Harding Bison Eye Repeat Title Run in 2024

© Jeff Morgan/Harding University

It's safe to say that 2024 is the most anticipated season of Harding football in the program's history. After an undefeated 2023 season in which the Bison outscored their opponents by 509 points, Harding wants to repeat as national champions and establish themselves as a potential dynasty in Division II football.

It's not as if Harding didn't have any success before their championship run a season ago—they haven't lost more than two games in a season since 2018—but in the tenured history of the school's football program, they'd never put together a 15-game spectacle of decimation as they did in 2023.

Flexbone Leads the Way

Using a hard-hitting, smashmouth flexbone offense, Harding broke the NCAA record for rushing yards in a season with 6,161—an average of 411 rushing yards per contest.

In an era of college football where offense is often a showcase of passing attacks and speed, Harding chooses to be different. Using an offense that closely resembles the Service Academies of Army, Navy and Air Force, the Bison easily wear down opponents with a combination of size and speed.

Harding returns two 1,000 yard rushers from a season ago in junior Braden Jay and senior Blake Delacruz. The Bison will also have a returnee at quarterback, as junior Cole Keylon will reprise his role under center.

© Jeff Morgan/Harding University

His passing statistics—661 passing yards, 8 touchdowns and a completion percentage south of 50 percent—might not stand out, but Keylon was a major contributor on the ground, rushing for 737 yards and 15 touchdowns as the field general on the gridiron. Harding will also have its leading receiver return, as their standout wide receiver Jay returns. He led the team with 168 receiving yards in 2023.

Defense Wins Championships

As impressive as Harding's record-breaking offense was, its defense was just as venerable. The Bison shut out four opponents in 2023. They held each team to seven points or less and held all but one opponent to 20 points or less. The most impressive defensive statistic for the best defensive unit in the Great American Conference was holding their opponents to an average of 163 yards of offense per game.

The Bison offense certainly deserves respect, but a defensive unit as consistently staunch as Harding's is just as much of an anomaly as an offense solely focused on the ground game. Harding returns top players in the secondary and on the defensive line, and if last season is any indication the Bison defense will once more keep offensive coordinators up at night.

Of course, football games are decided on the field itself and not on paper but Harding seems to be in a perfect position to defend its championship in 2024. As the favorite to win the GAC, the Bison will certainly have a target on their backs, but if any team can handle the pressure of defending a title, it's Harding.