2024 Harding Bisons football team

2024 Harding Bisons football
GAC co-champion
NCAA Division II Quarterfinals, L 7–41 vs. Ferris State
Conference	Great American Conference
Ranking
AFCA	No. 4
Record	12–2 (10–1 GAC)
Head coach	Paul Simmons (8th season)
Offensive scheme	Flexbone triple option
Defensive coordinator	Roddy Mote (8th season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Luke Tribble (8th season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	First Security Stadium
Seasons ←  2023 2025 →

2024 Great American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 4 Harding +^		10	–	1					12	–	2
No. 9 Ouachita Baptist +^		10	–	1					10	–	2
No. 23 Southern Arkansas		9	–	2					9	–	2
Henderson State		8	–	3					8	–	3
Arkansas Tech		5	–	6					5	–	6
East Central		5	–	6					5	–	6
SE Oklahoma State		5	–	6					5	–	6
Arkansas–Monticello		4	–	7					4	–	7
Southern Nazarene		3	–	8					3	–	8
SW Oklahoma State		3	–	8					3	–	8
NW Oklahoma State		2	–	9					2	–	9
Oklahoma Baptist		2	–	9					2	–	9
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA Poll

The 2024 Harding Bisons football team represented Harding University in the 2024 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Great American Conference (GAC). The Bisons were led by eighth-year head coach Paul Simmons and played their home games at First Security Stadium in Searcy, Arkansas.

The team entered the 2024 season as both the reigning GAC champion and the defending NCAA Division II national champion. ^[1]

Preseason

The GAC coaches preseason poll was released on August 1, 2024. The Bisons were predicted to finish first in the conference, receiving 10 of the 12 first place votes, while Oauchita Baptist and Southern Arkansas each received one first place vote. ^[2]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance
September 5	7:00 p.m.	Southern Nazarene	No. 1	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	W 59–0	3,500
September 14	7:00 p.m.	at Oklahoma Baptist	No. 1	Crain Family Stadium Shawnee, OK	W 59–7	2,706
September 19	6:00 p.m.	at Arkansas–Monticello	No. 1	Cotton Boll Stadium Monticello, AR	W 63–3	2,100
September 28	7:00 p.m.	No. 20 Henderson State	No. 1	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	W 66–0	5,200
October 5	2:00 p.m.	at Southwestern Oklahoma State	No. 1	Milam Stadium Weatherford, OK	W 57–3	905
October 12	2:00 p.m.	Northwestern Oklahoma State	No. 1	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	W 62–0	2,100
October 19	7:00 p.m.	at No. 9 Ouachita Baptist	No. 1	Cliff Harris Stadium Arkadelphia, AR	L 13–17	7,322
October 26	3:00 p.m.	No. 22 Southern Arkansas	No. 7	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	W 49–17	5,400
October 31	7:00 p.m.	Southeastern Oklahoma State	No. 6	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	W 56–14	1,900
November 9	2:00 p.m.	at East Central	No. 4	Koi Ishto Stadium Ada, OK	W 34–7	1,907
November 16	2:00 p.m.	Arkansas Tech	No. 4	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR	W 57–27	2,100
November 23	1:00 p.m.	at No. 13 Pittsburg State *	No. 4	Carnie Smith Stadium Pittsburg, KS (NCAA Division II first round)	W 48–3	4,894
November 30	12:00 p.m.	at No. 5 Grand Valley State *	No. 4	Lubbers Stadium Allendale, MI (NCAA Division II second round)	W 44–26	2,844
December 7	12:00 p.m.	at No. 2 Ferris State *	No. 4	Top Taggart Field Big Rapids, MI (NCAA Division II quarterfinal)	L 7–41	4,120
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[3]

Rankings

See also: 2024 NCAA Division II football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Final
AFCA	1 (25)	1 (25)*	1 (27)	1 (27)	1 (29)	1 (29)	1 (30)	1 (30)	7	6	4	4	4
D2 Football	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	8	7	5	5	5

* A new poll was not released for this week, so for comparison purposes, the previous week's ranking is inserted in this week's slot.

