Next one not easier for Bisons

Another Saturday, another big game for No. 12 Harding.

That’s how the Bisons and Coach Paul Simmons are approaching things, no matter who they’re playing.

This week is no different for No. 12 Harding (5-1, 5-1) when it hosts Henderson State (4-2, 4-2) in a crucial Great American Conference clash.

“Right now, they’re all big games for us,” Simmons said. “And we’ve got a team coming in here Saturday that’s always really talented, always good year in and year out. This year is no exception.”

There are no irregularities when it comes to what Harding is doing right now either. The Bisons have averaged 47 points over the past two weeks, which has resulted in comfortable victories over Oklahoma Baptist and Southern Nazarene. Harding has also averaged nearly 304 yards rushing during their stretch, but Simmons anticipates that number being pushed against the Reddies.

Henderson State allows 108 yards on the ground, which is far and away No. 1 in the GAC.

“Coach [Scott] Maxfield does a great job over there,” Simmons explained. “The thing about it is really, everything’s about matchups. That’s what really matters, and what [Henderson State] has done really well this year is defend the run.

“They’re very talented on both sides of the ball, but they’re extremely big on their defensive front. We’re gonna have our work cut out for us, that’s for sure.”

The Reddies may also have some added incentives going in. Outside of the fact that they’ve been outscored 101-51 in their last three games against Harding – all of which have been losses – Henderson State suffered a crushing defeat at East Central (Okla.) last week that knocked them a game behind the Bisons for second place.

“They’re a team that if they get hot, they’re really hard to handle,” Simmons said. “I think the game will come down to the takeaway battle. Our offense is playing at a really high level right now, and if they can just take care of the football, that’ll be a big deal for us. We’ve finally, the last few weeks, started causing some turnovers.

“I feel good about our chances if we can win that turnover battle.”

ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO Reeling Weevils

Things haven’t exactly swayed in the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s favor as of late.

Ever since grabbing an impressive 21-point victory over Arkansas Tech on Sept. 24, the Boll Weevils have dropped two games in a row, including last week’s 26-23 defeat to previously winless Northwestern Oklahoma State, and find themselves three games behind first place and No. 5-ranked Ouachita Baptist, whom they’ll face Saturday in Arkadelphia.

The recent slide began at Southwestern Oklahoma State in a game where UAM (3-3, 3-3) allowed more than 500 yards of offense and threw three interceptions. But the recent homecoming loss to a Rangers group that had dropped seven of their past eight games was a bit more surprising.

The Boll Weevils outgained Northwestern Oklahoma State (378-258), gained more first downs (26-17), had more offensive snaps (87-55) and held the ball for nearly 12 more minutes (35:23-24:37). However, a dismal 6 of 19 effort on third down and having a first-quarter fumble returned for a touchdown didn’t help UAM’s chances. Also, whatever hope the Boll Weevils had of winning was later crushed when the Rangers blocked a potentialtying field goal with 1:03 left in the fourth quarter.

OUACHITA BAPTIST Balance helps

While No. 5 Ouachita Baptist (6-0, 6-0) flexed its ground-game muscles in its last contest, it wasn’t too shabby throwing the ball either.

The Tigers, who lead the NCAA Division II in rushing with 345 yards per game, carried for 481 yards, with 129 coming from T.J. Cole and 118 more from Kendel Givens. Quarterback Riley Harms got in on the ground act with 81 yards, but he also did damage with his arm

The senior completed 12 of 13 passes for 197 yards and 2 touchdowns, which helped him earn GAC Co-offensive Player of the Week honors. That running and passing balance was too much for Southwestern Oklahoma State to handle in its 63-24 loss.

Even OBU’s backup quarterbacks, Eli Livingston and Grant Allen, teamed to connect on all four of their pass attempts, one of which was a touchdown.

“You’re always going to look at film, look at opponents,” OBU Coach Todd Knight said. “We looked at rush yards, and even seeing that, rushing defense yards, too. But we also want to be able to stay balanced with our offense.

“Coach [Jay] Derby and the offensive staff did a great job.”

OBU averages 520 yards and 47 points per game, both of which rank second in the nation.

ARKANSAS TECH No need to wonder

The recipe for success for Arkansas Tech has been a steady diet of runs over its past two games, and it’s a big reason why the Wonder Boys have appeared to get back on track.

After running for 282 yards on Oct. 1, in a 4835 victory over Southern Nazarene, Arkansas Tech (3-3, 3-3) rushed for 331 yards in a convincing 34-13 rout of Oklahoma Baptist last week. The Wonder Boys ran the ball 46 times in each game while passing a combined 50 times.

“We did some really good things in the run game,” ATU Coach Kyle Shipp said of his team’s 21-point win over the Bison. “We threw the ball decent, too. I thought we missed a few things that we had, but we really ran it well.”

Seven players landed in double-digit rushing yardage against Oklahoma Baptist, led by Devontae Dean’s 102 yards. The Wonder Boys are running for just over 210 yards an outing, but they’ve increased that output exponentially in consecutive weeks.

That total has coincided with two straight wins as well since ATU suffered a 35-14 loss at the University of Arkansas at Monticello last month.

HENDERSON STATE Turn of events

Henderson State (4-2, 4-2) had to be feeling good about itself with just 41 seconds left in the first half of last week’s game against East Central (Okla.).

Despite losing two fumbles and punting on their first three drives, the Reddies got a 5-yard touchdown catch from Xavier Malone to take a 7-6 lead. Unfortunately for Henderson State, that cushion lasted 24 seconds.

The Tigers went 75 yards in 4 plays and regained the advantage and momentum when Kenny Hrncir threw a 20-yard score to Josh Little with 17 seconds left.

The Reddies scored just three points the rest of the game.

Henderson State made it tough on itself in the second half, as well. The Reddies missed two field goals and tossed two interceptions on four of their five series. Those four turnovers may have led to just nine points for East Central (Okla.), but it did far more hurt to Henderson State by taking away additional scoring opportunities.

If the Reddies are going to bounce back, they’ll need to capitalize on their chances in a big way this week when they face No. 12 Harding, which leads the league in time of possession.

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS Close but no cigar

A 25-point deficit was more than Southern Arkansas could overcome in its game against Southeastern Oklahoma State on Saturday, but just barely.

The Muleriders trailed 14-7 at halftime and 35-10 late in the fourth quarter before making a furious push and scoring three touchdowns in the game’s final 2:51.

“[Southeastern Oklahoma State] came out and gave us a different plan defensively than what we had seen,” SAU Coach Brad Smiley said. “We just didn’t do a great job adjusting until late in the game. The kids finally settled in, got comfortable and kind of started cutting loose and making plays. Defensively, we played really well for three quarters, and we did the same to them.

“But their guys did a better job adjusting to our defensive plan than we did theirs.”

SAU (2-4, 2-4) did get a big game from quarterback O.B. Jones, who threw those three fourth-quarter touchdown passes. But the Muleriders didn’t run the ball as effectively as they’ve been accustomed to doing, namely Jariq Scales.

The sophomore had 27 yards, which was 52 below his season average, on 12 carries. SAU, as a team, had 140 yards rushing, also well below its normal outing. The Muleriders will look to put an end to their two-game losing streak Saturday at Arkansas Tech.