Harding methodically ends lengthy OBU winning streak

HARDING 38, OUACHITA BAPTIST 21

SEARCY — Harding ended Ouachita Baptist’s 30-game conference winning streak Saturday night, and the Bisons did it their way.

Harding rushed for more than 400 yards and held the ball for more than 40 minutes in a 38-21 victory over No. 8-ranked OBU in front of 5,200 at First Security Stadium.

The Bisons did exactly the same thing one week ago in a 37-6 win at Southern Arkansas, holding the ball for more than 42 minutes and exceeding 400 yards.

“We know if we do what we do, it’ll be hard for anybody to stop us,” said senior quarterback Preston Paden, who orchestrates Harding’s Flexbone offense.

The Bisons (3-1, 3-1 Great American Conference) spotted the Tigers a seven-point lead when Ouachita Baptist drove 81 yards in 9 plays to start the game after winning the coin toss and electing to receive.

It was all Harding after that point.

The Bisons outgained the Tigers 433-161 after OBU’s opening drive, and held the ball for 40:14 compared to 14:52 for Ouachita.

Harding was able to do all that by answering the Tigers’ opening touchdown with a touchdown of its own, and then recovering an onside kick, the fourth time they have done so in the past three weeks.

“It was a game-changer,” Paden said. “The way our offense operates, we don’t try to milk the clock, it’s something we get to do because we run the ball so often.

“If we execute, it’s hard to get us off the field.”

Harding led 24-7 halftime, but OBU forced a punt at the outset of the second half.

The Tigers (3-1, 3-1) went 55 yards in 6 plays, the touchdown coming on a 35-yard halfback pass from senior TJ Cole (17-106 rushing) to Hayden Waller, and it was 2414 with 9:19 to play in the third quarter.

OBU got the ball back less than three minutes later after a Harding punt, but the Tigers couldn’t make any headway, setting up another marathon Harding drive (12 plays, 80 yards, 6:32).

“Trying to be undefeated every year, it’s really hard to do,” Ouachita Baptist Coach Todd Knight said. “What’s important to me, is how we bounce back. They’ll respond.”

Saturday’s loss was the first by OBU in a GAC game since Harding won 31-28 in Arkadelphia on Oct. 7, 2017.

Cole, playing with a heavily wrapped right hand, said he is confident the Tigers will respond the right way.

“This definitely will humble us, and get us back to where we’re supposed to be,” Cole said.

Bisons’ wingback Omar Sinclair, a transfer from Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Mich., said he knew next to nothing of the Harding-OBU series until the past week.

“I knew they were ranked eighth,” said Sinclair, who led Harding with 16 rushes, 182 yards and 1 touchdown. “Everybody was talking about how intense the game was. It was a big-time game, a lot of fans, just a crazy environment. It was beautiful.”

Sixth-year senior linebacker Shedrick Robinson said the Bisons have been extra motivated after reading some social media comments made by Southeastern Oklahoma players after the Savage Storm beat Harding 32-31 two weeks ago.

“We took it personal,” Robinson said. “It was a statement game.”

Robinson was asked if he was referring to last week’s 37-6 win at Southern Arkansas, or Saturday’s win over OBU.

“That was a statement game,” Robinson said of SAU. “This was really a statement game.”

Robinson (5 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 fumble recovery) said the Bisons didn’t make any adjustments after OBU’s opening drive.

“After that, we just knew that things might not go our way and we just had to play,” he said. “We did. We showed up.”

The win was particularly gratifying for Harding Coach Paul Simmons after losing 7-3 in 2018 and 16-14 in 2019.

“In order to win a big game, you can’t be afraid to lose,” he said, talking about the onside kicks. “That was huge, keeping them off the field.

“Our offense was just so dominant tonight. To have the ball for 40 minutes, it makes so tough. You got to steal a possession to do that.”

HENDERSON STATE 56, SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 49

Henderson State (4-0, 4-0 Great American Conference) overcame a 28-0 first-quarter deficit to hold off Southern Arkansas University (2-2, 2-2) on Saturday night at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium in Arkadelphia.

SAU built its 28-0 lead thanks to two touchdown runs of 28 and 11 yards by Jariq Scales, a 6-yard touchdown pass from Hayden Mallory to Dekendrick Bender and a 35-yard interception return by Del Kristoffer Wade.

But the Reddies scored the game’s next 35 points to lead 35-28 at halftime, as Adam Morse’s 26-yard touchdown pass to L’Liott Curry gave Henderson State its first lead with 20 seconds left in the second quarter.

Henderson State led 56-41 with 3:20 left. However, the Muleriders cut the lead to 56-49 with 31 seconds remaining on Mallory’s 7-yard touchdown pass and two-point conversion pass to Trent Franklin.

Morse completed 21 of 37 passes for 288 yards with 3 touchdowns and 4 interceptions for the Reddies. Darius Austin scored 3 rushing touchdowns and finished with 85 yards on 7 carries.

Scales led the Muleriders with 204 yards and 2 touchdowns on 27 carries. Mallory was 30-of-52 passing for 376 yards with 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

ARK.-MONTICELLO 27, ARKANSAS TECH 20

Gregg Hooks’ 77-yard interception return for a touchdown with under four minutes left helped seal a victory for the University of Arkansas at Monticello (2-2, 2-2 GAC) over Arkansas Tech University (0-4, 0-4) on Saturday night at Thone Stadium in Russellville.

The Wonder Boys, who were trailing 20-13, were driving and got to the UAM 12 before Jack Lindsey was picked off by Hooks, whose interception return with 3:28 remaining extended the Boll Weevils’ lead to 27-13.

Arkansas Tech pulled within 27-20 with 1:24 left on Caleb Batie’s 2-yard touchdown run, but UAM was able to recover an on-side kick attempt and ran out the clock.

UAM trailed 10-7 at halftime, but took a 13-10 lead with 7:13 left in the third quarter on Demilon Brown’s 6-yard touchdown run. Jesus Zizumbo’s 24yard field goal for Arkansas Tech with 37 seconds left in the third quarter tied the game at 13-13.

The Boll Weevils took a 20-13 lead with 7:56 remaining as Brown scored from 21 yards out.

Brown rushed for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 carries and completed 16 of 27 passes for 161 yards to lead UAM. Devontae Dean had 62 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

For the Wonder Boys, Lindsey completed 21 of 30 passes for 210 yards and an interception. Batie and Jordan Edington each had a rushing touchdown.