Personnel

2024 Harding Bisons football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class RB 5 Stone Sheffield Sr RB 7 Braden Jay Jr RB 8 Andrew Miller So RB 10 Jhalen Spicer Sr QB 11 Kyler Finney Fr QB 13 Carter Zimmerman Fr WR 14 Will White Sr QB 15 Cole Keylon Jr QB 16 Malik Young So QB 17 Camren Cavalier Fr WR 18 Darius Brown Jr WR 19 Dane Romberger Sr RB 21 Chauncey Martin Sr RB 22 Will Fitzhugh Sr RB 25 Christian Franklin Jr RB 26 Blake Delacruz Sr RB 30 Josh Strickland Jr. So WR 31 Brady Barnett  Fr RB 32 Sam Mitchum  Fr RB 34 Josh Evans-Pickens  Fr RB 35 Josh Jones Sr RB 37 Jimmy Citty Sr OL 50 Jose Lopez So OL 51 Vincent Cox  Fr OL 54 Jake Mitchell Jr OL 56 Jonathan Underwood Sr OL 57 Jake Duggar Sr OL 59 Jonathan Vining  Fr OL 60 Sam Ruffino So OL 62 Josh Lawrence  Fr OL 63 David Gomez So OL 64 Jude Steffen Jr OL 65 Joshua Cobb  Fr OL 67 Luke McCormick  Fr OL 70 Jordan McClaine Jr OL 73 Carter Lees Sr OL 75 Cobe Williams  Fr OL 76 Matt Colvin  Fr OL 77 Isaac Gray  Fr OL 78 Dylan Daring Jr OL 79 Duance Johnson Sr WR 80 Drew Porter So WR 82 Bodie Neal  Fr WR 83 Jarrett Atchley  Fr TE 85 Levi Mercer  Fr WR 86 Jackson Richardson  Fr TE 87 Mike Ericson Jr TE 88 Dylan Cummings  Fr RB Chris Banard Fr RB Ben Boehm Fr OL Quan'Travious Bradford Fr OL Pablo Cerda Fr RB Da'Shawn Chairs Fr WR Jack Citty Fr OL Cason Craig Fr RB Payton Evans-Pickens Fr RB Antonio Ford Fr OL Lucas McCain Fr OL Talan Owen Fr WR Bob Patterson Fr OL John Silvestri Fr WR Mabry Verser Fr OL Gavin Waters Fr RB Bo Williams Fr WR Dane Williams Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 0 Darion Dunlap-Johnson Sr DB 1 Kendale Allen Sr DB 2 Kyle McDonald Sr LB 3 Cayden Pierce Sr DB 4 Deion Campbell So DB 6 Travis Greenwalt Sr DL 9 Dre Hall Sr DB 11 Grayson Lewis  Fr DB 12 Troy Wiseman So DB 13 Jeremiah Johnson So DB 16 Lamont Cox  Fr DB 17 Luke Martin So DB 19 Josh Gatlin Fr DB 20 Ty Dugger Jr DL 23 Tirrell Johnson So LB 24 Clark Griffin Sr DB 26 Drew Nelson  Fr DB 27 G'Kyson Wright  Fr DB 28 Zac O'Day So DB 29 Curtis Jackson So LB 33 Kyle Henry Fr DB 36 Carter Hill  Fr LB 37 Dax Goff Fr DL 40 Keith Hargraves Sr DB 41 Elijah Carlton  Fr LB 42 Kekoa Carroll Sr LB 44 Jordan Mays  Fr DL 45 Devonte Manning Sr LB 46 Christian Brumley  Fr DL 47 Nathan Muhle Jr DL 48 Tony Agyapong So LB 52 Jackson Cody  Fr DL 55 Gage Price Sr DL 58 Austin Bailey Sr DL 89 Justin Sobczak So DL 90 Diego Davis  Fr DL 91 Brock Knapton  Fr DL 92 Bryce Rushing  Fr DL 95 Nii Addy  Fr DL 96 Joseph Oluwayemi  Fr DL 99 Wesley Coleman Sr LB Calan Castles Fr DB Connor Dean Fr DB Corey Dean Fr DL Cam Draper Fr DB Kelon Fountain Fr DB Ayden Hamilton Fr DL Beau Hardin Fr DL Andrew Hodge Fr DB Ahmad Jenkins Fr LB B. T. McMillian Fr DL Peyton McNeely Fr DL Landen Meredith Fr DB Xavier Rodriguez Fr DL Kaden Spencer Fr DL Kaleb Walker Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P 38 Luke Mammana Jr K 39 Magnus Lepak So K 43 James Satterfield Fr LS 49 Xavier Hylton Jr LS 53 Chase Whitfield Sr K, P 84 Griffin Thomas Fr LS Jack Edwards Fr LS Aidan Hall 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 Ryan Derrick Wide receivers Matt Middleton Quarterbacks/Fullbacks Matt Underwood Director of recruiting/Slotbacks Kenny Wheaton Offensive consultant Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: September 10, 2024

