Skip To Main Content

Harding University Athletics

Harding University Athletics, go to homepage

Schedule

Events

Schedule
All Events

Football by Scott Goode (11/2/17)

Harding Football vs. East Central - GAME NOTES

Harding Bisons (6-3, 6-3) vs. East Central Tigers (2-7, 2-7)
Nov. 4, 2017 • 2 p.m. • Searcy, Ark. • First Security Stadium

Game Story
Harding will honor 13 seniors in a pregame ceremony before taking a six-game winning streak into its final home game against East Central. Kickoff at First Security Stadium is at 2 p.m.

Harding enters Saturday 6-3 and just one game back of Arkansas Tech and Ouachita Baptist and in third place in the Great American Conference standings. The Bisons are ranked No. 10 in the second NCAA Super Region Three Rankings. The top seven teams adavnce to the NCAA Division II playoffs.

East Central is 2-7 overall and in the GAC and tied for 10th in the 12-team conference. Both of East Central's wins have come on the road.

Saturday's game is a matchup of two of the top three rushers in the GAC, and both are freshmen. East Central's Ontario Douglas leads the conference with 917 rushing yards, and Harding's Cole Chancey is third with 710.

Harding enters the game as the NCAA Division II leader in rushing yards per game (351.7) and tied for second in rushing TD (34). Harding has rushed for more than 300 yards six times this season and for 200 or more yards in 56 of its last 57 GAC games, including the last 22 straight.

Harding's defense enters the game as the top unit in the GAC in rushing defense (109.2 yards per game) and total defense (307.6) and second in scoring defense (20.2). 

The Bisons' defense has allowed only three points in the last three games.  The last time Harding held four consecutive opponents to fewer than 10 points was the last game of 2013 (44-3 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce) and the first three games of the 2014 season. The fewest points ever allowed by Harding in four games is 10 in 1965.

Harding has outscored its opponents 91-14 off turnovers this season, including 77-0 in the last six games.

Up Next
Harding will play its final regular season game at Arkansas Tech Saturday, Nov. 11. Kickoff at Thone Stadium will be at 2 p.m. Harding has won five of the last six meetings between the teams.

The Coaches
Harding's Paul Simmons is in his first season as the head coach of the Bisons. He is in his 12th season at Harding and had been Harding's defensive coordinator since 2010. Simmons was a three-time All-American defensive end and linebacker at Harding.

Tim McCarty, a 1985 Fort Hays State graduate, is in his 11th season as head coach of the Tigers. He is 46-68 at East Central.

Series History
Harding leads the all-time series 12-3 overall and 8-0 in Searcy. The Bisons have averaged 39.4 points in the eight home games against East Central and allowed only 19.3. Harding has won five straight overall and averaged 403.8 rushing yards with 23 rushing TD during the winning streak.
 
Home/Road Records
Harding is 2-2 at home this season and has won its last two. The Bisons have averaged 329.8 rushing yards and have 15 rushing TD. Both of East Central's wins this season have come on the road, 55-34 at Oklahoma Baptist and 24-16 at Henderson State.

Last Meeting
Harding scored three third-quarter touchdowns and defeated East Central 35-7 in 2016 at Koi Ishto Stadium in Ada.

The Bisons rushed for 459 yards on 64 carries and scored four TD. Harding's defense limited East Central to only 142 total yards and five first downs.

Harding had seven players rush for 40 yards or more, led by Brandon Gates with 76 yards on four carries. Terrence Dingle started the game and completed 4-of-6 passes for 74 yards and a TD and added 30 rushing yards.

Streaks, Trends and Records
Zach Shelley averages 9.0 yards per carry in his career, which is the highest among active players at any level in the NCAA (min. 2,000 yards) -- Bryce Love (Stanford) is second at 8.7 ... ranks sixth at Harding in career rushing yards (2,410), 56 yards behind Park Parish (2,446, 2012-16) and fifth in career rushing TD (20) ... ranks eighth with 3,304 all-purpose yards, 22 behind Romo Westbrook (3,326, 2011-14).

Harding freshman Cole Chancey needs 112 rushing yards to break Alan Dixon's freshman record of 822 rushing yards, set in 1970. 

