2023 Harding Bisons football team

The 2023 Harding Bisons football team was an American football team that represented Harding University in the Great American Conference (GAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division II football season. In their sixth year under head coach Paul Simmons, the team compiled a perfect 15–0 record (11–0 against conference opponents), outscored opponents by a total of 665 to 156, and won the GAC and NCAA Division II championships. The team also set an NCAA record for most rushing yards in a season with 6,161 rushing yards.^[1]

2023 Harding Bisons football
NCAA Division II national champion GAC champion
NCAA Division II championship game, W 38–7 vs. Colorado Mines
Conference	Great American Conference
Ranking
AFCA	No. 1
Record	15–0 (11–0 GAC)
Head coach	Paul Simmons (7th season)
Offensive scheme	Flexbone triple option
Defensive coordinator	Roddy Mote (7th season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Luke Tribble (7th season)
Base defense	Multiple
Home stadium	First Security Stadium
Seasons ← 2022 2024 →

2023 Great American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 1 Harding $^		11	–	0					15	–	0
No. 24 Henderson State ^		9	–	2					9	–	3
Ouachita Baptist		9	–	2					9	–	2
Southern Arkansas #		9	–	2					10	–	2
Oklahoma Baptist		6	–	5					6	–	5
Southern Nazarene #		6	–	5					6	–	6
Arkansas Tech		5	–	6					5	–	6
SE Oklahoma State		5	–	6					5	–	6
East Central		3	–	8					3	–	8
Arkansas–Monticello		2	–	9					2	–	9
NW Oklahoma State		1	–	10					1	–	10
SW Oklahoma State		0	–	11					0	–	11
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant # – bowl participant (Southern Nazarene - Heritage Bowl, Southern Arkansas - Live United Texarkana Bowl) Rankings from AFCA Poll

The team finished the regular season ranked No. 2 among Division II programs and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs where they received a bye in the first round and defeated No. 6 Central Missouri (35–34) in the second round, No. 2 Grand Valley State (7–6) in the quarterfinals, and No. 11 Lenoir–Rhyne (55–14) in the semifinals. Through the December 16 victory over Colorado Mines, the Bison have won 18 consecutive games, the longest winning streak in program history.^[2] Harding defeated No. 1 Colorado Mines in the Division II national championship game on December 16, 38–7, to win the school's first national championship.

Harding defensive end Nathaniel Wallace was selected as the 2023 GAC Defensive Player of the Year. Paul Simmons was seleced as GAC Coach of the Year.^[3]

The team played its home games at First Security Stadium in Searcy, Arkansas.^[1]

Preseason

The GAC coaches preseason poll was released on August 1, 2023. The Bisons were predicted to finish second in the conference. Ouachita Baptist was favored to win the conference.^[4]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance
August 31	6:00 p.m.	at Southern Nazarene	No. 14	SNU Stadium Bethany, OK	W 53–20	1,754
September 9	7:00 p.m.	Oklahoma Baptist	No. 12	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	W 49–10	2,800
September 16	6:00 p.m.	Arkansas–Monticello	No. 11	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	W 59–19	3,100
September 23	6:30 p.m.	at No. 20 Henderson State	No. 10	Carpenter–Haygood Stadium Arkadelphia, AR	W 27–16	6,013
September 30	6:00 p.m.	SW Oklahoma State	No. 10	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	W 64–0	2,300
October 7	4:00 p.m.	at NW Oklahoma State	No. 9	Ranger Field Alva, OK	W 62–0	3,213
October 14	6:00 p.m.	No. 5 Ouachita Baptist	No. 9	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	W 41–10	5,600
October 21	2:00 p.m.	at Southern Arkansas	No. 6	Memorial Stadium El Dorado, AR	W 54–20	1,196
October 28	2:00 p.m.	at SE Oklahoma State	No. 4	Paul Laird Field Durant, OK	W 55–0	1,178
November 4	3:00 p.m.	East Central	No. 4	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	W 48–7	5,500
November 11	2:00 p.m.	at Arkansas Tech	No. 3	Thone Stadium Russellville, AR	W 56–0	2,347
November 25	1:00 p.m.	No. 6 Central Missouri*	No. 3	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR (NCAA Division II Second Round)	W 35–34	3,500
December 2	1:00 p.m.	No. 2 Grand Valley State*	No. 3	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal)	W 7–6	3,100
December 9	11:00 a.m.	No. 11 Lenoir–Rhyne*	No. 3	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR (NCAA Division II Semifinal)	W 55–14	2,900
December 16	12:00 p.m.	vs. No. 1 Colorado Mines*	No. 3	McKinney ISD Stadium McKinney, TX (NCAA Division II Championship Game)	W 38–7	12,552
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[1]

