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Harding University Athletics

2022 Football vs. Northwestern Okla - 2.jpg
7
Northwestern Okla. NWO 1-8 , 1-8
28
Winner Harding HAR 7-2 , 7-2
Northwestern Okla. NWO
1-8 , 1-8
7
Final
28
Harding HAR
7-2 , 7-2
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
NWO Northwestern Okla. 0 0 0 7 7
HAR Harding 7 7 7 7 28

Game Recap: Football |

No. 21 Harding Upends Northwestern Oklahoma on Homecoming 2022

SEARCY – 21st-ranked Harding scored four rushing touchdowns and limited Northwestern Oklahoma to only one score in four red-zone attempts in a 28-7 Great American Conference victory on Homecoming at First Security Stadium.

It was Harding's 11th straight victory over Northwestern Oklahoma and boosted the Bisons's record to 7-2 overall and in the GAC. Northwestern fell to 1-8. It was Harding's eighth straight Homecoming win.

Freshman slot back Braden Jay and senior safety Cade Pugh both touched the ball twice in the first half, and when they did, good things happened for Harding.

Northwestern drove to the Harding 13 on its first possession, but Pugh picked off a pass in the end zone for his second interception of the season.

Later in the quarter, Jay took a pitch around the left side and outran the Northwestern defense for a 67-yard touchdown, his longest run of the season and second score. The Bisons led 7-0 with 4:44 left in the first quarter.

Pugh struck again in the second quarter. On the 14th play of a drive that lasted more than six minutes, Pugh intercepted another pass at the Harding 2-yard line and returned it 63 yards down the sideline before being pushed down from behind at the Northwestern 35.

Four plays later, Jay took another pitch around the left side, weaved his way through traffic, and scored his second touchdown of the game from 14 yards out. Harding led 14-0 with 42 seconds left in the half.

Northwestern struggled to move the ball on its last possession of the half, and Harding's Grant Fitzhugh blocked a punt at the Northwestern 9-yard line. Kendale Allen recovered it and returned the block to the 2-yard line but was tackled with no time left in the half.

Harding stopped a fake punt on Northwestern's first drive of the second half, and a seven-play, 41-yard drive ended with a 2-yard touchdown run from sophomore slot back Jhalen Spicer, his sixth touchdown of the season. Harding led 21-0 with 7:51 left in the third.

Northwestern's only score came at the end of a 21-play drive that lasted more than 10 minutes and spanned the third and fourth quarters.

Harding put the game away with a 73-yard touchdown run from redshirt freshman quarterback Cole Keylon with 7:36 left in the game. It was his fifth touchdown and his longest run of the season.

Keylon led Harding with 118 rushing yards on 14 carries, his second 100-yard rushing game.

The Bisons, who entered the game as the top team in Division II in third down conversions, were 7 of 10 on third down Saturday.

Harding finished with 351 rushing yards, eclipsing the 200-yard rushing mark for the 40th straight GAC game.

Harding's defense limited Northwestern to only 3.6 yards per play. Pugh finished with nine tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions and a quarterback hurry. Sophomore linebacker Clark Griffin also had nine tackles, and senior defensive end Jay Marshall had 1.5 sacks.

The Bisons play their final road game of the regular season next Saturday at Southwestern Oklahoma in Weatherford before concluding the regular season at home against Arkansas Tech on Nov. 12.




 
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