Skip To Main Content

Harding University Athletics

2023 Harding Football Gameday vs. East Central

Football Scott Goode (11/2/23)

No. 4 Harding vs. East Central -- GAME NOTES

#4 Harding Bisons (9-0, 9-0) vs. East Central Tigers (3-6, 3-6)
Nov. 4, 2023 • 3 p.m. • Searcy, Ark. • First Security Stadium

Starting 11 for Harding vs. East Central
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 will shoot for a school-record 14th consecutive victory Saturday when it hosts East Central for both Homecoming 2023 and Senior Day. Kickoff at First Security Stadium is at 3 p.m.
  2. KEY STAT: Harding's offense leads Division II on 3rd Down, converting 57.6%, while East Central's offense converts only 30.4% of its 3rd Downs, 131st in DII.
  3. Harding will honor 18 seniors in a pregame ceremony ... Saturday is also Harding's 63rd Homecoming since 1959 ... HU is 43-17-2 (.710) all-time on Homecoming with eight straight wins ... Harding is 3-0 vs. East Central on Homecoming with wins in 1997 (41-21), 1999 (30-7) and 2015 (62-20).
  4. This will be the 21st meeting between HU and ECU with the Bisons leading 17-3 ... Harding has won all 11 meetings in Searcy and the last 10 straight overall ... HU has held ECU to 20 points or fewer in eight straight games. 
  5. QB Cole Keylon threw three TD passes and ran for another in the ninth-ranked Bisons' 29-12 victory over East Central last season in Great American Conference action at Koi Ishto Stadium. It was the opener for both teams.
  6. Harding is ranked No. 4 in the AFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, its highest rank ever in the poll ... Harding has appeared in 61 consecutive AFCA polls ... HU is No. 5 in the D2Football.com poll and No. 3 at MasseyRatings.com.
  7. Harding is ranked No. 2 in Super Region 3 in the first NCAA Regional Rankings ... the top seven teams from the GAC, MIAA, GLVC and GLIAC advance to the NCAA Division II Playoffs ... next rankings announced Monday.
  8. Harding's current 13-game winning streak is tied with a 13-game streak from Sept. 3-Dec. 3, 2016 ... HU is 9-0 for the second time in program history, also in 2016.
  9. Harding leads D2 with 18 interceptions, adding four vs. Southeastern, the most since HU had 19 INTs in 2016 and five off the record of 23 in 1976, 1982 and 1989 ... the Bisons also lead D2 with 27 turnovers gained.
  10. Harding leads D2 with 420.0 rushing yards per game and 50 rushing TD (Tiffin is 2nd with 33) ... the Bisons also lead D2 in passing efficiency (198.28) and pass yards per completion (27.47) ... HU has 7 TD passes, 5 allowed.
  11. OPPONENT WATCH: East Central DB Jimmy Pitts leads the GAC and is 7th in D2 with 5 INT ... RS Dior Scott leads the GAC with 12.2 yards per punt return ... DL Devon Roush leads the GAC with 5.3 solo tackles per game and is 2nd with 8.9 tackles per game.
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Cole Keylon

#15 Cole Keylon

QB
6' 0"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Cole Keylon

#15 Cole Keylon

6' 0"
Sophomore
QB