Rankings

See also: 2023 NCAA Division II football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
т = Tied with team above or below ( ) = First-place votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Final
AFCA	14	12	11	10	10	9	9	6	4	4	т 3 (1)	3 (1)	1 (28)
D2Football.com	15	13	12	11	11	9	9	7	5	5	4	4	1

Personnel

2023 Harding Bisons football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class RB 7 Braden Jay So WR 8 Roland Wallace Sr RB 10 Jhalen Spicer Jr QB 12 Tyler Ross So WR 14 Will White So QB 15 Cole Keylon So QB 16 Malik Young   Fr WR 18 Darius Brown So WR 19 Dane Romberger Jr RB 21 Chauncey Martin Jr RB 22 Will Fitzhugh Jr RB 23 Omar Sinclair GS WR 24 Malik Stotts Fr RB 26 Blake Delacruz Jr RB 30 Josh Strickland Jr.   Fr RB 34 Andrew Miller   Fr RB 37 Jimmy Citty Jr RB 37 Josh Evans-Pickens Fr OL 50 Dennis Carroll Sr OL 51 Levi Pate Sr OL 54 Landon Ray Sr OL 56 Jonathan Underwood Jr OL 57 Jake Dugger Jr OL 59 Jake Mitchell So OL 60 Cooper Welch   Fr OL 63 David Gomez So OL 64 Elijah Swindle So OL 65 Adam Fager So OL 66 Dylan Cummings Fr OL 67 Josh Lawrence Fr OL 71 Jacob Formby Fr OL 73 Carter Lees Fr OL 74 Hunter Willis Sr OL 75 Austin Toler Sr OL 77 Cobe Williams Fr OL 78 Dylan Daring So OL 79 Duane Johnson Jr WR 80 Jake Harrell So WR 81 Joseph Alejo Jr. Jr WR 82 Isaac Miller So WR 86 Jackson Richardson   Fr TE 87 Mike Ericson So WR 88 Drew Porter So WR Jarret Atchley Fr WR Brady Barnett Fr OL Josh Cobb Fr QB Jabari Collier Fr OL Matt Colvin Fr OL Vincent Cox Fr OL Michael Esparza Fr RB Brian Furch Fr OL Isaac Gray Fr RB Raymond Hudson Fr RB E. J. Luckett Fr OL Luke McCormick Fr TE Levi Mercer Fr RB Sam Mitchell Fr WR Bodie Neal Fr OL Johnathan Vining Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 0 Darion Dunlap-Johnson Jr DB 1 Kendale Allen Jr DB 2 Kyle McDonald Jr LB 3 Cayden Pierce Jr DB 4 Malik Mays GS DB 5 Ahmad Butler Sr DB 6 Travis Greenwalt Jr DL 9 Dre Hall Jr DB 11 Grayson Lewis Fr DB 13 Jeremiah Jordan   Fr DB 16 Deion Campbell Fr DB 17 Cameron Mitchell-Johnson Jr DB 20 Ty Dugger So LB 24 Clark Griffin So LB 25 Travell Wright So DB 27 Luke Martin   Fr DB 28 Oric Walker Jr. Sr DB 29 Troy Wiseman Fr DL 32 Nathaniel Wallace Sr DB 33 Cooper Carroll Sr DB 35 Danny Pierce Jr DB 36 Eli Moore   Fr DB 38 Zac O'Day   Fr LB 40 Mar'Reion Claybrooks   Fr DB 41 Elijah Carlton   Fr LB 41 Jackson Cody Fr LB 42 Kekoa Carroll Jr LB 43 Zach Strickland Sr LB 44 Landen Chaffey So DL 45 Devonte Manning Jr LB 47 Horacio Moronta Jr DB 48 Reese Elrod   Fr LB 52 Jordan Mays   Fr DL 55 Gage Price Jr DL 58 Austin Bailey Jr DL 61 Brock Knapton Fr DL 62 Aldrin Wilson So DL 76 B. J. Burke Sr DL 89 Justin Sobczak   Fr DL 90 Jose Lopez   Fr DL 91 Tirrell Johnson   Fr DL 92 Bryce Rushing Fr DL 93 Tony Agyapong   Fr DL 96 Landon Eades Jr DL 99 Wesley Coleman Jr DL Nii Addy Fr LB Christian Brumley Fr DL Oneal Daniels Fr DL Diego Davis Fr DB Carter Hill Fr LB Kaden Jones Fr DB DeSean Mays Fr LB Tyler Mitchell Fr DB Drew Nelson Fr DL Joseph Oluwayemi Fr DB Matai Thomas Fr DB G'Kyson Wright   Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 39 Magnus Lepak   Fr P 46 Ryan Fox Sr LS 49 Xavier Hylton So LS 53 Chase Whitfield Jr K 84 Grant Ennis Sr K Josiah Linderman Fr	Head coach Paul Simmons Coordinators/assistant coaches Roddy Mote Defensive coordinator/Linebackers Luke Tribble Co-defensive coordinator/Special teams coordinator/Defensive backs Tre'von Biglow Defensive line Sam Blakenship Safeties Kevin Chism Offensive line Matt Middleton Quarterbacks/Fullbacks Matt Underwood Slotbacks/Wide receivers/Director of recruiting Kenny Wheaton Offensive consultant Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible   Injured   Redshirt Roster Last update: December 17, 2023

