#21 Harding vs. Southern Nazarene -- GAME NOTES

No. 21 Harding Bisons (4-1, 4-1) vs. Southern Nazarene (0-5, 0-5)
Oct. 9, 2021 • 2 p.m. • Searcy, Ark. • First Security Stadium

Game Story
Harding will look to extend its NCAA II-best home winning streak to 11 Saturday when it hosts Southern Nazarene for a 2 p.m. kickoff at First Security Stadium. Southern Nazarene has lost 13 consecutive games, including 11 straight GAC games.

Harding is coming off a 31-7 victory at Oklahoma Baptist Saturday at Crain Family Stadium. OBU scored first, then it was all Harding. Cole Chancey rushed for 103 yards and three TD, and Harding held Oklahoma Baptist to only 3 rushing yards. Southern Nazarene allowed 37 points in the second quarter and fell 51-41 to Arkansas Tech.

Senior fullback Cole Chancey has 4,182 career rushing yards, good for second at HU. He needs 33 yards to pass Alan Dixon (4,214, 1970-73) for the Harding record.

Through the first five games of the season, Harding has played the toughest schedule in the GAC. Harding's first five opponents have a combined record of 16-4 in their games against other teams.

Harding climbed two spots in the AFCA Top 25 Poll with the win over Oklahoma Baptist. The Bisons are No. 21 in the AFCA poll, No. 9 at D2Football.com and No. 12 at MasseyRatings.com.

Harding has averaged 358.8 rushing yards per game to lead NCAA Division II. Southern Nazarene has rushed for more than 200 yards in each of its last two games.

With three rushing TD vs. Oklahoma Baptist, Cole Chancey moved into second in career rushing TD among active NCAA players. Chancey has 52 rushing TD, trailing only Jaleel McLaughlin of Youngstown State with 58.

Chancey ranks fourth in Division II with 10 rushing TD. Southern Nazarene punter Ryan Reid leads the GAC with 44.1 yards per punt.

Harding has been called for 13 penalties through five games, the fewest in D2.

Up Next
Harding will clash with Henderson State in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, for a 2 p.m. kickoff. Harding has won two of the last three between the teams and three straight in Arkadelphia.

The Coaches
Paul Simmons is in his fourth season as head coach at Harding. He has a 34-10 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.

Dustin Hada (MidAmerica Nazarene '00) is 0-8 in two seasons at Southern Nazarene.

Series History
Harding and Southern Nazarene are meeting for the ninth time with Harding leading the series 7-1, including 3-1 in Searcy. The average margin in Harding's seven victories has been 42.4 points. Coach Simmons is 2-1 vs. Southern Nazarene.

Home/Road Records
Harding is 2-0 at home in 2021 and 14-4 at home under Simmons. The Bisons have won their last 10 home games. Southern Nazarene is 0-2 on the road and has lost nine straight road games.

Last Meeting
Junior slot back Tristan Tucker rushed for 120 yards and two TD, and Harding's defense held its third opponent of the season without a TD in a 31-3 victory over Southern Nazarene on Oct. 5, 2019, in Great American Conference action at First Security Stadium.

Tucker did most of his damage in the first half, rushing for 112 yards and scoring from 14 yards out with 6:22 left in the first quarter and on a 20-yard run early in the second quarter. It was his first career two-TD game.

Junior quarterback Preston Paden accounted for two TD in the second quarter, running one in from 5 yards out and connecting on a 27-yard pass to Baylor Cohu with 5:16 left for his second TD pass of the season.

Southern Nazarene punted on seven of its nine drives, scoring only on a 41-yard Ryan Reid field goal with 8:19 left in the third quarter.

Streaks, Trends and Records
Harding sophomore Grant Ennis is tied for the GAC lead with six field goals made and has made more extra points without a miss (21) than any other GAC kicker.

Harding junior Lionel Masivi had two pass breakups last week and is second in the GAC with five for the season.

Harding's defense has limited opponents to 71.6 rushing yards per game. The last time a Bison opponent rushed for more than 200 yards was Southeastern Okla. (203 yards) on Oct. 15, 2016, a span of 51 games.

Harding is 23-7 in senior quarterback Preston Paden's 30 career starts. With the win over East Central, Paden became Harding's career leader in quarterback wins.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

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

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

#9 Lionel Masivi: DB; 6' 1"; Junior

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

Players Mentioned

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

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

#9 Lionel Masivi
: 6' 1"; Junior
: DB

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