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(RV) SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
MULERIDERS
0-1 (0-1 GAC)
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(RV) HARDING
BISONS
0-1 (0-1 GAC)
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GAME NOTES | SAU | HU | GAC Weekly FB Notebook
SETTING THE SCENE | Muleriders Open at Home on Family Day
The Southern Arkansas football team is at home for the first time this season and the Muleriders will be looking to bounce back from a tough 28-21 loss on the road last Thursday at Arkansas Tech. SAU will have to face another tough test early in the season as they host defending Great American Conference Champion, Harding.
Picked in the preseason to win the GAC by the league head coaches, SAU will be looking to avoid their first 0-2 start to a season since 2010, while Harding will enter Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field looking to pick up their first win of the season and avoid their first 0-2 start since 2001 after the Bisons lost to Henderson State at home 28-20 in Week 1.
With a lot on the line for a pair of teams with the highest preseason expectations, SAU will have the benefit of playing in front of an expected large home crowd for Family Day after last year's game was standing-room only. Since 2012, the Muleriders are 19-3 at Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell, but two of those losses are to the hands of the Bisons (2013 & 2015).
About Harding
SCHEDULE
The Harding University Bisons football team enters tonight's game with an 0-1 overall record and an 0-1 record in the Great American Conference. The Bisons opened the season at home and lost 28-20 to perennial GAC contenders, Henderson State. It was the first loss to open a season for the Bisons since 2013.
THE COACH
The Bisons are coached by Paul Simmons, who enters into his 1st season as head coach at Harding. While it is his first season at the helm, Simmons is far from a stranger to Harding Football as he spent the previous 11 seasons as an assistant coach, joining the Bisons coaching staff in 2006. In 2008, Simmons became the assistant head coach and in 2010, he took over as defensive coordinator. In Harding's six seasons in the GAC, Simmons' defenses led the conference in total defense five times and scoring defense, rushing defense and sacks four times. In 2016, Harding finished the regular season ranked first in Division II total defense, rushing defense and scoring defense.
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE
Offensively, the Bisons run the throwback Flexbone style that prominently features the running game and the deceptive triple option. Under that system, the Bisons have established one of the nation's most-prolific rushing attacks ranking among the top-5 in Division II at season's end each year since 2010. Last year, the Bisons led DII in rushing as they averaged 362.8 yards per game.
After one game this season, Harding is averaging 347.0 yards of total offense per game with 235.0 of that being gained on the ground and 112.0 through the air. The leading rusher for Harding is Zach Shelley as he rushed for 109 yards in the opener. QB Terrence Dingle scored both of Harding's rushing TDs against Henderson and also threw for another as he accounted for all of the Bisons' points. Two other rushers received at least 10 carries behind Shelley and Dingle with Romar Reades running 17 times for 60 yards and Matt Fuller 10 times for 40 yards.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE
Defensively, the Bisons were among one of the best units in all of DII a year ago as they had the third-best Total Defense (257.9 ypg) and the fifth-best Scoring Defense (15.2 ppg). This year however, they will be without the services of eight starters on that side of the ball. In the first game, Harding allowed 391 yards of total offense and 28 points.
The leading tackler for the Bisons was Sam Blankenship as he registered 10 stops.
As a defense, Harding has forced two fumbles but recovered just one. They also totaled 3.0 tackles for lost yardage, but did not record a sack in the opening game.
THE SERIES
This will be the 54th meeting all-time between Southern Arkansas and Harding with the series slightly in favor of Harding at 27-25-1. In recent history, however, the series has been dominated by Harding as they have won the last 11 meetings dating back to 2006, while the last win for SAU in the series came in 2003. The last time SAU beat Harding at home was 1991 and the Bisons have won the last seven meetings in Magnolia.
Record Watch
Records Within Reach - Career (Individual)
» Pass Attempts - (Record: 1,166 - Tyler Sykora, 2009-13)
Current:
Barrett Renner (879 | -287)
» Pass Completitions - (Record: 658 - Tyler Sykora, 2009-13)
Current:
Barrett Renner (564 | -94)
» Passing Yards - (Record: 9,010 - Tyler Sykora, 2009-13)
Current:
Barrett Renner (7,047 | -1,963)
» Passing TDs - (Record: 82 - Tyler Sykora, 2009-13)
Current: Barret Renner (63 | -19)
» Reception Yards - (Record: 2,852 - Nik Lewis, 2000-03)
Current:
Jonathan Weisheit (1,690 | -1,162)
Current:
Tanner Hudson (1,601 | -1,251)
» Receptions - (Record: 162 - Nik Lewis, 2000-03)
Current:
Jonathan Weisheit (149 | -13)
Current:
Tanner Hudson (108 | -54)
» TD Receptions - (Record: 36 - Nik Lewis, 2000-03)
Current:
Tanner Hudson (19 | -17)
» Total Offense - (Record: 8,847 - Tyler Sykora, 2009-13)
Current:
Barrett Renner (7,544 | -1,303)
» TDs Responsible For - (Record: 83 - Tyler Sykora, 2009-13)
Current:
Barrett Renner (65 | -18)
» All-Purpose Yards - (Record: 4,184, Mark Johnson, 2008-13)
Current:
Jonathan Weisheit (2,640 | 1,544)
» Total Points Scored - (Record: 264 - Mark Johnson, 2008-13)
Current:
Bradford Grems (193 | -71)
» Punt Return Yards - (Record: 629 - Nik Lewis, 2000-03)
Current:
Jonathan Weisheit (511 | -118)
(-# indicates number from TYING record)
