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Harding University Athletics

2023 Football vs. Southwestern Okla.
0
Southwestern Okla. SWO 0-5 , 0-5
64
Winner Harding HAR 5-0 , 5-0
Southwestern Okla. SWO
0-5 , 0-5
0
Final
64
Harding HAR
5-0 , 5-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
SWO Southwestern Okla. 0 0 0 0 0
HAR Harding 7 21 20 16 64

Game Recap: Football | | Scott Goode (9/30/23)

No. 10 Harding Remains Unbeaten with Commanding 64-0 Victory

SEARCY, Ark. – Tenth-ranked Harding gained 587 yards and limited Southwestern Oklahoma to only 79, and that was only one of the eye-popping stats in the Bisons' 64-0 victory in Great American Conference play Saturday at First Security Stadium.

The win pushed Harding to 5-0 and extended its winning streak to an NCAA Division II-best nine games. Southwestern remained winless at 0-5.

Harding rushed for 462 yards and five TD, passed for 125 yards and two TD and had two TD on interception returns.

Defensively, Harding held Southwestern to only four first downs, 29 rushing yards, 1.8 yards per play and 1-of-13 on third downs. The Bulldogs punted 10 times. The Bisons did not punt.

Harding's offense wasted no time making its presence felt as Roland Wallace hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass early in the first quarter, capping a 12-play, 65-yard drive. The Bison continued to dominate in the second quarter, with touchdowns from Blake Delacruz and Omar Sinclair. A 50-yard bomb from the Bison's quarterback led to another touchdown, giving Harding a commanding 28-0 lead by halftime.

The third quarter saw Malik Young and Andrew Miller adding to the tally with touchdown runs. Kekoa Carroll's 30-yard interception return for a touchdown further buried Southwestern Oklahoma. In the final quarter, Magnus Lepak nailed a 24-yard field goal, and Darion Dunlap-Johnson secured an interception return for a touchdown. Andrew Miller then sealed the deal with an electrifying 81-yard touchdown run.

Miller led Harding with a career-high 134 yards on seven carries and two TD. Keylon was 5-of-6 passing for 125 yards and two TD, connecting with five different receivers.

**TEAM NOTES**
  • Saturday was Harding's first shutout since blanking Arkansas Tech 31-0 on Nov. 13, 2021 … Harding's 64 points were the most since the Bisons defeated Northwestern Oklahoma 73-14 on Oct. 30, 2021 in Alva … the 64-point margin of victory was the most in a shutout since Harding blanked Northwestern Oklahoma 69-0 on Sept. 14, 2013.
  • Harding's nine-game winning streak is tied for the fifth longest in program history, matching a nine-game streak from Sept. 18-Nov. 27, 2021.
  • Harding is now 62-9 in GAC games since 2016.
  • With 462 rushing yards, Harding exceeded the 300-yard rushing mark for the 100th time since switching to the flex bone offense in 2010 … the total was a season high and the most since Harding rushed for 487 yards against Arkansas Tech in the final game of the 2022 season.
  • Harding passed for more than 100 yards for the second time this season … its five completed passes were a season high and the most since completing six passes against Southern Nazarene on Oct. 8, 2022 … that was also the last time Harding completed passes to five different receivers.
  • The last time Harding went without a punt was in a victory over Southern Arkansas on Sept. 17, 2022.
  • Harding averaged 9.8 yards per play, the sixth-best figure in program history and highest average since averaging 10.9 yards per play at Northwestern Oklahoma on Oct. 30, 2021.
  • Harding last had two interception returns for TD in a 31-0 victory over Southern Arkansas on Sept. 21, 2019 when Cade Pugh and Jacory Nichols both had pick-6s.
  • Harding held Southwestern Oklahoma to only four first downs, the lowest total since Southern Nazarene had two first downs in a 58-0 Harding victory in 2014.
  • Harding held its fourth straight opponent to fewer than 60 rushing yards.
  • Harding held Southwestern to only 50 passing yards, the lowest total since limiting Southern Nazarene to 30 passing yards on Oct. 9, 2021.
  • Harding's 79 total yards allowed was its seventh-best figure all-time and the fewest since holding Southern Nazarene to 51 yards on Sept. 15, 2018.
  • Harding held Southwestern to only 1-of-13 on third down, the best figure since limiting Southwestern to 0-of-11 on third down in 2021.
 
**PLAYER NOTES**
  • Redshirt freshman Andrew Miller rushed for 134 yards on seven carries with two TD … it was his first career 100-yard rushing game … his 81-yard TD run was tied for the 10th-longest TD run in program history and the longest since Blake Delacruz's 84-yard run at Northwestern Oklahoma on Oct. 30, 2021.
  • Senior Omar Sinclair's TD was his first of the season and seventh of his career.
  • Junior fullback Blake Delacruz scored his team-leading 11th TD of the season and 22nd of his career, tying Zach Shelley (2014-17) for seventh on Harding's career list.
  • Sophomore quarterback Malik Young scored his first career rushing TD.
  • Sophomore Will White had a 50-yard TD reception, his team-leading third receiving TD of the season.
  • Senior Roland Wallace had an 11-yard TD reception, his second career receiving TD.
  • Junior Darion Dunlap-Johnson had his second interception of the season and his first interception return TD.
  • Junior Kekoa Carroll had his first career interception and first interception return TD.
 
**SERIES NOTES**
  • Harding extended its lead to 13-5 in the all-time series … it was the Bisons' seventh straight win over the Bulldogs overall and eighth straight in Searcy.

**UP NEXT**
  • Harding travels to meet Northwestern Oklahoma next Saturday in Alva, Oklahoma. The Rangers fell 44-21 at Arkansas Tech on Saturday.




 
Gallery: (9-30-2023) 2023 Football vs. Southwestern Okla.




 
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