ADA, Okla. — Second-ranked Harding piled up 360 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground, pulling away in the second half for a 42-21 victory over previously unbeaten East Central on a soggy, overcast Saturday afternoon before 975 fans at Norris Field at Koi Ishto Stadium.
With the victory, Harding (5-0, 5-0 Great American Conference) extended its conference winning streak to 20 consecutive games and pushed its overall road winning streak to 10. The Bisons also notched their 14th consecutive win over the Tigers dating back to 2012 and secured their 13th straight road victory in the state of Oklahoma.
First-year slotback Jeff Regan and fifth-year All-American fullback Andrew Miller led a balanced, physical flexbone attack, with each topping the century mark on the ground and scoring two touchdowns. Regan rushed seven times for 118 yards (16.9 yards per carry), highlighted by a breakaway 54-yard touchdown scamper in the third quarter. Miller shouldered the heavy lifting between the tackles, rushing 25 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns (2 and 1 yards).
The milestone afternoon moved Miller to the doorstep of history. With 117 yards, Miller increased his career rushing total to 4,213 yards—leaving him just one yard shy of Alan "Snake" Dixon (4,214 yards, 1970–73) for second place on Harding's all-time rushing leaderboard. Miller's two scores also pushed his career touchdown total to 60, trailing only Cole Chancey (66) in school history.
Saturday also marked a program milestone for Miller and fifth-year rover Luke Martin, as both fifth-year veterans played in their 50th career collegiate game to officially join Harding's prestigious 50-game club.
Harding grabbed the early momentum before running an offensive snap from scrimmage. G'Kyson Wright fielded the opening kickoff and sliced through coverage for a 46-yard return to the East Central 30-yard line. Five plays later, Regan took a pitch around the right edge for a 12-yard touchdown run to hand the Bisons a 7-0 lead just 37 seconds into the contest.
Defenses controlled the remainder of the first half amidst slippery footing. East Central (4-1, 4-1 GAC) mounted a threat late in the first quarter, driving to the Harding 34 before turning the ball over on downs.
Harding doubled its lead late in the second quarter following a defensive takeaway. With ECU driving near midfield, third-year cornerback Kelon Fountain punched the ball loose from ECU running back Quincy Thompson, and nose guard Kaynan Harris recovered the fumble at the ECU 49-yard line with 4:04 left in the half.
The Bisons capitalized with an eight-play, 49-yard scoring march. Miller ignited the drive with a 23-yard burst up the middle, and after quarterback Malik Young picked up seven yards on an option keeper, Miller plowed across the goal line on a 2-yard dive with 38 seconds remaining to send Harding into the locker room ahead 14-0.
East Central trimmed the deficit to 14-7 midway through the third quarter on a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Thompson, capping a nine-play, 75-yard drive.
Harding answered immediately. Following a 39-yard kickoff return by Regan to the HU 43, the rookie delivered the game's signature home run two snaps later, bursting through the second level and outracing the Tiger secondary for a 54-yard touchdown sprint down the right sideline to restore a 21-7 cushion with 6:16 left in the third quarter.
The Bisons extended the lead to 28-7 on their next possession. Young connected with Ben Boehm for a 20-yard completion, and junior slotback Josh Evans-Pickens finished the six-play, 63-yard drive by bouncing outside for a 19-yard touchdown scamper with 1:27 left in the third quarter.
The Tigers refused to go quietly behind quarterback Sergio Kennedy. Kennedy opened the fourth quarter with a 35-yard scramble that set up a 2-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Searles II with 14:15 remaining, trimming the score to 28-14.
Harding responded with a methodical, clock-draining march. Faced with third down in Tiger territory, Young converted with an 8-yard keeper, and on 1st-and-10 from the 19, Young lofted a strike to Cedric Hawkins for a 19-yard touchdown reception with 10:26 remaining to push the advantage back to 35-14.
Kennedy engineered a 13-play, 87-yard drive that culminated in a 7-yard touchdown pass to Conner Combs with 1:57 left, making it 35-21, but Harding cleanly recovered East Central's onside kick attempt at the ECU 46.
On the next play from scrimmage, Regan ripped off a 31-yard gain down to the 15-yard line. Miller finished the march three plays later, powering in from 1 yard out with 21 seconds on the clock to seal the 42-21 triumph.
Harding outgained East Central 399 to 313 in total offense and dominated the line of scrimmage, converting 9-of-13 third downs and finishing a perfect 5-for-5 inside the red zone.
Young managed the flexbone attack efficiently, rushing for 53 yards on 11 carries while completing 2-of-4 passes for 39 yards and a touchdown without an interception. Evans-Pickens added 46 rushing yards on six carries.
Defensively, third-year linebacker Kyle Henry recorded a team-high seven tackles (five solo) with a tackle for loss. Fifth-year safety Zac O'Day tallied six tackles, and fifth-year linebacker Jordan Mays added five stops. Third-year defensive end Kaleb Walker notched his national-leading seventh sack of the season, dropping Kennedy for a 7-yard loss in the third quarter. Secondary coverage was stout on the perimeter, as the Bisons broke up six passes, including deflections by Corey Dean, Josh Gatlin, Grayson Lewis, Lamont Cox, Deion Campbell, and Fountain.
Placekicker Dean Roberts remained perfect on the year, converting all six PAT attempts to move to 31-for-31 on conversions this fall.
Harding returns home to First Security Stadium next Saturday, Oct. 10, hosting Southeastern Oklahoma State in Great American Conference action. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