Game summaries

Southern Nazarene

Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm at No. 1 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Crimson Storm	0	0	0	0	0
No. 1 Bisons	14	28	10	7	59

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: September 5
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 82 °F (28 °C)
• Game attendance: 3,500
• Referee: Michael Catton
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 5-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 13:57. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:05. HAR – Cole Keylon 9-yard run (Magnuz Lepak kick), 10:16. Bisons 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 2:10. Second quarter HAR – Cole Keylon 1-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 13:44. Bisons 21–0. Drive: 3 plays, 35 yards, 1:16. HAR – Blake Delacruz 15-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 8:43. Bisons 28–0. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:54. HAR – Braden Jay 21-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Magnus Lepak kick), 7:20. Bisons 35–0. Drive: 2 plays, 23 yards, 0:47. HAR – Andrew Miller 88-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 4:48. Bisons 42–0. Drive: 1 play, 88 yards, 0:14. Third quarter HAR – Josh Evans-Pickens 21-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 11:35. Bisons 49–0. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:25. HAR – Magnus Lepak 33-yard field goal, 1:34. Bisons 52–0. Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 3:52. Fourth quarter HAR – Malik Young 20-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 12:18. Bisons 59–0. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 2:32.

Statistics	SNU	HAR
First downs	4	24
Total yards	49	607
Rushing yards	33	554
Passing yards	16	53
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	25:38	34:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Southern Nazarene	Passing	Rasheed Noel	2/5, 17 yards
	Rushing	Evan Rader	1 rush, 37 yards
	Receiving	Dalen Smith	1 reception, 9 yards
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	2/5, 53 yards, TD
	Rushing	Andrew Miller	6 rushes, 129 yards, TD
	Receiving	Will White	1 reception, 32 yards

At Oklahoma Baptist

No. 1 Harding Bisons at Oklahoma Baptist Bison – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 HAR Bisons	14	17	21	7	59
OKB Bison	0	7	0	0	7

at Crain Family Stadium, Shawnee, Oklahoma

• Date: September 14
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 88 °F (31 °C)
• Game attendance: 2,706
• Referee: Darin Lair
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 1-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 9:52. Harding 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 4:13. HAR – Stone Sheffield 34-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Magnus Lepak kick), 6:15. Harding 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 78 yards, 2:39. Second quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 3-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 11:44. Harding 21–0. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 5:30. OKB – Haven Lysell-Stewart 5-yard pass from Kenny Rosenthal (Patrick Maxwell kick), 8:49. Harding 21–7. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 2:55. HAR – Braden Jay 11-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 2:43. Harding 28–7. Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 5:59. HAR – Magnus Lepak 36-yard field goal, 0:10. Harding 31–7. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 1:58. Third quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 8-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 10:33. Harding 38–7. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:22. HAR – Malik Young 1-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 5:06. Harding 45–7. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yards, 4:20. HAR – Josh Strickland Jr. 3-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 0:49. Harding 52–7. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 3:09. Fourth quarter HAR – G'Kyson Wright 15-yard interception return (Magnus Lepak kick), 12:26. Harding 59–7.

Statistics	HAR	OKB
First downs	31	8
Total yards	506	157
Rushing yards	427	27
Passing yards	79	130
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	42:24	17:36

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	4/6, 60 yards, TD
	Rushing	Blake Delacruz	14 rushes, 68 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Stone Sheffield	2 receptions, 53 yards, TD
Oklahoma Baptist	Passing	Kenny Rosenthal	12/33, 110 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Caden Peevy	2 rushes, 19 yards
	Receiving	Michael Marshall	4 receptions, 33 yards

At Arkansas–Monticello

No. 1 Harding Bisons at Arkansas–Monticello Boll Weevils – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Bisons	35	7	14	7	63
Boll Weevils	0	0	3	0	3

at Cotton Boll Stadium, Monticello, Arkansas

• Date: September 19
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 2,100
• Referee: Brad Frisby
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Braden Jay 37-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 8:36. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 3:25. HAR – Blake Delacruz 33-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 6:56. Bisons 14–0. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:52. HAR – Ty Dugger 43-yard interception return (Magnus Lepak kick), 5:39. Bisons 21–0. HAR – Braden Jay 70-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Magnus Lepak kick), 3:36. Bisons 28–0. Drive: 1 play, 70 yards, 0:17. HAR – Dane Romberger 53-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Magnus Lepak kick), 0:27. Bisons 35–0. Drive: 2 plays, 79 yards, 0:39. Second quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 1-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 5:52. Bisons 42–0. Drive: 11 plays, 70 yards, 6:51. Third quarter UAM – Dylan Duhon 22-yard field goal, 6:36. Bisons 42–3. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:20. HAR – Andrew Miller 69-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 5:10. Bisons 49–3. Drive: 3 plays, 74 yards, 1:26. HAR – Josh Strickland Jr. 27-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 0:15. Bisons 56–3. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 3:03. Fourth quarter HAR – Jimmy Citty 4-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 4:14. Bisons 63–3. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 7:36.