Game summaries

At Southern Nazarene

No. 14 Harding Bisons at Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 14 Bisons	14	21	11	7	53
Crimson Storm	0	0	6	14	20

at SNU Stadium, Bethany, Oklahoma

• Date: August 31
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 1,754
• Referee: Dan Wilson
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 4-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 8:37. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 6:19. HAR – Blake Delacruz 6-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 1:02. Bisons 14–0. Drive: 1 play, 6 yards, 0:03. Second quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 3-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 12:16. Bisons 21–0. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:37. HAR – Braden Jay 26-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Grant Ennis kick), 8:21. Bisons 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 2:19. HAR – Blake Delacruz 3-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 1:05. Bisons 35–0. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 2:51. Third quarter SNU – Gage Porter 18-yard run (kick failed), 11:41. Bisons 35–6. Drive: 1 play, 18 yards, 0:08. HAR – Cole Keylon 6-yard run (Cole Keylon run), 8:18. Bisons 43–6. Drive: 6 plays, 60 yards, 3:17. HAR – Grant Ennis 39-yard field goal, 3:11. Bisons 46–6. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 2:25. Fourth quarter SNU – Gage Porter 1-yard run (Kameron Van Prooyen kick), 14:55. Bisons 46–13. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:16. HAR – Josh Strickland Jr. 24-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 11:28. Bisons 53–13. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 3:19. SNU – Angel Ramirez 6-yard pass from Jarvis Davis (Kameron Van Prooyen kick), 1:30. Bisons 53–20. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:27.

