Reddies finish off Bisons in Searcy
GREAT AMERICAN CONF. HENDERSON ST. 28, HARDING 20
SEARCY — Defeating Harding at First Security Stadium has been a tough chore for most opponents. For Henderson State, winning on the road has become old hat.
Defensive back Sheldon Watson intercepted a pass at the 5-yard line with 21 second remaining Thursday night to allow Henderson State to escape with a 28-20 victory over the Bisons.
Henderson State quarterback Andrew Black threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Reddies handed No. 15 Harding its first home loss in almost two seasons and extended their road winning streak to 28 games.
“When we go on the road we tend to gather together a little bit,” Henderson State Coach Scott Maxwell said. “We tend to be a little tighter team on the road than we are at home. Our kids believe in that. We’ve got a little tradition with that.”
Harding — 13-1 in 2016 — entered the contest having won 11 consecutive regular-season games and had
won nine consecutive home games for the first time in the school’s history. Harding’s previous loss at First Security Stadium came on Oct. 10, 2015, to the Reddies.
Black completed 18 of 30 passes for 246 yards, with only 14 yards coming in the second half. Junior receiver Ben Johnson caught a gamehigh seven passes for 80 yards, all in the first half.
Harding almost rallied from a two-touchdown deficit in the final minute. After cutting the Reddies’ lead to 28-20 on Terrence Dingle’s 1-yard run with 57 seconds to play, the Bisons’ Daylon Markham recovered the ensuing onside kick at the Harding 49.
The Bisons made two first downs, converted one fourthdown play and reached the Henderson State 25, but Preston Paden’s pass to the middle of the field was easily picked off by Watson, a 6-2 junior.
Henderson State led 21-13 at the half, and its only scoring drive in the second half came on a 49-yard pass off a fake punt. Senior punter Cody
Mikell hit A.J. Smith down the right side of the field for the touchdown with 1:09 left in the third quarter.
Before Harding scored its final touchdown, the Bisons had two other possessions advance inside the Henderson State 10 during the third quarter. One drive ended on a failed fourth down. The second possession ended with a fumble.
Henderson State finished with a 391-347 advantage in total yards, but was held to 114 in the second half.
“[Harding] changed its complete philosophy in the second half,” Maxwell said. “The first half they played a lot of man coverage. The second half they brought a lot of pressure on us. We’ve been working on that and I thought we responded really well.”
Dingle completed 4 of 8 passes for 101 yards. Zach Shelley led the Bisons with 109 yards on 10 carries.
Henderson State fumbled the opening kickoff and was down 7-0 just 59 seconds into the game, but the Reddies controlled most of the first half.
Black connected on 15 of 23 first-half attempts for 232 yards, including scoring passes
of 72 yards to C.W. Caver and 11 yards to Johnson.
Henderson State outgained Harding 276 to 154 and held a 13-6 advantage in first downs. The Reddies scored touchdowns on three of their first four possessions.
Dingle found junior Grant Kimberlin for a 30-yard TD pass on the Bisons’ second play. Henderson State responded with a two-play scoring drive of its own when Black found Caver open over the middle for a 72-yard touchdown with 13:14 left in the first quarter.
Black’s 1-yard run with 4:59 remaining in the opening quarter capped a 13-play, 89-yard drive. Black’s 14-yard pass on third and 10 to Austin Bennett, a senior transfer from the University of Oklahoma, set up Black’s TD rush.
Dingle capped a 12-play, 78-yard drive with a 1-yard run of his own on Harding’s ensuing possession. However, a bad snap on the extra-point attempt foiled the Bisons’ chance to tie.
Henderson State missed an opportunity to extend its lead on its next drive when Julio Cervantes had a 28-yard field-goal attempt blocked, but the Reddies found the end
zone on their next possession.
Facing a third and 8 from the Harding 11, Black rolled right, scrambled and avoided two defenders before finding Johnson in the back right corner of the end zone.
ARKANSAS TECH 28, SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 21
touchdownsSouthernStadium. RUSSELLVILLEDown1-0 GAC) 21-14, Arkansasin scoreda Ty comeback— Reasnor(0-1,two Arkansas fourth-quarter0-1) victory connectedat Tech Thone over(10, withto tie Drewthe pass score, Wadewith then 9:46on Reasnora left 59-yardin the ran touchdowngamein the game-winner2:54 remaining. from 10 yards out with The score was tied 14-14 at halftime after both teams swapped a pair of second-quarter touchdowns. SAU’s Barrett Renner found Jaidon Parrish for a 5-yard TD on the first play of the fourth quarter to give the Muleriders a 21-14 advantage. After Bradford Grems’ missed 43yard field goal attempt for SAU, Reasnor found Wade to complete a five-play, 74-yard drive. The Wonder Boys then held SAU on downs at their 26 before Reasnor led the game-winning 11-play, 73-yard drive. Reasoner led the Tech offense, going 13 for 23 for 220 yards and 3 touchdowns. Jackob Dean led the Wonder Boys with 63 yards and a touchdown on five carries. Renner was 33 of 44 for 343 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tanner Hudson led SAU with 73 yards on eight carries.