Football 11/30/2023 10:23:00 AM Scott Goode (11/30/23)

No. 3 Harding vs. No. 2 Grand Valley State--GAME NOTES

#3 Harding Bisons (12-0) vs. #2 Grand Valley St. Lakers (11-1)
Dec. 2, 2023 • 1 p.m. • Searcy, Ark. • First Security Stadium

Starting 11 for Harding vs. Grand Valley St.
Below are 11 Facts and Stats about this week's game. You can read the full game notes by clicking on the link.

The No. 3-ranked Harding Bisons, riding a 16-game winning streak, host No. 2 Grand Valley St. Saturday in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Kickoff at First Security Stadium is at 1 p.m.
KEY STAT: Both teams average more rushing yards than passing yards per game offensively, and both teams are ranked in the top five in Division II in rushing defense.
Harding, the No. 1 seed in Super Region 3, is making its eighth playoff appearance ... the Bisons have seven of the nine playoff wins ever by Great American Conference teams ... Saturday's game is HU's third quarterfinal round playoff game (also in 2016 and 2017).
HU's current 16-game winning streak is the longest in program history ... during the streak, HU has outscored its opponents 779-225, an average of 48.7-14.1 ... HU has won eight straight home games.
With its victories over No. 5 Ouachita Baptist and No. 6 Central Mo., HU has multiple wins over top-10 teams in two of the last three seasons ... HU defeated No. 8 Ouachita Baptist and No. 9 Henderson St. in 2021 ... HU last won three games against top 10 teams in 2017 -- No. 6 UIndy, No. 9 Ashland, and No. 10 Ferris St.
Harding senior defensive end Nathaniel Wallace was named Super Region 3 Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday ... Wallace, along with senior kicker Grant Ennis and senior offensive lineman Hunter Willis, received First Team All-Super Region 3 honors ... RB Blake Delacruz, LB Clark Griffin, LB Zach Strickland and S Ty Dugger were Second Team honorees.
This will be the first meeting ever between HU and Grand Valley St. ... HU's only previous games against a team from Michigan came against GVSU rival Ferris St. ... HU defeated Ferris St. 16-14 in 2017 and lost 21-19 in 2018.
Harding has 5,023 rushing yards, 4th in an HU single season, and needs 106 rush yards to break 2017 school record of 5,128 yards ... HU has a school-record and NCAA-leading 67 rushing TD (Colo. Mines 2nd w/ 42) ... HU's 7.20 yards per rush leads D2 and would be a school record ... HU's 418.8 rush yards per game leads D2 and would be a school record ... HU led D2 in rushing in 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2022 and in rushing TD in 2014, 2016, 2020 and 2021 ... HU's 67 rushing TD this season are the most by any D2 team since at least 2008.
HU's offense leads D2 in 3rd Down Conversions at 59.5%, converting 72 of 121 ... the Bisons are 8th in D2 in 3rd Down Conversions Defense at 26.5%, allowing only 39 of 147 ... HU has also converted 10 of 13 4th Downs.
HU ranks 4th in D2 in total defense with 233.7 yards allowed per game, the lowest figure since HU allowed 184.9 yards per game in 1966 ... HU is 2nd in D2 in scoring defense with 11.3 points allowed, the fewest since HU allowed 8.7 points per game in 1962.
OPPONENT WATCH: GVSU KR Kellen Reed is the only D2 player with two kickoff return TD this season ... PR Kyle Nott also has a return TD ... QB Cade Peterson ranks 9th in D2 with 8.97 yards per pass attempt and led the GLIAC with 1,982 passing yards and 20 passing TD.

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Players Mentioned

#26 Blake Delacruz: RB; 5' 8"; Junior

#20 Ty Dugger: DB; 6' 2"; Sophomore

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

#24 Clark Griffin: LB; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#43 Zach Strickland: LB; 6' 1"; Senior

#32 Nathaniel Wallace: DL; 6' 2"; Senior

#74 Hunter Willis: OL; 6' 2"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#26 Blake Delacruz
: 5' 8"; Junior
: RB

#20 Ty Dugger
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: DB

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

#24 Clark Griffin
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: LB

#43 Zach Strickland
: 6' 1"; Senior
: LB

#32 Nathaniel Wallace
: 6' 2"; Senior
: DL

#74 Hunter Willis
: 6' 2"; Senior
: OL

Harding University Athletics

Schedule

Events

No. 3 Harding vs. No. 2 Grand Valley State--GAME NOTES

Players Mentioned

#26 Blake Delacruz

#20 Ty Dugger

#84 Grant Ennis

#24 Clark Griffin

#43 Zach Strickland

#32 Nathaniel Wallace

#74 Hunter Willis

Players Mentioned

#26 Blake Delacruz

#20 Ty Dugger

#84 Grant Ennis

#24 Clark Griffin

#43 Zach Strickland

#32 Nathaniel Wallace

#74 Hunter Willis