MAGNOLIA, Ark. - (RV) Southern Arkansas (2-0, 2-0 GAC) welcomes in No. 23 Harding (1-1, 1-1 GAC) for a Family Day clash from Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field. After a thrilling 30-28 win over Oklahoma Baptist last weekend, which saw sophomore
place kicker Austin Wilkerson sneak in a career-long 48-yard field goal attempt as time expired, the Muleriders pushed their Division II-best home winning streak to 17 games.

The last time Southern Arkansas suffered defeat inside the confines of Wilkins Stadium at Rip Powell Field was in 2015; a high-scoring 70-42 defeat at the hands of No. 16 Harding. On Saturday, SAU faces the flexbone offense of the nationally-ranked Bisons which have made back-to-back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II Playoffs, which included a run to the national semifinals in 2017.

The Week 3 showdown has plenty of story lines as the two programs are set to collide on the gridiron for the 56th time in a series that is deadlocked at 27-27-1. The Muleriders upset No. 7 Harding 28-23 on the road last fall. It was a victory that saw SAU defeat its highest ranked opponent in program history and it was also the Muleriders' first win in Searcy since the 2003 campaign. Additionally, a victory on Saturday would give Southern Arkansas its third-straight win over Harding; something the Muleriders haven't accomplished against the Bisons since winning four-consecutive meetings from 1980-1983.

LAST WEEK
Southern Arkansas is off to a 2-0 start after picking up a road win over Southern Nazarene (34-14) in the season opener and enters the third week of the season following an emotional 30-28 win against Oklahoma Baptist last weekend in Magnolia. Harding enters Week 3 of the season after shutting out Arkansas-Monticello 24-0 in the Bisons' home opener. HU is currently 1-1 after suffering a season-opening 16-14 loss to No. 6 Ouachita in Arkadelphia.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSES
Through two games, the Muleriders rank second in scoring offense (32.0 ppg) and in total offense (475.0 ypg). SAU's 253.5 yards per game on the ground ranks second behind Harding, while the team's 221.5 yards through the air rank fifth.

Three running backs are over 120 yards on the ground this season with redshirt freshman Kor'Davion Washington leading the team with 192 yards on 28 touches with a touchdown. Redshirt senior SirCharles Perkins follows with 177 yards on 28 carries with a team-leading two rushing touchdowns. Junior quarterback Hayden Mallory, through his first two career starts, is averaging 218 yards passing per game behind a 157.3 quarterback efficiency rating. He has tossed three touchdowns and is completing 64.6% (31-of-48) of his pass attempts. Mallory's top target so far this campaign has been redshirt senior Jared Lancaster who has hauled in eight passes for 170 yards and two scores. Nine different players have caught a pass this season.

Harding runs 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 were second in DII in rushing as they averaged 341.1 yards per game. They enter Saturday's game averaging a league-best 281.5 yards per game on the ground. Three Harding running backs have carried at least 17 times this season with Cole Chancey leading the team with 38 carries. Chancey averages 84.0 yards per game rushing, while Tristan Tucker is the leading rusher with 201 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns. Preston Paden has also carried 17 times totaling 44 yards.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSES
The top two teams in regards to total defense square off as Harding leads the GAC in the category at 212.0 yards per game at just 3.8 yards per play. SAU follows in second at 260.0 yards per game at 4.3 yards per play. Additionally, the two best rushing defenses will be in Magnolia on Saturday as SAU leads the league at allowing just 73.5 yards per game on the ground, while Harding allows just a half yard more. Through two games, Harding owns the best scoring defense in the GAC allowing just
8.0 ppg, while the Muleriders' 21.0 points per game allowed ranks sixth.

Harding's Cory Batie leads the team in tackles with 17 total, including 15 solo stops. Dylan Hendricks follows with 14 tackles and Jacory Nichols has added ten. As a team, the Bisons have totaled a dozen tackles for loss totaling 47 yards. The Muleriders have been led in tackling by senior Lorenzo Watkins who has 12 total tackles including three for a loss.

Redshirt junior DeMarcus Pegue and sophomore Brock Floyd have totaled 11 tackles, while redshirt junior Antonio Washington follows with 10 tackles. Washington is coming off an impressive performance in last Saturday's win as he recorded eight tackles with 3.5 coming for loss totaling 13 yards in addition to three quarterback hurries and a pair of pass breakups.

NOTABLES
*SAU sophomore place kicker Austin Wilkerson was named the GAC's Special Teams Player of the Week after connecting on all three point after attempts as well as three field goals, including a career-long 48-yard game winner.
*Harding's Cory Batie, a junior defensive back, was named the GAC's Defensive Player of the Week following a five tackle, two interception performance against the Weevils. He returned one of the interceptions 75 yards for a score and his other pick went for 77 yards and led to a Harding field goal.