Perfection a little iffy this season

The past three Great American Conference champions have finished with perfect conference records.

That may be a stretch this fall.

Reflecting the 12-team league’s balance, Harding and Arkansas Tech are the only remaining unbeatens after the first three weeks of play.

Ouachita Baptist (6-1 record) won the inaugural GAC championship in 2011. Henderson State (8-0) won the title in 2012 and again in 2013 at 10-0.

Ouachita (10-0) won the GAC championship last fall.

Transition, at least at the top, coincides with quarterback Kevin Rodgers, a three-time GAC Offensive Player of the Year, completing his eligibility at Henderson. Ditto for quarterback Kiehl Frazier, who in his only season at Ouachita helped lead the Tigers to a perfect regular season last fall after transferring from Auburn.

“I think the league, obviously, from what you’ve seen the first three games, the league, to me, looks to be a lot more balanced,” Harding Coach Ronnie Huckeba said. “It’s just one

of those years. I think the league is very tight, and so we expect to be in a battle every week.”

Harding needed overtime to beat GAC and NCAA Division II newcomer Oklahoma Baptist, a former NAIA member, 20-19 in the season opener.

Henderson was 30-3 in GAC games before a 2316 season-opening loss at Southeastern Oklahoma, and Ouachita had its 12game GAC winning streak snapped last week at Southwestern Oklahoma, 58-38.

Henderson and Ouachita are among five schools at 2-1 in the GAC, a game behind Harding and Arkansas Tech.

Ouachita had won its first two GAC games this fall by a combined nine points.

Following a 42-40 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma on Sept. 12, Ouachita Coach Todd Knight said he believed “it will be really, really