Statistics	HAR	UAM
First downs	23	9
Total yards	578	191
Rushing yards	433	104
Passing yards	145	87
Turnovers	1	3
Time of possession	32:42	27:09

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	3/4, 145 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Andrew Miller	6 rushes, 78 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Braden Jay	1 reception, 70 yards, TD
Arkansas–Monticello	Passing	Demilon Brown	9/20, 79 yards, 3 INT
	Rushing	Tyler Reed	17 rushes, 73 yards
	Receiving	Isaiah Cross	3 receptions, 32 yards

No. 20 Henderson State

No. 20 Henderson State Reddies at No. 1 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 20 Reddies	0	0	0	0	0
No. 1 Bisons	28	21	10	7	66

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: September 28
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 73 °F (23 °C)
• Game attendance: 5,200
• Referee: Jimmy Malone
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Braden Jay 69-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 13:50. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 69 yards, 0:12. HAR – Blake Delacruz 2-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 11:46. Bisons 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 20 yards, 1:56. HAR – Blake Delacruz 2-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 4:09. Bisons 21–0. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 5:27. HAR – Braden Jay 44-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 0:02. Bisons 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 2:00. Second quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 1-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 10:23. Bisons 35–0. Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 2:40. HAR – Braden Jay 35-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 4:59. Bisons 42–0. Drive: 8 plays, 93 yards, 4:47. HAR – Blake Delacruz 3-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 0:45. Bisons 49–0. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 0:55. Third quarter HAR – Magnus Lepak 23-yard field goal, 7:52. Bisons 52–0. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 7:00. HAR – Malik Young 3-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 6:02. Bisons 59–0. Drive: 3 plays, 16 yards, 1:30. Fourth quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 14-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 6:06. Bisons 66–0. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 3:20.

Statistics	HSU	HAR
First downs	4	25
Total yards	153	618
Rushing yards	28	546
Passing yards	125	72
Turnovers	3	0
Time of possession	18:49	41:11

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Henderson State	Passing	Andrew Edwards	7/19, 125 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Andrew Edwards	4 rushes, 11 yards
	Receiving	Jalen Abraham	2 receptions, 59 yards
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	1/1, 41 yards
	Rushing	Braden Jay	4 rushes, 162 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Will White	1 reception, 41 yards

At SW Oklahoma State

No. 1 Harding Bisons at Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Bisons	19	17	7	14	57
Bulldogs	0	3	0	0	3

at Milam Stadium, Weatherford, Oklahoma

• Date: October 5
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 905
• Referee: Allen Tatum
• Box score, Recap

Game information

HAR – Cole Keylon 4-yard run (kick failed), 9:54. Bisons 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:59. HAR – Jordan Mays 0-yard blocked punt return (Magnus Lepak kick), 7:37. Bisons 13–0. HAR – Darius Brown 53-yard pass from Cole Keylon (kick failed), 0:08. Bisons 19–0. Drive: 5 plays, 96 yards, 2:50. Second quarter HAR – Cole Keylon 26-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 10:33. Bisons 26–0. Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 2:24. SWO – Ethan McBee 24-yard field goal, 5:31. Bisons 26–3. Drive: 10 plays, 37 yards, 5:01. HAR – Braden Jay 54-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Magnus Lepak kick), 4:00. Bisons 33–3. Drive: 3 plays, 56 yards, 1:24. HAR – Magnus Lepak 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Bisons 36–3. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 2:22. Third quarter HAR – Jhalen Spicer 14-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Magnus Lepak kick), 8:36. Bisons 43–3. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 3:19. Fourth quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 7-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 12:22. Bisons 50–3. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 3:54. HAR – Kyler Finney 4-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 5:38. Bisons 57–3. Drive: 2 plays, 66 yards, 0:50.