Statistics	HAR	SNU
First downs	19	14
Total yards	322	322
Rushing yards	282	145
Passing yards	40	177
Turnovers	2	6
Time of possession	33:29	26:31

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	2/3, 40 yards, TD
	Rushing	Braden Jay	4 rushes, 63 yards
	Receiving	Braden Jay	1 reception, 26 yards, TD
Southern Nazarene	Passing	Gage Porter	6/16, 116 yards, 3 INT
	Rushing	Gage Porter	26 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Andrew Tisdale	2 receptions, 74 yards

Oklahoma Baptist

Oklahoma Baptist Bison at No. 12 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
OKB Bison	0	10	0	0	10
No. 12 HAR Bisons	14	14	7	14	49

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: September 9
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 76 °F (24 °C)
• Game attendance: 2,800
• Referee: Dewayne Barbee
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Jhalen Spicer 19-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 8:46. Harding 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 6:07. HAR – Cole Keylon 7-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 3:00. Harding 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:03. Second quarter OKB – Luke Watkins 20-yard field goal, 13:25. Harding 14–3. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:35. HAR – Darius Brown 76-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Grant Ennis kick), 11:39. Harding 21–3. Drive: 3 plays, 90 yards, 1:37. OKB – Nick Harris 29-yard pass from Aidan Thompson (Luke Watkins kick), 7:20. Harding 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 2:31. HAR – Will White 48-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Grant Ennis kick), 3:55. Harding 28–10. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:01. Third quarter HAR – Zach Strickland 72-yard fumble return (Grant Ennis kick), 9:39. Harding 35–10. Fourth quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 55-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 14:00. Harding 42–10. Drive: 1 play, 55 yards, 0:10. HAR – Will White 7-yard pass from Malik Young (Grant Ennis kick), 11:30. Harding 49–10. Drive: 4 plays, 27 yards, 2:15.

Statistics	OKB	HAR
First downs	15	25
Total yards	238	513
Rushing yards	9	382
Passing yards	229	131
Turnovers	3	1
Time of possession	27:32	32:28

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Oklahoma Baptist	Passing	Aidan Thompson	27/44, 229 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	E. J. Moore	6 rushes, 14 yards
	Receiving	Michael Marshall	6 receptions, 63 yards
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	2/5, 124 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Andrew Miller	5 rushes, 69 yards, TD
	Receiving	Darius Brown	1 reception, 76 yards, TD

Arkansas–Monticello

Arkansas–Monticello Boll Weevils at No. 11 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Boll Weevils	6	6	0	7	19
No. 11 Bisons	21	14	14	10	59

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: September 16
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 81 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 3,100
• Referee: Chuck Scott
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Braden Jay 14-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 10:19. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 2:38. HAR – Blake Delacruz 8-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 5:49. Bisons 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:54. UAM – Demauryon 10-yard fumble return (kick failed), 3:40. Bisons 14–6. HAR – Blake Delacruz 2-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 0:49. Bisons 21–6. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 2:42. Second quarter HAR – Jhalen Spicer 24-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 5:30. Bisons 28–6. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:59. UAM – Arlie Lee 28-yard pass from Demilon Brown (kick blocked), 2:28. Bisons 28–12. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:02. HAR – Blake Delacruz 4-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 0:47. Bisons 35–12. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 0:58. Third quarter HAR – Cole Keylon 1-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 11:05. Bisons 42–12. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:46. HAR – Devonte Manning 0-yard fumble return (Grant Ennis kick), 10:07. Bisons 49–12. Fourth quarter UAM – Arlie Lee 4-yard run (Dylan Duhon kick), 13:42. Bisons 49–19. Drive: 3 plays, 55 yards, 1:09. HAR – Tyler Ross 32-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 12:46. Bisons 56–19. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:47. HAR – Grant Ennis 33-yard field goal, 6:30. Bisons 59–19. Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 3:02.

Statistics	UAM	HAR
First downs	11	24
Total yards	217	463
Rushing yards	34	424
Passing yards	183	39
Turnovers	4	4
Time of possession	26:24	33:36

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Arkansas–Monticello	Passing	Demilon Brown	18/32, 183 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Demilon Brown	12 rushes, 15 yards
	Receiving	Kristian Gammage	3 receptions, 92 yards
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	1/3, 39 yards
	Rushing	Jhalen Spicer	5 rushes, 76 yards, TD
	Receiving	Braden Jay	1 reception, 39 yards

