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Harding University Athletics

2023 football gameday image vs. SAU

Football Scott Goode (10/19/23)

#6 Harding vs. Southern Ark. -- GAME NOTES

#6 Harding Bisons (7-0, 7-0) vs. Southern Ark. Muleriders (6-1, 6-1)
Oct. 21, 2023 • 2 p.m. • El Dorado, Ark. • Memorial Stadium

Starting 11 for Harding vs. Southern Ark.
Below are 11 Facts and Stats about this week's game. You can read the full game notes by clicking on the link.
  1. Harding and Southern Arkansas are the top two rushing teams in NCAA Division II ... Harding leads DII with 387.6 rushing yards per game, and Southern Arkansas is second with 281.7 yards per game.
  2. KEY STAT: Harding has allowed only 75 opponent first downs, the fewest in DII among teams playing seven games, and Southern Arkansas' offense has the sixth-most offensive first downs with 171.
  3. This will be the 59th meeting between HU and SAU with the Bisons leading 30-27-1 ... Harding has won three straight and 14 of the last 16 meetings ... the Bisons won the only meeting in El Dorado 23-20 in 2012.
  4. No. 7 Harding went the entire game with no punts and no turnovers and the Bison defense came up with two huge fourth-down stops in a 37-17 victory over Southern Arkansas last season in Great American Conference action at First Security Stadium ... Harding rushed for 448 yards, and Will Fitzhugh scored three rush TD.
  5. On Oct. 6, 2012, in Harding's only other game in El Dorado, SAU held HU to only 127 rushing yards but the Bisons returned a blocked field goal for a TD and a blocked extra point for a 2-point conversion, and John Gay kicked the game-winning field goal from 44 yards out to give Harding a 23-20 victory.
  6. Harding is ranked No. 6 in the AFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll ... Harding has appeared in 59 consecutive AFCA polls ... Harding is No. 7 in the D2Football.com poll and No. 4 at MassingRatings.com ... HU was last ranked No. 6 in the final poll of the 2017 season.
  7. Harding's current 11-game winning streak is tied for the second-longest in program history and trails only the longest winning streak in program history of 13 games from Sept. 3-Dec. 3, 2016 ... HU is 7-0 for the second time in program history, also in 2016.
  8. Harding has outscored its opponents 77-9 in the first quarter of games this season and has only allowed one first-quarter TD (vs. UAM).
  9. The Bison defense has only allowed one TD in its last 36 drives over three-plus games.
  10. HU has limited its opponents to fewer than 100 passing yards for three consecutive games for the first time since the last game of the 1988 season and first two games of the 1989 season.
  11. OPPONENT WATCH: Southern Arkansas QB OB Jones ranks 2nd in the GAC with 102.6 rush yards per game, 3rd with 12 rush TD, 4th in passing yards (1,169) and sixth in passing TD (8) ... RB Jariq Scales is 4th in the GAC with 601 rush yards ... DB Melvin Smith, Jr. leads the GAC in passes defended with 12 pass breakups and one interception.
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Players Mentioned

Will Fitzhugh

#22 Will Fitzhugh

RB
6' 0"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Will Fitzhugh

#22 Will Fitzhugh

6' 0"
Junior
RB