 11 last season at left guard.

•    Senior Keenan Kellett is Harding's starting quarterback. He will make his 12th career start, and the Bisons have a 10-1 record in his previous 11 starts. Kellett has 14 career rushing touchdowns and 12 touchdown passes. Kellett has completed 14-of-21 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns. He leads the GAC with a 228.21 QB efficiency.

DEFENSIVE NOTES
•    Harding is allowing only 170.0 yards per game, second in NCAA II. The Bisons are giving up only 2.52 yards per play, the fewest of any team in the NCAA.

•    Harding leads NCAA II with only 21.0 rushing yards allowed per game, yielding only 7 yards against Southwestern Oklahoma and 35 yards against Northwestern Oklahoma.

•    Harding has a streak of eight straight games holding its opponents to less than 100 yards rushing.

•    Harding finished the 2013 season ranked No. 2 in rushing defense, allowing only 69.3 yards per game. Only three times did opponents rush for more than 100 yards in a game. Harding held opponents to below 50 yards five times.

•    Harding has finished in the top 13 in rushing defense in three of the last four seasons.

    HARDING'S NCAA RUSHING DEFENSE RANKINGS (SINCE 2009)
    2013 - No. 2 (69.3)
    2012 - No. 10 (96.4)
    2011 - No. 48 (130.6)
    2010 - No. 13 (90.0)

•    Harding leads NCAA II in turnover margin at +4.00, ranked third in interceptions (8), and ninth in turnovers gained (10).

•    Harding leads NCAA II in passing efficiency defense (65.74). The Bisons have intercepted eight passes and allowed only 48.6 completion percentage.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
•    Senior John Gay returns as Harding's kicker. Gay has made 21-of-27 field goal attempts in his career. including 7-of-8 from 40 yards or further. He is Harding's career record holder with 116 extra points. He needs 65 points will become Harding's career scoring leader.

•    Harding kickoff returner Donatella Luckett has 897 career kickoff return yards to rank ninth in program history.