Football 10/25/2018 3:11:00 PM by Scott Goode (10/25/18)

No. 23 Harding vs. East Central -- GAME NOTES

#23 Harding Bisons (6-2, 6-2) vs. East Central Tigers (2-6, 2-6)
Oct. 27, 2018 • 4 p.m. • Ada, Okla. • Koi Ishto Stadium

Game Story
No. 23 Harding will look to run its regular-season road winning streak to 10 games Saturday when it travels to Ada, Oklahoma, to meet East Central for a 4 p.m. kickoff at Koi Ishto Stadium. The Bisons have scored at least 40 points in its four road wins this season.

Harding is ranked No. 8 in the first NCAA Super Region 3 Rankings. The top seven teams reach the NCAA Division II Playoffs at the end of the regular season.

Harding is ranked No. 23 in the AFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll. East Central is not ranked. Harding is ranked No. 16 by MasseyRatings.com with East Central at No. 111.

Harding won its second straight game with a 38-7 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma Saturday on Homecoming. Preston Paden scored three rushing TD, and Taylor Bissell had 124 all-purpose yards. T.J. Winslow had 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

East Central held 22nd-ranked Southern Arkansas to only six points in the first half, but allowed 42 points in the second half of a 48-9 loss Saturday in Magnolia. Trinity Benson had 129 all-purpose yards for the Tigers. Southern Arkansas gained 504 total yards.

Up Next
Harding returns to First Security Stadium for the first of two straight home games to close out the regular season. The Bisons will host Southeastern Oklahoma for a 2 p.m. kickoff. Harding holds a 22-7 series advantage and is 12-1 against Southeastern in Searcy.

The Coaches
Paul Simmons is in his second season as head coach at Harding. He has a 17-6 overall record and led Harding to the national semifinals in 2017. He is in his 13th season at Harding and had been Harding's defensive coordinator for the previous seven seasons before becoming head coach in 2017. Simmons was a three-time All-American defensive end and linebacker at Harding from 1992-94.

Al Johnson is in his first season at East Central and has a 2-6 record. He is a 2014 graduate of Southern New Hampshire.

Series History
Harding holds a 13-3 series lead and has won the last six. Harding has won the last two in Ada and four of the last five.

Home/Road Records
Harding is 4-0 on the road this season and has won nine consecutive regular season road games. East Central is 2-2 at home with wins over Ark.-Monticello (29-27) and Southwestern Okla. (18-11). Harding has scored more than 40 points in its four road games this season. No Division II team has scored 40 or more points in five straight road games in the last three seasons.

Last Meeting
Harding's offense rolled up more than 500 yards, the defense had two takeaways that turned into touchdowns and the Bisons won their seventh straight game 44-13 over East Central Saturday on Senior Day (Nov. 11, 2017) at First Security Stadium.

Harding had 27 first downs and converted 9-of-11 third downs. The Bisons rushed for 445 yards and had 542 total yards.

Cole Chancey led Harding with 118 rushing yards on 12 carries. Harding had five rushing TD by five different players and a 31-yard Dra Smith interception return TD.

RayJohn Austin-Ramsey completed 11-of-26 passes for 158 yards and an interception. Trinity Benson led ECU with three receptions for 92 yards.

Streaks, Trends and Records
Harding has outscored its opponents 90-7 in the first quarter of its first seven games. Only Oklahoma Baptist has scored against Harding in the first quarter.

Harding is second in D2 in rushing yards (2,469) and first in rushing TD (33). Harding is 14th in yards per rush (5.55).

Harding leads D2 with an average of 35:34 time of possession. The Bisons have held at least a six-minute advantage in every game this season. Shepherd (35:02) is the only other D2 team to average more than 35 minutes per game.

RB Cole Chancey has 1,877 career rushing yards and is tied with Joe David Smith (1973-76) for ninth in career rushing at Harding. With 81 yards, Chancey will pass Glenn Segars (1,957, 1982, 84-87) for eighth. Chancey is tied with Terrence Dingle for sixth in career rushing TD at 21. He will tie former teammate Zach Shelley (22, 2014-17) for fifth with his next rushing TD.