Statistics	HAR	SWO
First downs	25	5
Total yards	523	95
Rushing yards	393	73
Passing yards	130	22
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	33:00	27:00

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	4/5, 130 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Kyler Finney	8 rushes, 87 yards, TD
	Receiving	Braden Jay	1 reception, 54 yards, TD
SW Oklahoma State	Passing	Kai Kunz	7/15, 22 yards
	Rushing	Kai Kunz	12 rushes, 60 yards
	Receiving	Michael Arceneaux II	5 receptions, 8 yards

NW Oklahoma State

Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers at No. 1 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rangers	0	0	0	0	0
No. 1 Bisons	21	14	6	21	62

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: October 12
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 86 °F (30 °C)
• Game attendance: 2,100
• Referee: Dewayne Barbee
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 1-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 12:31. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:29. HAR – Blake Delacruz 10-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Magnus Lepak kick), 6:52. Bisons 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:00. HAR – Ty Dugger 83-yard interception return (Magnus Lepak kick), 1:31. Bisons 21–0. Second quarter HAR – Braden Jay 31-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 8:52. Bisons 28–0. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 4:23. HAR – Chauncey Martin 20-yard pass from Kyler Finney (Magnus Lepak kick), 2:16. Bisons 35–0. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 5:09. Third quarter HAR – Kyler Finney 5-yard run (kick failed), 1:20. Bisons 41–0. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 6:02. Fourth quarter HAR – Josh Strickland Jr. 6-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 11:27. Bisons 48–0. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 3:13. HAR – Kyle Henry 28-yard interception return (James Satterfield kick), 11:18. Bisons 55–0. HAR – Christian Franklin 5-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 6:51. Bisons 62–0. Drive: 4 plays, 47 yards, 2:03.

Statistics	NWO	HAR
First downs	4	28
Total yards	32	502
Rushing yards	24	418
Passing yards	8	84
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	25:31	34:29

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
NW Oklahoma State	Passing	Brodey Johnson	5/11, 9 yards, INT
	Rushing	Darien Gill	11 rushes, 46 yards
	Receiving	Travis Romar	3 receptions, 13 yards
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	2/3, 64 yards, TD
	Rushing	Andrew Miller	11 rushes, 107 yards
	Receiving	Braden Jay	1 reception, 54 yards

At No. 9 Ouachita Baptist

See also: 2024 Ouachita Baptist Tigers football team

No. 1 Harding Bisons at No. 9 Ouachita Baptist Tigers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Bisons	7	6	0	0	13
No. 9 Tigers	7	3	0	7	17

at Cliff Harris Stadium, Arkadelphia, Arkansas

• Date: October 19
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Clear, 64 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 7,322
• Referee: Brad Frisby
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Dane Romberger 13-yard pass from Braden Jay (Magnus Lepak kick), 9:30. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 4:16. OUA – Kendel Givens 3-yard run (Dax Jaggers kick), 3:42. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 5:48. Second quarter HAR – Magnus Lepak 52-yard field goal, 9:55. Bisons 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 5:35. OUA – Dax Jaggers 25-yard field goal, 5:44. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 4:11. HAR – Magnus Lepak 42-yard field goal, 0:24. Bisons 13–10. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:08. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter OUA – Eli Livingston 4-yard pass from Connor Flannigan (Dax Jaggers kick), 12:58. Tigers 17–13. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 2:42.

Statistics	HAR	OUA
First downs	15	12
Total yards	288	198
Rushing yards	218	85
Passing yards	70	113
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	33:02	26:58

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	5/12, 57 yards
	Rushing	Cole Keylon	14 rushes, 78 yards
	Receiving	Darius Brown	3 receptions, 38 yards
Ouachita Baptist	Passing	Eli Livingston	10/18, 109 yards, INT
	Rushing	Kendel Givens	13 rushes, 47 yards, TD
	Receiving	Connor Flannigan	5 receptions, 62 yards

No. 22 Southern Arkansas

No. 22 Southern Arkansas Muleriders at No. 7 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 22 Muleriders	3	0	7	7	17
No. 7 Bisons	14	21	7	7	49

