WACO, TEXAS— Harding football has maintained its No. 2 ranking in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, a position they've held since the preseason. This marks the 80th consecutive poll in which the Bisons have been ranked, a streak that dates back to the 2017 season. The Bisons are coming off a 55-0 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State.

Harding in NCAA Stats

• Rushing Offense: The Bisons are the No. 1 team in the nation for rushing offense, with an impressive 460.0 yards per game, leading the Great American Conference by a wide margin.

• Scoring Offense: Harding also holds the No. 1 spot nationally for scoring offense, averaging 52.0 points per game. 

• Scoring Defense: Their defense is just as dominant, ranking No. 3 in the nation and No. 1 in the GAC for scoring defense, allowing a mere 3.5 points per game.

• Total Defense: The Bisons' defensive strength extends to total defense, where they are ranked No. 2 nationally and No. 1 in the conference, allowing only 140.5 total yards per game.

• Rushing Defense: Complementing their offensive running game, their rushing defense is ranked No. 1 in the conference and No. 13 in the nation, holding opponents to just 65.0 rushing yards per game.

A Shuffled Top 10

While Harding has held its ground, the rest of the AFCA Coaches Poll has seen some significant changes due to seven top 25 upsets. Ferris State remains at No. 1, but the poll has been shaken up with the losses of Minnesota State (dropping seven spots to No. 14) and Grand Valley State (dropping seven spots to No. 10). This allowed West Florida to move into the No. 3 spot, followed by Slippery Rock and Kutztown to round out the top five. Four new teams have entered the poll this week, including Johnson C. Smith, Wingate, Michigan Tech, and Sioux Falls.

(To honor Harding's 80th consecutive week in the poll, the photo for this release features former Bison great #80 Tristan Parsley)