OBU edges Harding to stay undefeated
ARKADELPHIA — Ouachita Baptist only scored once Saturday in matchup with fellow ranked Great American Conference member Harding, but the Tigers made their own stop on fourth-and-goal to preserve the 7-3 victory.
Ouachita (6-0) forced a punt with 14:48 left in the game and took 5:26 seconds to go 85 yards on 11 plays for the go-ahead score. Running back Brockton Brown began the drive with a 26-yard run up the sideline to give the Tigers possession on Harding’s side of the field.
Senior all-purpose leader Drew Harris then found receiver La’Darius McElroy for a 24-yard gain to put Ouachita in the red zone for the first time in the game. Running back Shun’cee Thomas then ran wide on the next play for a 19-yard touchdown run. Cole Antley kicked the extra point for the decisive margin.
Harding (4-2) took over with 9:22 remaining and maintained possession for the next nine minutes. A 16-yard run by Matt Fuller kept the drive alive on a fourth-down play.
The Bisons made it inside Ouachita’s 5-yard line with less than two minutes left in the game. Quarterback Preston Paden was stopped on third-and-goal at the goal line by linebacker Jon Johnson to set up fourth-and-goal.
Fullback Cole Chancey plowed into the end zone on the next play, but an illegal motion penalty pushed Harding back to the 6-yard line. Paden rolled to the right on fourth down, but his throw sailed high and Ouachita was able to take over with 22 seconds left on the clock.
Ouachita improved to 6-0 for the first since 2014, but the Tigers have reached the mark three times this decade. It was the lowest scoring game involving Harding since 1989.
The last time Ouachita won a game with only one touchdown was in 1993 when the Tigers defeated both Southwest Baptist and Northwestern Oklahoma State,
7-0, to start the season. Harding snapped the Tigers’ 94-game double-digit scoring streak.
The victory gave Ouachita the Traveling Trophy for the first time in three years. The Tigers also won the Paul Sharp Cup trophy with a 41-8 victory on Sept. 8 against Southwestern Oklahoma State (2-4).
Ouachita was held to less than 200 yards of offense for the first time this season. Brown, Thomas and Kris Oliver accumulated 106 of the team’s 110 rushing yards.
Johnson and Dameyun McDonald held Harding’s offense to 308 yards, including
277 on the ground. The Bisons entered the game leading the nation with 332 rushing yards per game. Harding had not been held without a rushing touchdown since a 2016 playoff game against Northwest Missouri State.
Ouachita entered the game ranked No. 6 in Division II by the American Football Coaches Association and No. 7 by
D2Football.com. Harding was ranked No. 19 in the AFCA Top
25 and No. 15 by D2Football. com.
The two teams combined for just 67 yards in the first quarter. Harding took control at the start of the second quarter with a 16play, 76-yard drive.
The Bisons marched to the Ouachita 2-yard line until settling for a field goal. Cameron Scott gave Harding a 3-0 edge with a 19-yard kick.
Scott attempted a 51-yard kick in the final minute, but he was unable to convert. Ouachita only had the ball for 8:54 in the first half.
Harris played quarterback for redshirt freshman Brayden Brazeal, who left the game due to injury. Harris was also coming off of an injury to play quarterback full-time for the first time since his junior year in high school.
Harding received the second half kickoff and moved 59 yards on 13 plays to chew up more than eight minutes on the clock. The Tigers kept the Bisons out of the end zone and forced a fumble, taking over at their own
6-yard line.
Chancey led Harding with
92 yards on 22 carries. Paden gained 64 yards on 15 caries.
Oliver ran for 37 yards on nine carries. Thomas and Brown each finished with 36 yards. Brown’s 26-yard gain on the game-winning drive was the longest run of the game. Harris finished 3-for-6 for 60 yards, all to McElroy.
Sophomore punter Jake Ford averaged 43.6 yards per punt with a long of 50 yards and one downed inside the 20-yard line. Johnson and McDonald each had 12 tackles for Ouachita.
Harding is scheduled for a road game Saturday at 2 p.m. against Southwestern in Weatherford, Okla. Ouachita will be in Shawnee, Okla., for a 1 p.m. kickoff against Oklahoma Baptist (2-4).