SEARCY – Harding turned a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit into a 42-30 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma on Saturday at First Security Stadium. Bison junior fullback Michael Latu scored three touchdowns in the final seven minutes of the game to give Harding the Great American Conference victory.
Harding trailed 30-21 with 10:02 left in the game as Northwestern quarterback Reid Miller connected with Justin Schanbacher on a 12-yard pass to culminate an 11-play, 59-yard drive.
The teams exchanged turnovers on the next two possessions. Following a Harding fumble, Bison linebacker Daylan Skidmore intercepted a Miller pass and returned it to the Harding 46. Harding quarterback Park Parish had runs of 10, 16 and 14 yards on a drive that finished with Latu scoring from 9 yards out with 6:20 left and Harding trailing 30-28.
Harding junior Trevon Biglow forced a Miller fumble on a sack on Northwestern's next possession. Sophomore defensive end T.J. Winslow recovered the fumble at the Northwestern 5. Latu scored on the next play, giving Harding the lead for good at 35-30. Latu scored again on Harding's final drive. Following a Northwestern punt down to the Harding 6, Latu rumbled 92 yards down to the Northwestern 2 and scored on the next play.
Records
Harding improved to 7-3 overall and in the GAC. The Bisons now lead the series with the Rangers 7-2 and have won all five meetings in Searcy. Northwestern Oklahoma fell to 3-7 overall and in the GAC.
Harding is now 20-3 against Oklahoma schools in GAC games.
Scoring Plays
Harding 7, Northwestern Okla. 0 – 12:16, 1st Quarter – Vanard Placide 17-yard pass from Park Parish. 5 plays, 54 yards, 2:13 (Key plays: Harding took over on downs. Zach Shelley 23-yard run into Northwestern territory.)
Northwestern Okla. 7, Harding 7 – 9:39, 1st Quarter – Zachry Doyle 13-yard run. 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:37 (Key plays: Reid Miller with five straight pass completions before the touchdown run).
Northwestern Okla. 9, Harding 7 – 7:35, 1st Quarter – Team safety (Play: Harding snapped the ball over the punter's head into the end zone).
Harding 14, Northwestern Okla. 9 – 4:38, 1st Quarter – Vanard Placide 76-yard run. 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:37 (Play: Placide, a wide receiver, scored on a reverse on 3rd-and-7 at the HU 24).
Northwestern Okla. 16, Harding 14 – 10:58, 2nd Quarter – Jarion Tudman 1-yard blocked punt return. (Play: Doc Harvey blocked Tristan Parsley's punt, and Tudman collected it at the 1 and scored).
Northwestern Okla. 23, Harding 14 – 7:09, 2nd Quarter – Justin Lord 17-yard pass from Reid Miller. 1 play, 17 yards, 0:06 (Key play: Northwestern took over after a Harding fumbled punt return and scored on the first play from scrimmage).
Northwestern Okla. 23, Harding 21 – Park Parish 2-yard run. 13 plays, 79 yards, 7:01 (Key plays: 13 plays, all runs on the drive).
Northwestern Okla. 30, Harding 21 – Justin Schanbacher 12-yard pass from Reid Miller. 11 plays, 59 yards, 4:15 (Key play: C. Davis Jr. rush for 10 yards on 3rd-and-8 at the HU 21).
Northwestern Okla. 30, Harding 28 – Michael Latu 9-yard run. 7 plays, 54 yards, 2:48 (Key play: Park Parish 16-yard rush on 3rd-and-7 at the NWOSU 41).
Harding 35, Northwestern Okla. 30 – Michael Latu 5-yard run. 1 play, 5 yards, 0:03 (Key play: Harding took over following a forced fumble on a sack by defensive end Trevon Biglow).
Harding 42, Northwestern Okla. 30 – Michael Latu 2-yard run. 2 plays, 94 yards, 0:38 (Key play: Michael Latu with a 92-yard run from the HU 6 to the NWOSU 2 on the first play of the drive).
Team Stats
Harding rushed for 433 yards on 60 carries, the fourth time this season the Bisons have gone over 400 rushing yards. Harding entered the game as the GAC's leader in rushing offense with 370.4 yards per game.
Harding's defense limited Northwestern Oklahoma to 314 yards, including only 33 rushing yards. The Rangers entered the game as the GAC's leader in passing at 322.3 yards per game. Northwestern had 281 passing yards but was sacked eight times for 55 yards in losses.
Harding's defense set a season high with 15 tackles for loss.
Harding scored on all five of its trips inside the red zone. Northwestern was only 3 of 5 on its trips inside Harding's 20.
Individual Stats
Junior fullback Michael Latu and junior quarterback Park Parish both rushed for over 100 yards. Latu had 167 yards on 15 carries and three touchdowns. Parish had 128 yards on 25 carries and one touchdown. It was the fourth time this season and the 18th time in program history that Harding had two rushers over 100 yards.
Latu's 92-yard run in the fourth quarter tied the longest run in program history. Romo Westbrook set the record last season against Ouachita Baptist.
Latu scored three rushing touchdowns for the first time in his career. It was the fourth time this season that a Harding player scored three rushing touchdowns or more.
Parish rushed for over 100 yards for the third time this season, becoming the first Harding quarterback ever with three games over 100 yards in one season.
Parish's 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was his 19th of the season, extending his school record. He also scored a touchdown for the 10th consecutive game, tying the Harding record that Alan Dixon set in 1972.
Junior defensive end Trevon Biglow had 3.5 sacks. Since 2000, his performance was second only to Travis DeSisso's 4.0 sacks against Arkansas-Monticello in 2004.
Northwestern Oklahoma's Reid Miller completed 32-of-48 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Next Week
Harding plays its final game of the regular season next Saturday against Arkansas Tech in Russellville. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.
