Football 10/21/2021 10:18:00 AM Scott Goode (10/21/21)

#12 Harding vs. Arkansas-Monticello -- GAME NOTES

No. 12 Harding Bisons (6-1, 6-1) vs. Ark.-Monticello (4-3, 4-3)
Oct. 23, 2021 • 3 p.m. • Searcy, Ark. • First Security Stadium

Game Story
The 12th-ranked Harding Bisons, riding a five-game overall winning streak and an 11-game home winning streak, welcome Arkansas-Monticello to First Security Stadium for Homecoming 2021.

Harding has two other streaks on the line Saturday. The Bisons have won six straight Homecoming games (last loss, 2013) and nine straight over Arkansas-Monticello (last loss, 2009).

Harding is coming off a 46-21 victory over No. 9 Henderson State Saturday in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Cole Chancey rushed for 231 yards and 4 TD to earn GAC Offensive Player of the Week. Arkansas-Monticello managed only 165 total yards in a 34-0 home loss to Ouachita Baptist.

Harding is 41-17-2 (.700) all-time on Homecoming. The Bisons have won six straight and 26 of their last 30, dating to 1990. Harding has played Arkansas-Monticello 10 times for Homecoming with a 4-6 record. The Weevils won the last meeting on HU Homecoming 46-43 in 2008.

With its victory last week, Harding moved up eight spots in the AFCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll to No. 12. The last time Harding was ranked 12th or higher was the Nov. 18, 2019 poll when the Bisons were also 12th. Harding is ranked No. 4 in the D2Football.com Poll, No. 5 in the NCAA Power 10 and No. 8 by MasseyRatings.com.

Harding leads NCAA II with 363.1 rushing yards per game. The Bisons have three of the top 11 rushers in the GAC: Cole Chancey (792 yards, 3rd), Omar Sinclair (528, 5th) and Preston Paden (355, 11th).

Senior fullback Cole Chancey is needs 208 rushing yards the rest of the season to become the first Harding player ever with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

Chancey is the NCAA Division II active leader in rushing yards (4,465) and rushing TD (57). He has scored a rushing TD in 13 straight GAC games. Chancey has tied his career high with 15 rushing TD in 2021, six off the school record of 21 by Park Parish in 2016.

Harding's defense leads the GAC in scoring defense (13.9), total defense (267.4), rushing defense (84.1), blocked kicks (3), first downs allowed (102), and fumbles recovered (6).

Harding leads Division II in time of possession (36:38) and has won the TOP battle in 56 of its last 60 games dating to 2016.

Harding leads the GAC in fewest penalties, drawing only 3.57 flags per game. Arkansas-Monticello is 11th at 10.29 penalties per game.

Up Next
Harding returns home to play Arkansas-Monticello for Homecoming 2021. The Bisons have won their last nine games against the Boll Weevils, including five straight in Searcy. Kickoff is at 3 p.m.

The Coaches
Paul Simmons is in his fourth season as head coach at Harding. He has a 36-10 overall record and led Harding to the NCAA II Playoffs in each of his first three seasons, including a spot in the national semifinals in 2017. He is in his 15th season at Harding and had been Harding's defensive coordinator for the previous seven seasons. Simmons was a three-time All-American defensive end and linebacker at Harding from 1992-94.

Hud Jackson (McNeese St. '92) is 38-68 in 11 seasons at Ark.-Monticello.

Series History
Harding and Arkansas-Monticello are meeting for the 56th time with the Bisons leading the series 31-24. Harding has won nine straight overall, the longest winning streak by either team in the series. The Bisons have won the last five meetings in Searcy and are 15-13 vs. UAM in Searcy.

Home/Road Records
Harding is 3-0 at home in 2021 and 15-4 at home under Simmons. The Bisons have won their last 11 home games, the longest home winning streak in Division II. UAM is 2-1 on the road and has won its last two.

Last Meeting
Harding junior cornerback Cory Batie intercepted two passes, returning one for a TD and the second to set up a field goal, and led the Bisons to a 24-0 victory over Arkansas-Monticello on Sept. 14, 2019, in Great American Conference action at First Security Stadium.

The shutout was Harding's first in 55 games against Arkansas-Monticello. Harding scored all of its points in the first half.

Batie stepped in front of a Caleb Canady pass at the HU 25 and took the interception 75 yards down the sideline to give the Bisons a 14-0 lead with 7:31 left in the first quarter. Batie struck again just before halftime. A Harding fumble gave UAM the ball at Harding's 32. Three plays later, on 4th-and-12, Canady overthrew his intended receiver and Batie had his second interception. He ran this one back 77 yards to the UAM 6. With just seven seconds left before halftime, freshman Grant Ennis kicked a 23-yard field goal for what turned out to be the last points of the game.

Batie's returns were the fourth and sixth-longest interception returns in program history. His 152 interception return yards broke the Harding record of 100 return yards by Bershard Tillman against Northeastern State in 1999. In addition to his interceptions, Batie tacked on five tackles, including a tackle for loss, and broke up two other passes.

Cole Chancey vs. Henderson St.
In Harding's win over Henderson State, Cole Chancey rushed for 231 yards and 4 TD. It was his third 200-yard rushing game and two yards off his career high of 233 yards vs. Oklahoma Baptist in 2019. It was the most rushing yards ever by an HU player vs. Henderson State and the first 4-TD game by a Bison vs. the Reddies. Chancey's 70-yard TD run was also the longest rush by a Harding player vs. Henderson State.

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Players Mentioned

#12 Cory Batie: DB; 5' 11"; Senior

#34 Cole Chancey: RB; 5' 11"; Senior

#84 Grant Ennis: K; 5' 11"; Sophomore

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

#23 Omar Sinclair: RB; 5' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#12 Cory Batie
: 5' 11"; Senior
: DB

#34 Cole Chancey
: 5' 11"; Senior
: RB

#84 Grant Ennis
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: K

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

#23 Omar Sinclair
: 5' 8"; Junior
: RB