SHAWNEE, Okla. – Harding held the prolific Oklahoma Baptist offense scoreless after their first possession, Cole Chancey rushed for 103 yards and three TD and the 23rd-ranked Bisons won 31-7 Saturday in Great American Conference action at Crain Family Stadium.
Harding improved to 4-1 overall and in the GAC, while Oklahoma Baptist fell to 3-2. It was Harding's sixth straight victory over Oklahoma Baptist dating to the 2015 season.
Oklahoma Baptist entered the game averaging almost 41 points and 487 yards of total offense. Harding held them to only a 57-yard TD pass on their first possession and just 267 yards of offense. Oklahoma Baptist rushed for only 3 yards on 16 carries, the fewest yards allowed by Harding since holding Southeastern Oklahoma to -3 yards in 2018.
OBU running back Tyler Stuever averaged 132.3 rushing yards per game entering Saturday. He had 15 yards against Harding. Quarterback Preston Haire had been sacked once all season. Harding sacked him three times and intercepted him twice.
The two interceptions and a huge special teams play gave Harding a 24-7 halftime lead.
Harding took control in the second quarter with Chancey scoring his 50th career rushing TD from 6 yards out on the first play of the period. He is one of only three active players in the NCAA with 50 or more rushing TD.
The first of two Harding interceptions came from Cory Batie, who stepped in front of a receiver, made the interception and returned it 31 yards to the OBU 34. It was Batie's first interception of the season and fourth of his career.
Harding had 4th-and-10 on the ensuing possession. Quarterback Preston Paden carried around the left side and was almost tackled short of the first down. With a defender hanging on him, he pitched to Taylor Bissell who went 23 yards to keep the drive alive.
Chancey scored on a 1-yard run to complete that drive and give Harding a 14-7 lead with 5:10 left in the quarter.
Oric Walker made Harding's next interception, the first of his career, on a pass deflected by J'Varius Wood. Walker returned the ball 32 yards, leading to a 37-yard field goal from Grant Ennis with 1:32 left.
Harding forced Oklahoma Baptist to punt late in the quarter. Cooper Carroll blocked the punt, corralled it at the 6 and ran it into the end zone to punctuate Harding's 24-point second quarter.
Oklahoma Baptist got nothing going offensively in the second half, and Harding used two long drives to eat up the clock.
Harding had a drive that lasted 9:01 and resulted in a missed field goal, but the final drive chewed up 7:04 off the clock, and Chancey scored from 2 yards out to seal the game.
Harding rushed for 245 yards but held possession for almost 40 minutes. The Bisons were 10 of 15 on third down and scored on their last four trips to the red zone.
The Bisons return to Searcy next Saturday, hosting Southern Nazarene. The Crimson Storm (0-5) lost 51-41 to Arkansas Tech Saturday in Bethany, Oklahoma.
Gallery: (10-2-2021) Football at Oklahoma Baptist
