#3 Harding Bisons (14-0) vs. #1 Colo. Sch. of Mines (14-0)
Dec. 16, 2023 • Noon • McKinney, Texas • McKinney ISD Stadium
Starting 11Â for Harding vs. Colo. Sch. of Mines
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 an 18-game winning streak, take on No. 1 Colorado School of Mines on Saturday in the NCAA Division II national championship game at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas.
- KEY STAT:Â Both Harding and Mines rank in the top three in Division II in both scoring offense and scoring defense ... HU is 3rd in scoring offense and 2nd in scoring defense ... Mines is 2nd in scoring offense and 3rd in scoring defense ... HU's defense has forced 29 turnovers and has 24 fourth-down stops.
- Harding, the No. 1 seed and winner of Super Region 3, is in its eighth playoff appearance (also 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021) ... the Bisons have 9 of the 11 playoff wins ever by GAC teams ... the game is HU's 1st national championship game ... Harding's last national championship was the 1975 NAIA men's bowling title.
- HU's current 18-game winning streak is the longest in program history ... during the streak, HU has won 10 home games, seven road games and one neutral site game.
- HU has victories over five nationally ranked teams this season, a program record ... the Bisons have three wins over top 10 teams, matching the record of the 2017 team ... Harding is 1-3 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams with a 16-13 overtime victory over Valdosta State in 2005.
- Harding has a D2 single-season record 5,659 rushing yards and needs 341 rush yards to become the first NCAA team ever to rush for 6,000 yards in a season ... HU has a school-record and NCAA-leading 74 rushing TD ... HU's 6.8 yards per rush leads D2 and would be a school record ... HU's 404.2 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, 2017 and 2021 ... HU's 74 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 57.1%, converting 84 of 147 ... the Bisons are 8th in D2 in 3rd Down Conversions Defense at 26.5%, allowing only 45 of 170 ... HU has also converted 14 of 18 4th Downs.
- HU has scored 74 rush TD, 9 pass TD, 5 INT return TD, 2 fumble return TD, 1 kickoff return TD and 1 punt return TD for 92 total TD ... Harding's previous school record was 74 TD in 2016.
- HU ranks 5th in D2 in total defense with 240.1 yards allowed per game ... 10 of HU's opponents have gained fewer than 300 yards in a game ... HU is 4th in rushing defense, allowing 68.6 yards per game ... 10 of Harding's 14 opponents have rushed for fewer than 100 yards.
- HU leads D2 in time of possession, averaging 35:30 per game ... HU has had 35+ minutes 9 times this season, including each of the last 7 games ... HU twice had 40 or more minutes of possession.
- OPPONENT WATCH:Â CSM QB John Matocha leads D2 in passing efficiency (176.7), 2nd in completion pct. (70.5), 3rd in passing TD (42) and 4th in passing yards (4,028) ... WR Max McLeod leads D2 in receiving yards (1,503) and 4th in receiving TD (16).