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: October 26
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 71 °F (22 °C)
• Game attendance: 5,400
• Referee: Jimmy Malone
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Chauncey Martin 11-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 9:02. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 58 yards, 5:50. SAU – Daniel Gauna 23-yard field goal, 6:28. Bisons 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:25. HAR – Braden Jay 73-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 6:09. Bisons 14–3. Drive: 1 play, 73 yards, 0:13. Second quarter HAR – Chauncey Martin 47-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 14:49. Bisons 21–3. Drive: 6 plays, 97 yards, 3:09. HAR – Kendale Allen 0-yard fumble return (Magnus Lepak kick), 12:20. Bisons 28–3. HAR – Blake Delacruz 52-yard pass from Cole Keylon (Magnus Lepak kick), 6:47. Bisons 35–3. Drive: 3 plays, 52 yards, 1:28. Third quarter SAU – Jariq Scales 1-yard run (Daniel Gauna kick), 11:21. Bisons 35–10. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 3:39. HAR – Cole Keylon 4-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 0:12. Bisons 42–10. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 4:01. Fourth quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 23-yard run (Magnus Lepak kick), 8:33. Bisons 49–10. Drive: 1 play, 23 yards, 0:06. SAU – Seth Johnson 49-yard pass from Judd Barton (Daniel Gauna kick), 4:29. Bisons 49–17. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:04.

Statistics	SAU	HAR
First downs	21	15
Total yards	417	423
Rushing yards	221	340
Passing yards	196	83
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	31:33	28:27

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Southern Arkansas	Passing	Judd Barton	18/31, 196 yards, TD
	Rushing	Judd Barton	14 rushes, 87 yards
	Receiving	Seth Johnson	1 reception, 49 yards, TD
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	2/4, 83 yards, TD
	Rushing	Braden Jay	7 rushes, 136 yards, TD
	Receiving	Blake Delacruz	1 reception, 52 yards, TD

SE Oklahoma State

Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm at No. 6 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Savage Storm	0	7	0	7	14
No. 6 Bisons	0	28	14	14	56

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: October 31
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 67 °F (19 °C)
• Game attendance: 1,900
• Referee: Allen Tatum
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 46-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 10:55. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 4:35. HAR – Braden Jay 13-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 8:54. Bisons 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 24 yards, 1:53. SEO – Kobe Jennings 24-yard pass from Cergio Perez (Dylan Cox kick), 4:35. Bisons 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:13. HAR – Braden Jay 61-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 2:39. Bisons 21–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:56. HAR – Braden Jay 53-yard pass from Cole Keylon (James Satterfield kick), 1:16. Bisons 28–7. Drive: 1 play, 53 yards, 0:08. Third quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 43-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 11:09. Bisons 35–7. Drive: 5 plays, 73 yards, 2:31. HAR – Dane Romberger 1-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 3:22. Bisons 42–7. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 4:22. Fourth quarter SEO – D. J. Brown 2-yard run (Dylan Cox kick), 14:40. Bisons 42–14. Drive: 1 play, 2 yards, 0:04. HAR – Christian Franklin 6-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 11:31. Bisons 49–14. Drive: 6 plays, 58 yards, 3:07. HAR – Christian Franklin 57-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 7:11. Bisons 56–14. Drive: 2 plays, 62 yards, 0:49.

Statistics	SOU	HAR
First downs	13	19
Total yards	275	490
Rushing yards	151	415
Passing yards	124	75
Turnovers	4	1
Time of possession	29:16	30:44

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
SE Oklahoma State	Passing	Cergio Perez	7/24, 124 yards, TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	D. J. Brown	21 rushes, 67 yards, TD
	Receiving	Kobe Jennings	4 receptions, 67 yards, TD
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	2/4, 75 yards, TD
	Rushing	Braden Jay	6 rushes, 108 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Braden Jay	1 reception, 53 yards, TD

At East Central

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Bisons	7	13	7	7	34
Tigers	0	7	0	0	7

at Koi Ishto Stadium, Ada, Oklahoma

• Date: November 16
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 1,907
• Referee: Allen Tatum
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Braden Jay 21-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 10:54. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:31. Second quarter HAR – James Satterfield 38-yard field goal, 12:14. Bisons 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 4:16. HAR – Braden Jay 29-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 3:41. Bisons 17–0. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 4:24. ECU – Tavare Smith Jr. 65-yard fumble return (Brandon Perez kick), 1:43. Bisons 17–7. HAR – James Satterfield 27-yard field goal, 0:07. Bisons 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 1:36. Third quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 29-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 10:58. Bisons 27–7. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:54. Fourth quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 2-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 2:21. Bisons 34–7. Drive: 11 plays, 97 yards, 6:07.

