The Bison football team debuted their new away jerseys in the season opener last Saturday night against Southern Arkansas. Harding must have had that “look good/play good” mentality working well as the Bisons stampeded over SAU at Wilkins Stadium in Magnolia, Ark., routing the Muleriders 63–14.
Playing the first game in the new Great American Conference, the Bisons wasted no time in changing the record book, setting the bar high for expectations in this new season.Harding has not scored 63 points in a game since 1928. They also knocked out a couple more records with 515 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. Oh — and the defense took two interceptions to the house to put a cherry on top. No other Harding football team has ever returned two interceptions for touchdowns.
Redshirt junior quarterback Chaz Rogers did more than just direct the Bisons potent offense. He racked up 110 yards on the ground and found the endzone three times. Senior Kale Gelles refreshed everyone’s memory of why he was the First Team All-Gulf South Conference running back in 2010 running for 171 yards on 20 carries.
It’s worth reminding ourselves that 171 yards for Gelles is no big deal. He averaged just under 110 yards per game last year in the 2010 season. Harding also had touchdown runs from senior Jeremy Holt, junior Kelvin Martin, and redshirt freshmen Donatella Lucket and Romo Westbrook.
The newly formed Great American Conference has been a long time in the making.
“We were just too spread out from schools in the previous Gulf South Conference,” Harding Athletic Director Greg Harnden said.”The travel was expensive and we didn’t have as much in common with each other as we first thought.The desire was always to have the Oklahoma and Arkansas schools together.”
Whereas Division I schools switch conferences to meet their demands for more money and exposure, the GACwas established merely based on geography. Harnden stressed that Harding’s natural rivalries, Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist, are also in the GAC.As of now, there are nine schools in the conference that can potentially grow to twelve.Having spent 15 years as athletic director, Harnden said that much thought goes into making decisions concerning the athletic program at Harding.
“People have no idea how coaches work, athletes work and really what goes into running this program,” Harnden said.
Bison Head Football Coach Ronnie Huckeba said he feels very positive about this season.
“We felt like we ended the year on a real high note last year with wins over nationally ranked Delta State and North Alabama,” Huckeba said.
Huckeba also said he is excited about having so many experienced returning starters on offense.
While he admits that the defense is primarily inexperienced, he said they’re talented with tremendous speed.
When asked about the Bisons being ranked second in the GAC preseason ranking, Huckeba said that the ranking is due to the team’s noticeabley strong finish last season.While Huckeba said he thinks that the Gulf South Conference allowed the Bisons to compete at a very high level, he said he feels that competing in this new conference makes more sense.
“The GAC is a good geographical matchup for us.All the Arkansas schools will remain together.We are cutting out some of those killer road trips and renewing rivalries with teams that we used to play.”
Harding started off the season ranked second in the Great American Conference. The only team ranked above them? Henderson State. Which just happens to be the team the Bisons welcome in to First Security Stadium tomorrow night.
The Henderson State Reddies lost a non-conference game to a below-average Division I University of Central Arkansas team during week one.
They beat the Bisons last season 33-28 in a close, hard -fought battle.
Kickoff on Saturday is at 6 p.m.
