Football 10/4/2018 9:16:00 AM by Scott Goode (10/4/18)

No. 19 Harding vs. Ouachita Baptist - GAME NOTES

#19 Harding Bisons (4-1, 4-1) vs. #6 Ouachita Baptist Tigers (5-0, 5-0)
Oct. 6, 2018 • 6 p.m. • Searcy, Ark. • First Security Stadium

Game Story
Two of the top 10 rushing teams in Division II will go at it Saturday as 19th-ranked Harding hosts sixth-ranked Ouachita Baptist for a 6 p.m. kickoff at First Security Stadium. Harding leads D2 with 336.8 rushing yards per game. Ouachita is 10th with 284.8 rushing yards per game.

Harding is ranked No. 19 in the AFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll with Ouachita Baptist ranked No. 6. Harding is ranked No. 13 by MasseyRatings.com with Ouachita at No. 8.

Harding is coming off a 47-21 victory over Arkansas-Monticello Saturday in Monticello. Harding rushed for 357 yards and had six rushing TD. Jesse Honnas led Harding in rushing for the first time in his career with 75 yards. Harding limited UAM to only 56 rushing yards and 291 total yards. Cameron Scott landed all five of his punts inside the 20-yard line, tying a school record.

Ouachita Baptist defeated Arkansas Tech 24-7 Saturday in Arkadelphia. Tech outgained Ouachita 432-357 but threw three interceptions, one returned 100 yards by Keandre Evans for a TD late in the game. Kris Oliver led Ouachita with 110 rushing yards on 21 carries with one TD.

Up Next
Harding goes on the road to Southwestern Oklahoma next Saturday for a 2 p.m. kickoff. Harding leads the all-time series 8-5, but Southwestern has won the last two meetings in Weatherford.

The Coaches
Paul Simmons is in his second season as head coach at Harding. He has a 15-5 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.

Todd Knight is in his 20th season at Ouachita Baptist and has a 105-94 record. He is a 1986 graduate of Ouachita Baptist.

Series History
Harding leads the all-time series 32-23-4. Harding leads 15-10-2 in Searcy and snapped a three-game winning streak by Ouachita in Searcy with a 24-20 win in 2016.

Home/Road Records
Harding is 1-1 at home this season and 26-7 at home since 2012. Ouachita Baptist is 2-0 on the road with wins at Northwestern Okla. (29-21) and Southeastern Okla. (32-16).

Last Meeting
Harding rushed for 348 yards and four TD, and senior kicker Tristan Parsley made a 50-yard field goal that proved to be the difference in the Bisons' 31-28 victory over Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia last season. The victory was the third straight for Harding, who would go on to win the next eight games.

With the game tied at 14-14, Parsley kicked his career-long field goal to give Harding a lead it never relinquished.

Two long scoring drives in the second half sealed the victory for the Bisons. Harding went on an 11-play, 94-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard TD by quarterback Terrence Dingle. Harding extended its advantage to 31-21 with 10:28 left on a 4-yard TD run by Cole Chancey.

Grant Kimberlin rushed for 101 yards on seven carries, his second straight 100-yard game.

Streaks, Trends and Records
Harding has outscored its opponents 69-7 in the first quarter of its first five games. Ouachita has outscored its opponents 35-7 in the first quarter and 103-17 in the first half.

Harding leads the GAC and ranks 20th in D2 in third-down conversion defense. UAM was just 1-of-13 on third down, and Harding's opponents have converted just 18 of 67 third downs (26.9 percent). Harding also leads the GAC in fourth-down conversion defense (5th in D2), allowing only 1 of 11 (9.1 percent) conversions.

Harding has scored 24 rushing TD (tied with Davidson for first among all NCAA teams) and allowed no rushing TD. Harding and Northwest Missouri are the only two D2 teams who have not allowed a rushing TD.

Harding has scored 294 rushing touchdowns in the last six seasons and has allowed 56. The Bisons have rushed for 23,960 yards and allowed 5,808 yards in the last six seasons.

Harding leads the GAC and ranks fourth in D2 with 3.60 penalties per game. The Bisons have only been penalized 36.00 yards per game (leads GAC, eighth in D2).

Neither Harding nor Ouachita Baptist has thrown an interception this season. They are two of only four NCAA D2 teams without an interception.

Sam Blankenship had 14 tackles vs. OBU last season ... Cole Chancey rushed 16 times for 97 yards and 1 TD ... Daylon Markham has 17 tackles and a FR in two games vs. OBU ... Christian Witt has 15 tackles in his last two games vs. OBU.

A Quick Look at Ouachita Baptist
Ouachita Baptist leads the GAC in net punting (41.05), passes intercepted (11), scoring defense (10.4), tackles for loss allowed (3.80), passing efficiency defense (84.63), sacks (2.40), turnover margin (+1.80), turnovers lost (5).

OBU kicker Cole Antley leads the GAC in field goal pct. (87.5) and field goals per game (1.40) ... Keandre Evans leads the GAC in passes defended (2.2 per game) ... Shun'cee Thomas leads the GAC and ranks eighth in D2 with 7.16 yards per rush.

Team Leaders
HARDING
Rushing - Tristan Tucker: 41 rushes, 442 yards (1st GAC), 5 TD (5th GAC); Cole Chancey: 54 rushes, 320 yards (7th GAC), 3 TD (8th GAC); Preston Paden: 62 rushes, 222 yards, 7 TD (2nd GAC)
Passing - Preston Paden: 12-25, 288 yards (12th GAC), 3 TD
Receiving - Taylor Bissell: 4 receptions, 144 yards, 1 TD
Tackles - Sam Blankenship: 34 tackles; T.J. Winslow: 4.0 sacks (1st GAC); V'Onte Williams: 2 INT (5th GAC)
Punting - Cameron Scott: 20 punts, 42.5 avg. (1st GAC)
Kicking - Cameron Scott: 4 for 7 FG, 27 for 27 PAT

OUACHITA BAPTIST
Rushing - Kris Oliver: 67 rushes, 419 yards (4th GAC), 6 TD (4th GAC); Shun'cee Thomas: 50 rushes, 354 yards (6th GAC), 2 TD; Brockton Brown: 36 rushes, 160 yards, 7 TD (2nd GAC)
Passing - Brayden Brazeal: 52-83, 613 yards (9th GAC), 1 TD
Receiving - Allie Freeman: 28 receptions, 293 yards (12th GAC), 1 TD
Tackles - Airric Parker: 29 tackles; Dameyun McDonald: 4.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks; LaFoy Smith: 4.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks
Punting - Jake Ford: 20 punts, 41.4 avg. (3rd GAC)
Kicking - Cole Antley: 3 for 3 FG, 19 for 20 PAT

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Players Mentioned

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

#5 Grant Kimberlin: RB; 5' 8"; Senior

#80 Tristan Parsley: K/P; 5' 9"; Senior

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

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

#35 Jesse Honnas: RB; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#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

#5 Grant Kimberlin
: 5' 8"; Senior
: RB

#80 Tristan Parsley
: 5' 9"; Senior
: K/P

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

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

#35 Jesse Honnas
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: RB

#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