Box Score EL DORADO, Ark. – John Gay's 44-yard field goal as time expired lifted Harding to a 23-20 win over Southern Arkansas in a battle of unbeatens in Great American Conference play Saturday in the fourth annual Murphy USA Boomtown Classic at Memorial Stadium.
 
The Muleriders (4-1, 3-1 GAC) rolled up 324 yards of offense against the NCAA Division II's number one ranked defense (172.2 yards per game) in the Bisons, (5-0, 3-0 GAC) and limited their first-ranked rushing offense (368.0) to just 127 yards, but missed two crucial field goals in the second quarter while Harding was perfect on its two attempts, with Gay's second the game-winner. 
 
The loss kept SAU winless in the Boomtown Classic, having also dropped 17-6 and 28-23 games to Arkansas-Monticello in the inaugural 2009 game and the next season, respectively.
 
Trailing 20-13 with under three minutes to play, SAU caught a break off a shanked Bison punt and took over at the Harding 30 and four plays later junior running back Mark Johnson (Longview, Texas) scored from a yard out with Dillon Fogle's (Camden) PAT tying it 20-20 with 1:17 left in the game.
 
The Bisons then put together a seven-play, 32-yard drive to the Southern Arkansas 27, and with two ticks left on the clock Gay punched the game-winner through.  The Muleriders were flagged for a crucial pass interference penalty two plays prior, with Harding facing a fourth-and-three from the 41 that moved the ball to the 26.  A one-yard rushing loss then set up Gay.
 
The game was a flag-fest, with a combined 27 penalties called for 244 yards, with SAU committing 16 for 134 yards.
 
The Bisons had to rally to earn the win as Southern Arkansas jumped out to a 13-0 lead and was up 13-2 at halftime.
 
Junior quarterback Tyler Sykora (Hot Springs Village) put the Muleriders on the board in the first quarter on their fourth series at 4:26 on a one-yard lunge, with sophomore Jacob Carpenter (Winona, Miss.) hitting the point-after.
 
SAU had a chance to add to its advantage on its second series of the second quarter, but Carpenter's 30-yard field goal attempt was wide left.
 
After forcing a punt, they capitalized on their next possession, with Sykora hitting senior receiver Rafael Thomas (Lufkin, Texas) for a 39-yard touchdown.  Carpenter's PAT was blocked though, and Roderick Cohn recovered and returned it the length of the field for a defensive PAT and a 13-2 game at 5:39 that stood as the score at the half.
 
Southern Arkansas missed another opportunity with 1:16 left before the half, as Fogle missed a 38-yard field goal that was wide right.
 
Harding took momentum into the third quarter, getting a 31-yard field goal from Gay at 10:40, and then one of only two pass completions the entire game from quarterback Kelvin Martin, a 30-yard touchdown to Donatella Luckett with 50 seconds left.  Colton Kamper rushed for the two-point conversion and it was knotted 13-13.
 
The Bisons took their first lead early in the final quarter as Ty Powell blocked a Mulerider punt and Tramaine Wilkes returned it 48 yards for the score at 10:45.
 
Three series later, SAU got the one-yard touchdown from Johnson to tie it and set up the furious finish.
 
Sykora finished 24 of 41 passing for 236 yards and the one touchdown, earning his fourth career and 10th school record with the 41 pass attempts, giving him 574 in his career and passing the 26-year old mark of 556 set by Cody Vanderford (Sulphur Springs, Texas) from 1983-86.  Sykora's first quarter touchdown was also the first rushing score of his career.
 
Junior receiver Jack Brown (West Mesquite, Texas) had nine receptions for 93 yards.  Johnson was held to just 49 yards rushing on 18 carries.
 
Martin was 2 of 6 passing for 48 yards and the one score.  Romo Westbrook led Harding on the ground with 32 yards on 12 totes.
 
Southern Arkansas' defense gave an outstanding effort, holding the Bison offense to 175 yards.  Senior defensive end Tahare Ray (Spring, Texas) had seven tackles, including an assisted sack of three yards.  Junior linebackers Tate Mustin (Fayetteville, Tenn.) and Mark Spaight (North Little Rock) and senior end Brandon Rashad (Longview, Texas) finished with six tackles apiece.
 
Jordan Cantrell led Harding with a game-high 10 tackles.
 
The Muleriders travel next week to Ada, Okla., for a 2 p.m. GAC kickoff against East Central.