#10 Harding vs. Northwestern Okla. -- GAME NOTES

No. 10 Harding Bisons (7-1, 7-1) vs. Northwestern Okla. (1-7, 1-7)
Oct. 30, 2021 • 2 p.m. • Alva, Okla. • Ranger Field

Game Story
The 10th-ranked Harding Bisons, riding a six-game winning streak, travel to Alva to take on Northwestern Oklahoma, Saturday at 2 p.m.

Harding enters the game ranked No. 2 in the first NCAA Division II Super Region 3 Rankings. The top seven teams in the super region advance to the playoffs.

Harding has won three straight road games and nine straight against Northwestern Oklahoma, including the last four in Alva.

The Bisons are coming off a 64-7 Homecoming victory over Arkansas-Monticello Saturday. Harding scored a season-high seven rushing TD, blocked two punts resulting a TD and a safety, and scored on a 100-yard interception return. Northwestern piled up 481 total yards in a 47-27 home win over Southern Nazarene, its first victory of the season.

With its victory last week, Harding moved up two spots in the AFCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll to No. 10. The last time Harding was ranked 10th or higher was the Sept. 3, 2018 poll when the Bisons were seventh. Harding is ranked No. 3 in the D2Football.com Poll, No. 3 in the NCAA Power 10 and No. 8 at MasseyRatings.com.

Harding leads NCAA II with 360.2 rushing yards per game. The Bisons have eclipsed the 300-yard rushing mark in seven of eight games this season and in 15 of their last 16 GAC games.

Senior fullback Cole Chancey needs 150 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 (4,523) and rushing TD (59). Jaleel McLaughlin of Youngstown State is the only active player with more rushing TD (61). Chancey has scored a rushing TD in 14 straight GAC games. He has a career high 17 rushing TD in 2021, four off the school record of 21 by Park Parish in 2016.

Harding ranks second nationally in 3rd-down conversion percentage (53.8%). In the first two games of the season, Harding was 7 for 21 (33%) on 3rd down, but has converted 43 of 72 (60%) of third downs in the last six games.

Harding leads Division II in time of possession (36:27) and has won the TOP battle in 57 of its last 61 games dating to 2016.

Harding leads the GAC in fewest penalties (29), fewest penalties per game (3.62), fewest penalty yards (286) and fewest penalty yards per game (35.75).

Up Next
Harding returns home to play Southwestern Oklahoma for Senior Day. The Bisons have won the last four against the Bulldogs and have won six straight against Southwestern in Searcy. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.

The Coaches
Paul Simmons is in his fourth season as head coach at Harding. He has a 37-10 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.

Matt Walter (Northwestern Okla.) is 21-42 in seven seasons at NWOSU.

Series History
Harding and Northwestern Oklahoma are meeting for the 14th time with the Bisons leading 11-2. Harding has won the last nine meetings (last loss, 1976). The Bisons have won the last four in Alva (last loss, 1976). Harding is 5-2 against Northwestern in Alva.

Home/Road Records
Harding is 3-1 on the road in 2021 and 20-6 on the road under Simmons. Northwestern Oklahoma is 1-3 at home this season with its win coming last Saturday against Southern Nazarene.

Last Meeting
Junior fullback Cole Chancey recorded his second 200-yard rushing game of the season, and the Harding defense held Northwestern Oklahoma scoreless in the second half in a 47-13 victory over the Rangers on Oct. 26, 2019, at Ranger Field.

The victory was the seventh straight for 18th-ranked Harding. Northwestern Oklahoma lost its ninth straight to Harding.

Chancey rushed for 206 yards on 30 carries and two first-half TD. He became the first Harding player ever to rush for more than 200 yards twice in the same season and only the third to do so twice in a career.

Harding outscored Northwestern 27-0 in the second half with TD from Preston Paden, Tristan Tucker and Robert Wilcke combined with two Grant Ennis field goals.

Harding rushed for 413 yards and six TD. The Bisons eclipsed the 400-yard for the third consecutive game. Harding's offense also had a season-high 30 first downs. Northwestern had only 11 first downs.

Harding held a 40:09 to 19:51 advantage in time of possession.

Harding's Blocked Punts
With two blocked punts by Will Fitzhugh against Arkansas-Monticello, Harding became one of only three teams in Division II this season with four blocked punts. The other two are Savannah St. (SIAC) and Shaw (CIAA).

The Bisons lead D2 with 12.1% (4 of 33) of punts blocked. Northwestern Okla. is second at 12% (3 of 25). Harding's Fitzhugh and Northwestern's Gavin Garner are two of only 10 Division II players with two blocked punts this season.

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Players Mentioned

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

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

#27 Will Fitzhugh: RB; 6' 0"; Freshman

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

#6 Robert Wilcke: QB; 6' 0"; Senior

Players Mentioned

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

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

#27 Will Fitzhugh
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: RB

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

#6 Robert Wilcke
: 6' 0"; Senior
: QB