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 12-game 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 tough for somebody to go undefeated this year.”

Harding and Arkansas Tech close the regular season Nov. 14 in Russellville.