OBU wins on 2nd chance in OT

OUACHITA BAPTIST 31,

HARDING 28, OT

SEARCY — Asked if it was the best false-start penalty in Ouachita Baptist history, Tigers Coach Todd Knight said, “Probably so.”

Senior place-kicker Matthew Ehasz took advantage of it, connecting on a second-chance 38-yard field goal in overtime to give OBU a 31-28 victory over Harding in a battle of Great American Conference unbeatens Saturday night at First Security Stadium.

The Tigers (6-0, 6-0 GAC) trailed 28-20 in the game’s closing minutes after leading 17-0 early in the second quarter. But OBU forced overtime after senior quarterback Kiehl Frazier threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tailback Brandon Marks with no time remaining in regulation.

Frazier then scrambled for two points to send the game into overtime, 28-28.

Harding went up 28-20 on senior fullback Romo Westbrook’s 92-yard touchdown run — equaling the longest play from scrimmage in school history — with six minutes left.

Harding’s overtime possession, which started from the OBU 25, ended on the first play when OBU senior safety Zack Mitchell recovered a fumble at the 27 following a botched exchange.

OBU reached the Harding 16 on its overtime possession before Ehasz attempted a 33yard field goal. It was blocked by senior Darious Lane, but OBU was called for a false start — a dead-ball penalty — to negate the play.

Ehasz’s second try, from 38 yards, was good, touching off a wild celebration on the OBU sideline.

“I’ve been involved in this rivalry since I was a freshman in 1973,” said Harding Coach Ronnie Huckeba, a former Bisons player. “I can tell you that there have been tons of games that have come down to that exact situation.”

Harding won last year’s meeting 36-33 on a 74-yard pass reception by Donatella Luckett with 1:12 remaining in the game.

Luckett, an NFL wide receiver prospect, was involved in the frenzied final minutes again Saturday, but this time as a spot player defensively.

Luckett, screaming off the end from a three-point stance, nearly sacked Frazier on the final play of regulation. But Frazier bought enough time to thread a pass to Marks, who was between a cluster of defenders over the middle in the back of the end zone.

The play capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive in the final 2:37.

Frazier, OBU’s prized transfer from Auburn, scrambled 16 yards to the 15 on fourth and 8 with 15 seconds remaining.

Following his touchdown pass to Marks, Frazier scrambled right on the two-point play, eluded a defender near the line of scrimmage and scored to send the game into overtime.

“You’ve got to take your hat off to Kiehl Frazier,” Huckeba said. “He made the plays when he had to. He was tough. He played, I thought, really well.”

Frazier ran 16 times for 122 yards and completed 14 of 29 passes for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Frazier’s 36-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Ke’Vontae Pope stretched OBU’s lead to 17-0 with 12:42 remaining in the first half. Pope finished with five receptions for 120 yards.

Senior tailback Steven Kehner 20 times for 64 yards and a 1-yard touchdown to make it 10-0 with 3:26 left in the first quarter.

The Tigers opened the game with a 13-play, 74-yard drive capped by Ehasz’s 19-yard field goal with 9:13 left in the first quarter. His 27-yard field goal gave Ouachita a 20-14 lead with 6:08 left in the third quarter.

Harding (5-1, 5-1) finished with a 457-428 advantage in total yardage.

Westbrook ran 16 times for 190 yards and 1 touchdown. He also caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Keenan Kellett with 19 seconds left in the second quarter to make it 17-14 at halftime.

Sophomore slotback Eric Simmons ran 3 times for 53 yards and 2 touchdowns (44 and 11 yards).

Simmons’ 11-yard touchdown run gave Harding its first lead, 21-20, with 11:39 remaining in regulation.

The Bisons, NCAA Division II’s top rushing team, finished with 380 yards on 54 attempts.

Harding entered averaging 410.2 yards per game. It had 155 yards in the first half, highlighted by Simmons’ 44-yard touchdown run with 9:37 left in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 17-7.

“We had a good plan,” Knight said. “The kids were in position. The kids were hungry. We probably worked a little overtime defensively to get ready. It paid off. The guys understood it was going to be a big challenge because Harding has a phenomenal offense.”