No. 1 Harding Rolls to Win over No. 20 Henderson State

Jeff Montgomery/Harding University

SEARCY, Ark.—No. 1 Harding (4-0, 4-0 Great American Conference) trampled No. 20 Henderson State (3-1, 3-1 GAC) by a score of 66-0 on Sept. 28 in front of a crowd of 5,200 inside First Security Stadium.

Led by Braden Jay (162 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Blake Delacruz (4 touchdowns) the Bisons ran for a total of 497 yards. Quarterback Cole Keylon ran for 62 yards, with backup quarterback Malik Young adding 73 yards of his own. Despite completing just two passes all night, the Bisons accrued 72 passing yards, with Keylon (41 yards) and Young (31 yards) each completing a deep pass of their own.

Led by quarterback Andrew Edwards, (7-of-19, 125 yards, 2 interceptions) Henderson State's offense struggled, and was held to just 153 total yards. Jalen Abraham led the Reddies with 2 catches for 59 yards.

Game Summary

A quick stop by the Bisons gave way to the first points of the game, as Jay turned Harding's first offensive play into a 69-yard touchdown run. From there, it was all Bisons, as an interception by Harding led to a touchdown run from Delacruz. Delacruz scored again on Harding's next drive, while Jay capped the first quarter with a 44-yard touchdown sprint that gave Harding a 28-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter saw much of the same. Henderson State finally procured a first down on their fifth drive of the game, but a punt led to another Delacruz touchdown run. On Harding's next possession, it was once more Jay's turn to score, as he took a 34-yard run to the house to give Harding a 42-0 lead. Henderson State's seventh drive of the game saw the Reddies finally move deep into Harding territory, though the drive stalled out and ended in a blocked field goal. Harding parlayed the blocked kick into the final score of the first half, as a 76-yard run from Stone Sheffield led to Delacruz's fourth touchdown carry of the game.

The Reddies finally slowed down Harding on the Bisons' first possession of the second half. With backup quarterback Young in the game, Harding was held to a field goal for the first time all night. However, a fumble by Henderson State gifted Harding excellent field position, which Young took advantage of with a 3-yard touchdown run that made the score 59-0 Harding. The Bisons intercepted Henderson State on the ensuing drive, but couldn't pay it off with any points, as a missed field goal gave the Reddies their first true stop of the evening.

Harding added their final points of the evening with 6:06 to play. After a nice throw on third down from Young to Jarrett Atchley, Andrew Miller capped the series with a 14-yard touchdown run.

Turning Point

One of Harding's biggest strengths has been its ability to start fast. The Bisons did just that once more against Henderson State, as a quick three-and-out for the Reddies was followed by a touchdown run from Jay. Henderson State was never able to recover, and Harding had all the momentum from that point on.

What It Means

The Bisons continue to look like the favorites to repeat as Division II national champions. Henderson State was Harding's biggest test of the season so far, and the Bisons passed it with flying colors. Harding will travel to Southwestern Oklahoma on Oct. 5.

The loss is deflating for Henderson State, but the Reddies can take solace in knowing they have a solid team underneath them. Henderson State will return home to Arkadelphia, Ark. on Oct. 5 to take on Oklahoma Baptist.