Statistics	HAR	ECU
First downs	26	8
Total yards	469	106
Rushing yards	435	52
Passing yards	34	54
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	33:41	26:19

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing	Braden Jay	1/1, 34 yards
	Rushing	Andrew Miller	16 rushes, 151 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Darius Brown	1 reception, 34 yards
East Central	Passing	Sergio Kennedy	13/19, 54 yards
	Rushing	Cade Searcy	10 rushes, 29 yards
	Receiving	Bryce Bodkin	3 receptions, 28 yards

Arkansas Tech

Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys at No. 4 Harding Bisons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wonder Boys	0	7	7	13	27
No. 4 Bisons	23	20	14	0	57

at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas

• Date: November 16
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 65 °F (18 °C)
• Game attendance: 2,100
• Referee: Darin Lair
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter HAR – Braden Jay 55-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 14:41. Bisons 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 55 yards, 0:12. HAR – Kekoa Carroll 17-yard interception return (James Satterfield kick), 14:23. Bisons 14–0. HAR – Andrew Miller 6-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 5:01. Bisons 21–0. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:57. HAR – Ethan Everson intentional grounding in own end zone, 4:15. Bisons 23–0. Second quarter HAR – Blake Delacruz 1-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 12:40. Bisons 30–0. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 6:35. HAR – Braden Jay 15-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 5:51. Bisons 37–0. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 5:12. HAR – Christian Franklin 29-yard run (kick failed), 1:51. Bisons 43–0. Drive: 4 plays, 55 yards, 1:34. ATU – Ethan Everson 13-yard run (Christopher Baldazo kick), 0:16. Bisons 43–7. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 1:30. Third quarter HAR – Josh Evans-Pickens 5-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 8:12. Bisons 50–7. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 4:07. ATU – Keshaun Lazard 20-yard pass from Ethan Everson (Christopher Baldazo kick), 2:16. Bisons 50–14. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:56. HAR – Josh Jones 4-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 1:10. Bisons 57–14. Drive: 2 plays, 68 yards, 0:59. Fourth quarter ATU – Dayton Keller 3-yard pass from Ethan Everson (Christopher Baldazo kick), 8:57. Bisons 57–21. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:44. ATU – Dayton Keller 35-yard pass from Ethan Everson, 0:00. Bisons 57–27. Drive: 5 plays, 78 yards, 1:13.

Statistics	ATU	HAR
First downs	19	28
Total yards	312	520
Rushing yards	34	498
Passing yards	278	22
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	22:15	37:45

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Arkansas Tech	Passing	Ethan Everson	17/35, 261 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Deuce Wise	9 rushes, 13 yards
	Receiving	Jordan Jackson	6 receptions, 102 yards
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	2/3, 22 yards
	Rushing	Braden Jay	7 rushes, 104 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Andrew Miller	1 reception, 11 yards

At No. 13 Pittsburg State (NCAA Division II First Round)

NCAA Division II First Round
No. 4 Harding Bisons at No. 13 Pittsburg State Gorillas – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Bisons	0	24	14	10	48
No. 13 Gorillas	3	0	0	0	3

at Carnie Smith Stadium, Pittsburg, Kansas

• Date: November 23
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 60 °F (16 °C)
• Game attendance: 4,894
• Referee: Brad Mutnick
• TV: ESPN+
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter PSU – Gentry Cole 47-yard field goal, 8:59. Gorillas 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 4:01. Second quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 2-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 12:15. Bisons 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 6:38. HAR – Darius Brown 75-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 9:44. Bisons 14–3. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:11. HAR – Cole Keylon 3-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 5:59. Bisons 21–3. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:46. HAR – James Satterfield 26-yard field goal, 0:00. Bisons 24–3. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 2:01. Third quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 1-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 9:31. Bisons 31–3. Drive: 6 plays, 59 yards, 3:37. HAR – Darius Brown 50-yard pass from Cole Keylon (James Satterfield kick), 4:24. Bisons 38–3. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:50. Fourth quarter HAR – James Satterfield 19-yard field goal, 14:19. Bisons 41–3. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 3:59. HAR – Stone Sheffield 9-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 5:13. Bisons 48–3. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 7:30.