Entering the game, the Boll Weevils had the top offense in the GAC, scoring 53.5 points per game, but here weld to just 217 yards of offense against Harding.^[5]

At No. 20 Henderson State

No. 10 Harding Bisons at No. 20 Henderson State Reddies – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 10 Bisons	0	7	13	7	27
No. 20 Reddies	3	6	7	0	16

at Carpenter–Haygood Stadium, Arkadelphia, Arkansas

• Date: September 23
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 89 °F (32 °C)
• Game attendance: 6,013
• Referee: Michael Catton
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HSU – Kolby King 38-yard field goal, 8:00. Reddies 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:13. Second quarter HSU – Timieone 8-yard pass from Andrew Edwards (kick failed), 4:32. Reddies 9–0. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 2:10. HAR – Braden Jay 37-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 1:46. Reddies 9–7. Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 2:39. Third quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 2-yard run (run failed), 8:22. Bisons 13–9. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 6:38. HSU – Jaquarion Turner 1-yard run (Kolby King kick), 6:03. Reddies 16–13. Drive: 6 plays, 79 yards, 2:13. HAR – Blake Delacruz 53-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 4:31. Bisons 20–16. Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:24. Fourth quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 12-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 4:56. Bisons 27–16. Drive: 13 plays, 61 yards, 7:33.

Statistics	HAR	HSU
First downs	22	11
Total yards	363	244
Rushing yards	353	54
Passing yards	10	190
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	39:53	19:57

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	1/4, 10 yards
	Rushing	Blake Delacruz	31 rushes, 179 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Dane Romberger	1 reception, 10 yards
Henderson State	Passing	Andrew Edwards	15/28, 190 yards, TD
	Rushing	Andrew Edwards	6 rushes, 24 yards
	Receiving	Timieone Jackson	7 receptions, 96 yards, TD

Southwestern Oklahoma State

Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs at No. 10 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	0	0	0	0
No. 10 Bisons	7	21	20	16	64

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: September 30
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 88 °F (31 °C)
• Game attendance: 2,300
• Referee: Brad Frisby
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Roland Wallce 11-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Magnus Lepak kick), 6:15. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 7:10. Second quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 6-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 9:55. Bisons 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 4:03. HAR – Omar Sinclair 18-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 4:27. Bisons 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:44. HAR – Will White 50-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Magnus Lepak kick), 2:28. Bisons 28–0. Drive: 1 play, 50 yards, 0:08. Third quarter HAR – Malik Young 9-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 9:57. Bisons 35–0. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:53. HAR – Andrew Miller 32-yard run (kick failed), 6:10. Bisons 41–0. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:24. HAR – Kekoa Carroll 30-yard interception return (Magnus Lepak kick), 5:12. Bisons 48–0. Fourth quarter HAR – Magnus Lepak 24-yard field goal, 13:46. Bisons 51–0. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:41. HAR – Darion Dunlap-Johnson 23-yard interception return (kick failed), 13:37. Bisons 57–0. HAR – Andrew Miller 81-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 8:00. Bisons 64–0. Drive: 2 plays, 85 yards, 0:52.

Statistics	SWO	HAR
First downs	4	25
Total yards	79	587
Rushing yards	29	462
Passing yards	50	125
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	24:38	35:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
SW Oklahoma State	Passing	Sean Shelby	5/9, 26 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Troy Henderson	5 rushes, 16 yards
	Receiving	Elijah Reed	3 receptions, 29 yards
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	5/6, 125 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Andrew Miller	7 rushes, 134 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Will White	1 reception, 50 yards, TD

Quarterback Cole Keylon completed five passes, each going to a different receiver.

