Harding Runs Through Southern Nazarene in Season Opener

© Jeff Montgomery/Harding University

SEARCY, Ark.—No. 1 Harding proved why they're worthy of their ranking on Sept. 5, taking down Southern Nazarene by a score of 59-0 in the season opener for both teams.

A crowd of 3,500 filled First Security Stadium for Harding's first game since they won the Division II National Championship in December 2023.

The Bisons (1-0) ran for 554 yards while holding the Crimson Storm (0-1) to just 49 yards of total offense.

With a road trip to Oklahoma Baptist up next, grabbing a season-opening win at home was of the utmost importance for the Bisons, who will look to start 2-0 on Sept. 14.

Game Summary

It was Southern Nazarene who received the opening kickoff, but a three-and-out and a mishandled punt gave Harding the ball on SNU's 5-yard line. The Bisons' opening drive of the season was short and sweet: 1 play, 5 yards, and a touchdown run for running back Blake Delacruz.

The sequence was mostly the same in the second series for both squads, as SNU was forced to punt. Harding quickly drove down the field for another score that made it 14-0 less than five minutes into the season.

While SNU had to punt for the third consecutive drive, the Crimson Storm defense came up big, forcing a fumble and getting the ball back. Unfortunately, three false start penalties backed up Southern Nazarene's offense and forcing another punt.

The Bisons would have good field position for their fourth drive of the game, but another fumble would force Harding's defense to step up.

The Bisons forced a fifth consecutive Southern Nazarene punt to end the first quarter, and Harding turned the possession into the first rushing touchdown of the season for quarterback Cole Keylon.

Another SNU punt and Harding touchdown would follow, pushing the Bisons out to a 28-0 lead with 8:43 to go in the second quarter.

On the ensuing Southern Nazarene drive, it would be Harding who forced a fumble, turning over the Crimson Storm and setting up Keylon's first touchdown toss of the season to Braden Jay, whose acrobatic catch in the back of the end zone made the score 35-0 with 7:20 to play in the first half.

SNU's offense would continue to struggle, but a 72-yard punt from Crimson Storm punter Adam Atwell would back the Bisons' offense up against the shadow of their own goalpost.

This didn't deter Harding's attack, however, as an 88-yard touchdown run from Andrew Miller on the first play of the drive put Harding back on the board, pushing the Bisons' advantage to 42-0.

After another punt from Atwell, Harding would fumble the football for the third time in the first half, turning the ball over to Southern Nazarene in the waning moments of the half. SNU garnered just 8 yards and one first down in the first half of play.

As the teams went to their respective locker rooms, it was Harding holding a 42-0 advantage.

Harding's first drive of the second half would be business as usual, as a 6-play, 64-yard drive was capped by a touchdown run from running back Josh Evans Pickens. As was the case for much of the first half, Southern Nazarene's first series of the third quarter would result in a punt, giving the Bisons the football back.

Harding's 11th drive of the game would end in their first punt of the night, but Southern Nazarene wouldn't be able to capitalize, as another mishandled punt gave Harding the ball in SNU territory. Harding capitalized on the turnover on down with a 33-yard field goal from Magnus Lepak to take a 52-0 lead.

A Gage Price sack on third-and-11 would force another Southern Nazarene punt on the first play of the fourth quarter. On the ensuing Harding drive, quarterback Malik Young would run through multiple SNU defenders on his way to the end zone, making the score 59-0 with 12:18 remaining.

Despite a 37-yard run from Evan Rader, SNU would once again turn the ball over on downs on their next possession, giving the ball back to Harding with 9:58 to play. The teams would exchange punts, with Harding running out the clock on its final possession.

Turning Point

In the first game of the season, momentum matters that much more. That was the case when Southern Nazarene went three-and-out on their first drive, and them compounded the rough start with a mishandled punt that led to Harding's first score of the night. The Crimson Storm didn't have much of a chance after that, and a rough start for SNU was the death knell for their hopes of coming out of Searcy with a victory.

What It Means

Harding's dominant victory only confirms what many thought in the preseason: The Bisons are once more a formidable threat, if not the favorite, to win the DII national championship for the second year in a row. A road trip to Shawnee, Okla. on Sept. 14 is next, where the Bisons will face off against Oklahoma Baptist.

After a deflating season-opening loss, the Crimson Storm will look to open up their home schedule with a victory, as they welcome in Arkansas Tech on Sept. 14. Southern Nazarene has done a good job of stabilizing their program over the past two seasons, but they still have a ways to go to reach the top of the Great American Conference.