Harding University Athletics

SEARCY, Ark. — Second-ranked Harding clinched the 2026 Great American Conference championship in emphatic, record-setting fashion Saturday afternoon, racking up 684 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on just 49 carries while pitching a 76-0 Homecoming shutout over Southern Nazarene before 4,000 fans at First Security Stadium.

With the victory, Harding (10-0, 10-0 GAC) captured the ninth conference championship in program history, its sixth GAC crown, and its fifth outright league title. The Bisons have now secured five GAC championships over the last six seasons (2021, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026).

The triumph also delivered Harding double-digit victories for the third consecutive season and the fourth time in school history. The Bisons extended their home winning streak to 29 consecutive games—the second-longest active streak in NCAA Division II—and pushed their conference winning streak to 25 straight contests. In addition, Harding extended its Homecoming winning streak to 12 consecutive games dating back to 2014, elevating the Bisons' all-time Homecoming record to 47-17-2.

Harding's unstoppable flexbone ground machine rewrote the program record book on Saturday. The Bisons established new school single-game records for highest average gain per play (13.5 yards on 54 plays) and highest average gain per rush (14.0 yards per carry), while tying the school record with 10 rushing touchdowns. Harding's 684 rushing yards and 731 total yards of offense both stand as the second-highest single-game totals in program history.

The Bisons scored on seven plays of 10 yards or longer, broke away for six touchdown runs of at least 35 yards, never punted, finished a perfect 6-for-6 on third-down conversions, and went 5-for-5 in the red zone to maintain their nation-leading 100 percent red-zone conversion rate (now 43-for-43 on the season).

First-year slotback Jeff Regan scored three touchdowns in the first half alone—including a 69-yard touchdown scamper and a 63-yard punt return for a score—while senior quarterback Malik Young carried 10 times for 168 yards (16.8 ypc), highlighted by an 80-yard run and a 38-yard touchdown run.

Fifth-year All-American fullback Andrew Miller added to his legendary collegiate resume, plunging in from 1 yard out late in the second quarter for his 70th career rushing touchdown. Miller, who entered the day leading all active college football players across all NCAA divisions in rushing touchdowns, pushed his career rushing total to 4,730 yards.

After Southern Nazarene (2-7, 2-7 GAC) consumed nearly six minutes on the game's opening possession, Harding took over at its own 16-yard line and required only nine plays to travel 84 yards. Facing 3rd-and-5 from the SNU 38, Young kept the ball around the right perimeter and sprinted into the end zone for a 38-yard touchdown at the 5:06 mark.

Following an SNU three-and-out, Regan struck on Harding's second offensive snap of the next possession, taking an option pitch 69 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown to make it 14-0 with 52 seconds left in the opening frame.

Regan blew the game wide open on the first play of the second quarter. Fielding Brett Leonardt's punt at the HU 37-yard line, the rookie return specialist broke through the initial wave of coverage and dashed 63 yards to paydirt for a touchdown with 14:37 left before halftime.

Southern Nazarene responded with an eight-play drive down to the Harding 13, but Leonardt pushed a 30-yard field goal attempt off the right upright.

Harding answered with a textbook flexbone drive, churning out an 80-yard, 13-play march that drained 7:27 off the clock. Miller capped the possession with a 1-yard touchdown plunge with 3:30 left in the half, extending the cushion to 28-0.

The Crimson Storm mounted another threat late in the half, driving inside the Bison red zone to the HU 13. However, junior linebacker Kyle Henry punched the ball loose from SNU quarterback Maddox Olatunde, and safety Lamont Cox recovered at the HU 13 with 59 seconds remaining.

Two snaps later, Young ripped off an 80-yard run up the middle to the SNU 7-yard line. Two plays after that, Regan capped the five-play, 87-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run with 14 seconds left, sending Harding into the locker room with a commanding 35-0 halftime lead.

The second half brought more fireworks. On the opening snap of the third quarter, backup quarterback Camren Cavalier kept the ball on an option play and outran the Crimson Storm secondary for a 58-yard touchdown sprint just nine seconds into the second half, pushing the margin to 42-0.

Following another defensive stop, Harding traveled 75 yards in eight plays. Fifth-year fullback Josh Strickland, Jr. powered across the goal line from 1 yard out at the 6:52 mark. Backup quarterback Cody Stoever followed with a 19-yard touchdown scamper late in the third quarter to make it 56-0.

Harding's depth took center stage in the fourth quarter, posting 217 rushing yards on just 10 carries. First-year running back Jason Todd scored on an 11-yard run early in the frame and followed three possessions later with a 70-yard breakaway touchdown sprint down the left sideline with 6:31 left to make it 70-0.

First-year fullback Barrett Miller put the finishing touches on the afternoon with 3:10 remaining, bursting through the line on a first-down carry and outracing everyone for a 74-yard touchdown scamper to cement the 76-0 final.

Todd finished with 93 yards and two touchdowns on three carries (31.0 ypc), while Barrett Miller logged 113 yards and a score on four attempts (28.2 ypc). Regan totaled 84 rushing yards on three carries (28.0 ypc) and 69 punt return yards for 153 all-purpose yards. Cavalier and Stoever each rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown, while Stoever also completed 2-of-2 passes for 47 yards.

Defensively, the Bisons pitched their second shutout of the 2026 season and held the Crimson Storm to 307 total yards. Southern Nazarene entered the game ranked fifth nationally in rushing offense (294.1 ypg), but Harding limited SNU to 227 yards on 46 attempts (4.9 ypc) and denied all three of the Crimson Storm's red-zone opportunities.

Fifth-year linebacker Jordan Mays led the defense with eight tackles (five solo) and a tackle for loss, while Henry added seven stops (six solo) and a forced fumble. Defensive end Kaleb Walker registered two tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a shared sack with Kaynan Harris, and two quarterback hurries. The defense preserved the shutout in the fourth quarter by stopping Southern Nazarene on fourth-and-goal at the HU 14 and fourth-and-10 at the HU 26.

Having already secured the outright Great American Conference title, second-ranked Harding concludes the regular season next Saturday, Nov. 14, hosting Arkansas Tech at First Security Stadium aiming to polish off an undefeated 11-0 regular season. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.