At Northwestern Oklahoma State

No. 9 Harding Bisons at Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 9 Bisons	14	28	7	13	62
Rangers	0	0	0	0	0

at Ranger Field, Alva, Oklahoma

• Date: October 7
• Game time: 4:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 68 °F (20 °C)
• Game attendance: 3,213
• Referee: Dan Wilson
• Box score, Recap

Statistics	HAR	NWO
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
NW Oklahoma State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 5 Ouachita Baptist

No. 5 Ouachita Baptist Tigers at No. 9 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	3	7	0	10
No. 9 Bisons	7	3	10	21	41

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: October 14
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 64 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 5,600
• Referee: Darin Lair
• Box score, Recap

Statistics	OUA	HAR
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Ouachita Baptist	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Harding	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

The no. 9 Bisons downed the no. 5 Tigers, handing Oauchita Baptist its first loss of the season.^[6][7]

At Southern Arkansas

No. 6 Harding Bisons at Southern Arkansas Muleriders – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 6 Bisons	14	10	21	9	54
Muleriders	7	0	7	6	20

at Memorial Stadium, El Dorado, Arkansas

• Date: October 21
• Game time: 2:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Sunny, 86 °F (30 °C)
• Game attendance: 1,196
• Referee: Dewayne Barbee
• Box score, Recap

Statistics	HAR	SAU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Southern Arkansas	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

At Southeastern Oklahoma State

No. 4 Harding Bisons at Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Bisons	21	10	14	10	55
Savage Storm	0	0	0	0	0

at Paul Laird Field, Durant, Oklahoma

• Date: October 28
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Rain, 54 °F (12 °C)
• Game attendance: 1,178
• Referee: Michael Catton
• Box score, Recap

Statistics	HAR	SOU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
SE Oklahoma State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

East Central

East Central Tigers at No. 4 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	0	0	7	7
No. 4 Bisons	7	14	21	6	48

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: November 4
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 71 °F (22 °C)
• Game attendance: 5,500
• Referee: Darin Lair
• Box score, Recap

Statistics	ECU	HAR
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
East Central	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Harding	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

The Tigers were held to just 134 yards of total offense while Harding only attempted two passes, both of which were incomplete.^[8]

At Arkansas Tech

No. 3 Harding Bisons at Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 3 Bisons	14	28	7	7	56
Wonder Boys	0	0	0	0	0

at Simmons Bank Field, Russellville, Arkansas

• Date: November 11
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
• Game attendance: 2,347
• Referee: Frank Wittenberg
• Box score, Recap

Statistics	HAR	ATU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Arkansas Tech	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 6 Central Missouri (NCAA Division II Second Round)

No. 6 Central Missouri Mules at No. 3 Harding Bisons (NCAA Division II Second Round) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 6 Mules	7	7	7	13	34
No. 3 Bisons	7	14	7	7	35

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: November 25
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 50 °F (10 °C)
• Game attendance: 3,500
• Referee: Craig Demaree
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter UCM – Zion Perry 30-yard pass from Zach Zebrowski (Luke Dobson kick), 11:21. Mules 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:39. HAR – Cole Keylon 1-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 2:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 8:18. Second quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 1-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 5:53. Bisons 14–7. Drive: 16 plays, 95 yards, 9:26. UCM – Arkell Smith 5-yard pass from Zach Zebrowski (Luke Dobson kick), 3:17. Tied 14–14. Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 2:36. HAR – Chauncey Martin 38-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 1:08. Bisons 21–14. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 1:56. Third quarter HAR – Chauncey Martin 89-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 4:16. Bisons 28–14. Drive: 3 plays, 94 yards, 1:20. UCM – Michael Fitzgerald 28-yard pass from Zach Zebrowski (Luke Dobson kick), 0:49. Bisons 28–21. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:14. Fourth quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 12-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 6:52. Bisons 35–21. Drive: 16 plays, 69 yards, 8:49. UCM – Arkell Smith 87-yard pass from Zach Zebrowski (Luke Dobson kick), 5:58. Bisons 35–28. Drive: 3 plays, 95 yards, 0:43. UCM – Arkell Smith 6-yard pass from Zach Zebrowski (kick blocked), 0:22. Bisons 35–34. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 2:42.