Statistics	HAR	PSU
First downs	28	10
Total yards	585	148
Rushing yards	518	39
Passing yards	67	109
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	37:10	22:50

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	2/3, 50 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Blake Delacruz	15 rushes, 89 yards
	Receiving	Darius Brown	1 reception, 50 yards, TD
Pittsburg State	Passing	Chad Dodson Jr.	11/24, 104 yards, INT
	Rushing	Noah Hernandez	12 rushes, 42 yards
	Receiving	Jack Roberts	3 receptions, 65 yards

At No. 5 Grand Valley State (NCAA Division II Second Round)

NCAA Division II Second Round
No. 4 Harding Bisons at No. 5 Grand Valley State Lakers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Bisons	0	17	14	13	44
No. 5 Lakers	7	0	6	13	26

at Lubbers Stadium, Allendale, Michigan

• Date: November 30
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Snow, 26 °F (−3 °C)
• Game attendance: 2,844
• Referee: Tristan Severson
• TV: ESPN+
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter GVSU – Khalil Eichelberger 1-yard run (Mathew Bacik kick), 6:24. Lakers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 5:02. Second quarter HAR – Chauncey Martin 6-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 14:14. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 7:10. HAR – Andrew Miller 51-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 8:00. Bisons 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 99 yards, 4:13. HAR – James Satterfield 20-yard field goal, 0:32. Bisons 17–7. Drive: 10 plays, 69 yards, 5:27. Third quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 3-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 6:32. Bisons 24–7. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 6:48. HAR – Blake Delacruz 2-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 0:08. Bisons 31–7. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 5:18. GVSU – Kellen Reed 90-yard kickoff return (pass failed), 0:00. Bisons 31–13. Fourth quarter HAR – Andrew Miller 42-yard run (kick failed), 13:28. Bisons 37–13. Drive: 3 plays, 72 yards, 1:25. GVSU – Ike Udengwu 2-yard run (pass failed), 7:57. Bisons 37–19. Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 5:25. HAR – Josh Strickland Jr. 10-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 4:07. Bisons 44–19. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 3:50. GVSU – Syone Usma-Harper 4-yard run (Mathew Bacik kick), 1:11. Bisons 44–26. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:49.

Statistics	HAR	GVSU
First downs	28	13
Total yards	475	223
Rushing yards	475	44
Passing yards	0	179
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	39:03	20:57

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	0/1, 0 yards
	Rushing	Andrew Miller	15 rushes, 202 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	None
Grand Valley State	Passing	Ike Udengwu	13/25, 179 yards
	Rushing	Khalil Eichelberger	9 rushes, 36 yards, TD
	Receiving	Syone Usma-Harper	3 receptions, 58 yards

At No. 2 Ferris State (NCAA Division II Quarter Final)

See also: 2024 Ferris State Bulldogs football team

NCAA Division II Quarter Final
No. 4 Harding Bisons at No. 2 Ferris State Bulldogs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Bisons	0	0	0	7	7
No. 2 Bulldogs	13	7	14	7	41

at Top Taggart Field, Big Rapids, Michigan

• Date: December 7
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Sunny, 38 °F (3 °C)
• Game attendance: 4,120
• Referee: Dwight Neibling
• TV: ESPN+
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter FSU – Trinidad Chambliss 8-yard run (Mitchell Middleton kick), 10:33. Bulldogs 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 2:30. FSU – James Gilbert 7-yard pass from Trinidad Chambliss (kick blocked), 0:16. Bulldogs 13–0. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 5:59. Second quarter FSU – Kannon Katzer 1-yard run (Mitchell Middleton kick), 0:15. Bulldogs 20–0. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 2:08. Third quarter FSU – Trinidad Chambliss 4-yard run (Mitchell Middleton kick), 9:22. Bulldogs 27–0. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:38. FSU – James Gilbert 12-yard pass from Trinidad Chambliss (Mitchell Middleton kick), 0:51. Bulldogs 34–0. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 6:54. Fourth quarter FSU – Kannon Katzer 7-yard run (Mitchell Middleton kick), 11:48. Bulldogs 41–0. Drive: 2 plays, 79 yards, 0:59. HAR – Cole Keylon 11-yard run (James Satterfield kick), 6:20. Bulldogs 41–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:23.

Statistics	HAR	FSU
First downs	11	24
Total yards	193	452
Rushing yards	130	287
Passing yards	63	165
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	28:13	31:47

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Harding	Passing	Cole Keylon	5/7, 63 yards, INT
	Rushing	Blake Delacruz	10 rushes, 43 yards
	Receiving	Dane Romberger	2 receptions, 36 yards
Ferris State	Passing	Trinidad Chambliss	18/27, 145 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Taariik Brett	3 rushes, 89 yards
	Receiving	Brady Rose	7 receptions, 45 yards

References

1. "#1 Harding football kicks off 2024 season Thursday night at home". KAIT. September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
2. "REIGNING NATIONAL CHAMPION BISONS VOTED #theGAC FAVORITE". Great American Conference. August 1, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
3. "2024 Football Schedule". Harding University Athletics. Retrieved September 9, 2024.