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Harding University Athletics

2023 Football Notes Image at Arkansas Tech

Football Scott Goode (11/9/23)

No. 2 Harding vs. Arkansas Tech -- GAME NOTES

#2 Harding Bisons (10-0, 10-0) vs. Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys (5-5, 5-5)
Nov. 11, 2023 • 2 p.m. • Russellville, Ark. • Thone Stadium/Burkle Field

Starting 11 for Harding vs. Arkansas Tech
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 aim for its second-ever undefeated regular season Saturday when it travels to Russellville, Arkansas, to take on Arkansas Tech, who has won four of its last five games. Kickoff at Thone Stadium is a 2 p.m.
  2. KEY STAT: Harding leads all 651 NCAA football programs with 430.8 rushing yards per game, while Arkansas Tech is 125th of 161 D2 teams in rushing defense (181.8) ... Tech ranks 134th in D2 in rushing offense (97.8), while Harding is 10th in D2 in rushing defense, allowing only 82.0 yards per game ... HU has held seven of its 10 opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing, including only 22 yards last week against East Central.
  3. This will be the 60th meeting between HU and Tech with the Wonder Boys leading 31-28 ... Harding has won the last six meetings, 10 of the last 11, and four of the last five in Russellville ... HU has held Tech to fewer than 20 points in nine of the last 11 meetings ... HU has scored 24 points or more in each of the last 14 meetings.
  4. Harding, ranked 17th nationally, scored touchdowns on each of its first eight drives and trounced Arkansas Tech 55-10 in its final home game of the 2022 season. It was the 50th victory for head coach Paul Simmons.
  5. Harding is ranked No. 2 in the AFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, its highest rank ever in the poll ... Harding has appeared in 62 consecutive AFCA polls ... HU is No. 4 in the D2Football.com poll and No. 3 at MasseyRatings.com.
  6. Harding is ranked No. 1 in Super Region 3 in the third NCAA Regional Rankings ... the top seven teams from the GAC, MIAA, GLVC and GLIAC advance to the NCAA Division II Playoffs, with No. 1 receiving a bye in the first round ... the NCAA will announce the field of 28 teams on Sunday at 5 p.m.
  7. Harding's current 14-game winning streak is the longest in program history ... HU is 10-0 for the second time in program history, also in 2016 ... a win vs. Tech would tie HU's longest road winning streak at nine games.
  8. Harding has 4,306 rushing yards, 5th in an HU single season, and needs 178 yards for 4th (4,483, 2019) ... HU has 57 rushing TD, needs five more to break school record of 61, set in 2016 ... HU's 7.46 yards per rush would be a school record, eclipsing the previous record of 6.34 yards per rush in 2015 ... HU's 430.6 rush yards per game would be a school record, eclipsing the previous record of 390.1 yards per game in 2021.
  9. Harding has scored 496 points through 10 games and needs four points for the third 500-point season in program history and 38 points to break the single-season scoring record of 533 points in 2016 ... HU needs two touchdowns to reach 70 total touchdowns for only the second time ever, also 2016.
  10. FB BLAKE DELACRUZ has 1,750 rush yards (13th at HU) and 28 rush TD (t-4th at HU) ... 17 rush TD in '23 (t-5th in HU season) ... 2nd in GAC and 12th in D2 with 6.59 yards per rush ... 3rd in GAC and D2 with 17 rush TD ... 4th in GAC with 857 rush yards ... 8 straight games with at least one TD ... needs 143 yards for the 15th 1,000-yard season in program history ... rushed for 116 yards on only four carries with 2TD last season vs. Tech.
  11. OPPONENT WATCH: Tech DL Vershaud Richardson leads the GAC with 16.0 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks ... QB Taye Gatewood leads the GAC with a 66.7% completion percentage, ranks second with 1,969 passing yards and fourth with 13 passing TD ... WR Caleb Tanis is third in the GAC with five receiving TD.
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