Statistics	UCM	HAR
First downs	27	20
Total yards	534	418
Rushing yards	109	384
Passing yards	425	34
Turnovers	0	0
Time of possession	24:18	35:42

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Missouri	Passing	Zach Zebrowski	34/44, 425 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Zach Zebrowski	16 rushes, 94 yards
	Receiving	Arkell Smith	9 receptions, 150 yards, 3 TD
Harding	Passing	Zach Strickland	1/1, 26 yards
	Rushing	Blake Delacruz	34 rushes, 154 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Ty Dugger	1 reception, 26 yards

The Mules scored a touchdown with less than 30 seconds in regulation, needing an extra point to tie the game and potentially send it into overtime. However, Harding defensive lineman Gage Price blocked the game-tying PAT, securing the 35–34 victory for the Bisons.^[9]

No. 2 Grand Valley State (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal)

No. 2 Grand Valley State Lakers at No. 3 Harding Bisons (NCAA Division II Quarterfinals) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 2 Lakers	0	6	0	0	6
No. 3 Bisons	0	0	0	7	7

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: December 2
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C)
• Game attendance: 3,100
• Referee: Cecil Harrison
• Box score, Recap

Game information
First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter GVS – Josh Gorball 48-yard field goal, 13:12. Lakers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 50 yards, 6:03. GVS – Josh Gorball 27-yard field goal, 0:00. Lakers 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 1:05. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter HAR – Cole Keylon 1-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 3:52. Bisons 7–6. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 8:59.

Statistics	GVS	HAR
First downs	10	15
Total yards	222	225
Rushing yards	62	205
Passing yards	160	20
Turnovers	0	0
Time of possession	19:31	39:14

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Grand Valley State	Passing	Cade Peterson	10/19, 123 yards
	Rushing	Khalil Eichelberger	2 rushes, 31 yards
	Receiving	Darrell Johnson	5 receptions, 63 yards
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	1/3, 20 yards
	Rushing	Blake Delacruz	28 rushes, 70 yards
	Receiving	Braden Jay	1 reception, 20 yards

In the quarterfinal round of the NCAA division II playoffs, Harding hosted no. 2 Grand Valley State from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Lakers entered the game with one of the best defenses in all of division II, holding opponents to an average of 17 points per game. The Lakers' defense held the Bisons scoreless for just over 56 minutes of game time before Harding quarterback Cole Keylon scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown.^[10]

No. 11 Lenoir–Rhyne (NCAA Division II Semifinals)

No. 11 Lenoir–Rhyne Bears at No. 3 Harding Bisons (NCAA Division II Semifinals) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 11 Bears	0	7	0	7	14
No. 3 Bisons	14	20	14	7	55

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: December 9
• Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
• Game weather: Cloudy, 58 °F (14 °C)
• Game attendance: 2,900
• Referee: Chris Glass
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Cole Keylon 1-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 8:48. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 36 yards, 4:51. HAR – Blake Delacruz 9-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 5:20. Bisons 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 3:28. Second quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 4-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 9:29. Bisons 21–0. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:14. HAR – Braden Jay 1-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 1:34. Bisons 28–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 5:39. LRU – Zyheir Dillard 5-yard run (Jake Brown kick), 0:14. Bisons 28–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 1:20. HAR – Braden Jay 89-yard kickoff return (kick failed), 0:04. Bisons 34–7. Third quarter HAR – Roland Wallace 65-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Grant Ennis kick), 12:26. Bisons 41–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:28. HAR – Chauncey Martin 17-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 4:57. Bisons 48–7. Drive: 7 plays, 92 yards, 3:58. Fourth quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 1-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 9:10. Bisons 55–7. Drive: 6 plays, 24 yards, 3:25. LRU – Deondre Lester 52-yard pass from Jalen Ferguson (Jake Brown kick), 6:45. Bisons 55–14. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:25.