Harding vs. ECU
Tony Becton has 5 tackles, 3 PBU, 1 INT, 1 FF in 3 games ... Sam Blankenship has 18 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.0 sack in 3 games ... Cole Chancey had 12 rushes for 118 yards last season ... Jon Aaron Howell has 6 tackles, 1 PBU in 3 games ... Daylon Markham has 10 tackles in 3 games ... Dra Smith had 4 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 INT-TD last season ... T.J. Winslow 7 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 PBU in 3 games.

A Quick Look at East Central
East Central has only scored more than 10 points once in its last five games ... ECU has lost only four fumbles this season, fewest in the GAC ... ECU averages 16.86 yards per punt return, tops in the GAC and eighth in D2 ... ECU converts only 22.0 percent of third downs, lowest in the GAC and third-lowest in D2 ... ECU allows 28.50 yards per kickoff return, highest in the GAC and third-highest in D2.

WR Trinity Benson averages 97.63 all-purpose yards per game, third-most in the GAC ... DB Lynden Edwards has eight pass breakups and one interception ... Cameron Jones is one of two GAC players with a punt return TD this season.

Team Leaders
HARDING
Rushing - Cole Chancey: 103 rushes, 540 yards (5th GAC), 6 TD (6th GAC); Tristan Tucker: 53 rushes, 482 yards (7th GAC), 5 TD (7th GAC); Preston Paden: 100 rushes, 332 yards, 10 TD (2nd GAC)
Passing - Preston Paden: 21-40, 486 yards, 5 TD (9th GAC)
Receiving - Taylor Bissell: 7 receptions, 251 yards, 1 TD
Defense - Sam Blankenship: 48 tackles; T.J. Winslow: 6.0 sacks (1st GAC); V'Onte Williams, Dra Smith: 2 INT
Punting - Cameron Scott: 28 punts, 42.4 avg. (1st GAC)
Kicking - Cameron Scott: 6 for 10 FG, 38 for 39 PAT

East Central
Rushing - Trinity Benson: 40 rushes, 285 yards, 3 TD (15th GAC)
Passing - David Cornwell: 69-142, 613 yards (11th GAC), 6 TD (6th GAC)
Receiving - Trinity Benson: 37 receptions, 378 yards (12th GAC), 4 TD (7th GAC)
Defense - Justin Hayden: 64 tackles (9th GAC), 3 INT (6th GAC); Corey Williams: 9.0 TFL (6th GAC); Andre Shelton: 3.5 sacks (6th GAC)
Punting - Jack Preston: 58 punts, 41.5 avg. (2nd GAC)
Kicking - Bobby Schmidt: 4 for 5 FG, 7 for 10 PAT

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Players Mentioned

#1 Terrence Dingle: QB; 5' 10"; Junior

#28 Zach Shelley: RB; 5' 7"; Senior

#3 Tony Becton: DB; 5' 10"; Senior

#42 Sam Blankenship: LB; 6' 3"; Senior

#34 Cole Chancey: RB; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#16 Jon Aaron Howell: DB; 5' 11"; Senior

#1 Daylon Markham: DB; 5' 10"; Senior

#11 Preston Paden: QB; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#26 Taylor Bissell: RB; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#18 Cameron Scott: K/P; 6' 1"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#1 Terrence Dingle
: 5' 10"; Junior
: QB

#28 Zach Shelley
: 5' 7"; Senior
: RB

#3 Tony Becton
: 5' 10"; Senior
: DB

#42 Sam Blankenship
: 6' 3"; Senior
: LB

#34 Cole Chancey
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: RB

#16 Jon Aaron Howell
: 5' 11"; Senior
: DB

#1 Daylon Markham
: 5' 10"; Senior
: DB

#11 Preston Paden
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: QB

#26 Taylor Bissell
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: RB

#18 Cameron Scott
: 6' 1"; Junior
: K/P