Against East Central: Tony Becton has 3 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF and 2 PBU in 2 games ... Sam Blankenship has 9 tackles, 0.5 TFL in 2 games ... Andrew Dather has 4 receptions, 112 yards and 2 TD in 3 games ... Terrence Dingle has 14 rushes for 57 yards and 2 TD and 4-of-6 passing for 74 yards and 1 TD in 2 games ... Brandon Gates has 6 carries for 132 yards (22.0 avg.) in 2 games ... Grant Kimberlin had 4 rushes, 61 yards last season ... Zach Shelley has 9 rushes, 126 yards, 2 TD in 3 games ... T.J. Winslow has 4 tackles, 2.0 TFL in 2 games.

With three more PATs made, Tristan Parsley will become Harding's career leader. He has 165, behind only John Gay (167, 2011-14).

Harding has won the time-of-possession battle in all nine games and ranks third in Division II at 35:49 per game. Harding has won TOP in 23 of its last 25 games. Harding's 42:30 TOP last week was second most for the Bisons since 1997, trailing only 43:58 at Henderson State in 2014.

A Quick Look at East Central
East Central won its opener against Oklahoma Baptist, then lost six straight before defeating Henderson State 24-16 on the road. The Tigers lost 38-10 to Arkansas Tech on Homecoming in Ada. East Central has lost all five of its home games and has an 11-game home losing streak, the third longest in NCAA II ... East Central's defense has only five sacks and two interceptions in nine games ... Tiger opponents have returned five interceptions for TD and have returned 12 interceptions for 326 yards ... East Central has scored 78 points in the second quarter and only 27 in the third quarter.

Team Leaders (GAC Rank in parenthesis)
HARDING
Rushing - Cole Chancey: 121 rushes, 710 yards (3rd), 8 TD (6th); Zach Shelley: 75 rushes, 599 yards, 3 TD; Grant Kimberlin: 49 rushes, 512 yards, 2 TD; Terrence Dingle: 116 rushes, 414 yards, 13 TD (2nd)
Passing - Terrence Dingle: 23-of-54, 448 yards, 4 TD
Receiving - Andrew Dather: 9 receptions, 169 yards, 1 TD
Tackles - Sam Blankenship: 77 tackles (3rd); Devyn Comer: 8.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks (5th); V'Onte Williams: 3 INT (5th)

EAST CENTRAL
Rushing - Ontario Douglas: 166 rushes, 917 yards (1st), 7 TD (7th)
Passing - Rayjohn Austin-Ramsey: 109-of-191, 1,412 yards (9th), 10 TD (6th)
Receiving - Trinity Benson: 46 receptions, 579 yards (3rd), 3 TD; Dezmon Jackson: 27 receptions, 429 yards, 3 TD; Devyn Williams: 24 receptions, 317 yards, 4 TD (11th)
Tackles - Camnik Campbell: 58 tackles (9th); Patric Edwards: 7.5 TFL
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Park Parish

#15 Park Parish

QB
5' 10"
Senior
Tony Becton

#3 Tony Becton

DB
5' 10"
Junior
Sam Blankenship

#42 Sam Blankenship

LB
6' 2"
Junior
Devyn Comer

#13 Devyn Comer

DL
6' 1"
Junior
Andrew Dather

#18 Andrew Dather

WR
6' 1"
Senior
Terrence Dingle

#1 Terrence Dingle

QB
5' 10"
Junior
Brandon Gates

#4 Brandon Gates

RB
5' 10"
Junior
Grant Kimberlin

#5 Grant Kimberlin

RB
5' 8"
Senior
Tristan Parsley

#80 Tristan Parsley

K/P
5' 9"
Senior
Zach Shelley

#28 Zach Shelley

RB
5' 7"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Park Parish

#15 Park Parish

5' 10"
Senior
QB
Tony Becton

#3 Tony Becton

5' 10"
Junior
DB
Sam Blankenship

#42 Sam Blankenship

6' 2"
Junior
LB
Devyn Comer

#13 Devyn Comer

6' 1"
Junior
DL
Andrew Dather

#18 Andrew Dather

6' 1"
Senior
WR
Terrence Dingle

#1 Terrence Dingle

5' 10"
Junior
QB
Brandon Gates

#4 Brandon Gates

5' 10"
Junior
RB
Grant Kimberlin

#5 Grant Kimberlin

5' 8"
Senior
RB
Tristan Parsley

#80 Tristan Parsley

5' 9"
Senior
K/P
Zach Shelley

#28 Zach Shelley

5' 7"
Senior
RB
© 2026 Harding University Athletics Box 12281 Searcy, AR 72149
Phone: 501-279-4760