Statistics	LRU	HAR
First downs	14	26
Total yards	336	500
Rushing yards	-3	431
Passing yards	339	69
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	19:17	40:43

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Lenoir–Rhyne	Passing	Sean White	23/33, 270 yards, INT
	Rushing	Deondre Lester	1 rush, 12 yards
	Receiving	Deondre Lester	8 receptions, 139 yards, TD
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	2/3, 69 yards, TD
	Rushing	Blake Delacruz	21 rushes, 147 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Roland Wallace	1 reception, 65 yards, TD

Vs. No. 1 Colorado Mines (NCAA Division II Championship Game)

See also: 2023 Colorado Mines Orediggers football team

No. 3 Harding Bisons vs. No. 1 Colorado Mines Orediggers (NCAA Division II Championship Game) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 3 Bisons	7	14	10	7	38
No. 1 Orediggers	7	0	0	0	7

at McKinney ISD Stadium, McKinney, Texas

• Date: December 16
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 53 °F (12 °C)
• Game attendance: 12,552
• Referee: Bryan Earl
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter CSM – Noah Roper 2-yard pass from John Matocha (Jacob Click kick), 9:06. Orediggers 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:54. HAR – Jhalen Spicer 10-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 3:49. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:14. Second quarter HAR – Braden Jay 10-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 4:30. Bisons 14–7. Drive: 17 plays, 74 yards, 10:23. HAR – Braden Jay 9-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 0:33. Bisons 21–7. Drive: 6 plays, 90 yards, 2:05. Third quarter HAR – Braden Jay 73-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 12:58. Bisons 28–7. Drive: 4 plays, 87 yards, 1:59. HAR – Grant Ennis 32-yard field goal, 4:11. Bisons 31–7. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 6:07. Fourth quarter HAR – Cole Keylon 1-yard run (Grant Ennis kick), 11:58. Bisons 38–7. Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 4:17.

Statistics	HAR	CSM
First downs	21	18
Total yards	548	341
Rushing yards	502	71
Passing yards	46	270
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	36:10	23:50

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	2/2, 46 yards
	Rushing	Blake Delacruz	27 rushes, 212 yards
	Receiving	Roland Wallace	2 receptions, 46 yards
Colorado Mines	Passing	John Matocha	24/33, 270 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Landon Walker	6 rushes, 56 yards
	Receiving	Max McLeod	14 receptions, 153

Statistical accomplishments

On offense, Harding prioritizes the run game, averaging over 400 rushing yards per game. In a game against Southern Arkansas on October 21, the team rushed for 631 yards and had two players (Braden Jay and Blake Delacruz) each tally over 200 rushing yards.^[11]

On defense, the team has recorded four shutouts and has allowed per-game averages of 10.92 points, 74.2 rushing yards, and 158.62 passing yards.^[12]

The team's individual statistical leaders include:

• Blake Delacruz with 1,149 rushing yards and 114 points scored;
• Cole Keylon with 546 passing yards;
• Braden Jay with seven receptions for 164 yards;

^[12]

Harding became the first team in NCAA history to rush for over 6,000 yards in a single season.

References

1. "2023 Football Schedule". Harding University. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
2. "No. 3 Harding vs. No. 6 Central Mo. -- GAME NOTES". November 21, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
3. "Simmons named GAC Coach of the Year". The Daily Citizen. November 17, 2023.
4. "#theGAC FOOTBALL COACHES VOTE OUACHITA BAPTIST AS PRESEASON FAVORITE". August 1, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
5. "Harding Bisons roam past UA-Monticello Boll Weevils, 59-19". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. September 16, 2023.
6. Erick Taylor (October 14, 2023). "Plenty on the line for Tigers, Bisons". Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
7. Bob Wisener (October 16, 2023). "Bisons clobber Tigers in Searcy, lead GAC". The Sentinel-Record.
8. Sydney Dungen (November 8, 2023). "No. 4 Harding rushes past ECU for 14th straight win". The Ada News.
9. "Harding outlasts Central Missouri in playoff thriller". The Sentinel-Record. November 26, 2023.
10. Josh VanDyke (December 3, 2023). "Late touchdown helps Harding upend Grand Valley State football in D2 quarterfinals". Mlive.com.
11. "No. 6 Harding Tops 600 Rushing Yards; Blasts SAU 54-20". Harding University. October 21, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
12. "2023 Football Cumulative Statistics". Harding University. Retrieved December 6, 2023.