The No. 13 ranked Bisons host No. 22 ranked Ouachita Baptist University in the battle of the unbeatens this weekend at First Security Stadium.
Harding (5-0) and OBU (5-0) will duke it out to see who can stay atop the Great American Conference (GAC) as a number one contender going into week eight.
“Being undefeated, each game moving forward is vital to our football team,” senior slotback Jason Oller said. “All the goals we set are in front of us at this point, and winning Saturday lets us take a big step in accomplishing those objectives.”
The Bisons are averaging 410.2 yards rushing per game this season, just under 300 yards more than OBU has given up on average per game (127.0), which could be the deciding factor between winning or losing. The Bisons are looking to find OBU’s weakness and exploit it.
“They have done a good job against us every year as far as the scheme they run,” Oller said. “It’s all about finding their weakness in what they’re doing and executing our game plan.”
Oller said it does not matter that OBU is undefeated because they always find a way to give the Bisons a good game regardless of each other’s record.
Harding’s defense is not only playing an undefeated opponent this week but also a former South Eastern Conference quarterback, Kyle Frazier. Frazier played for the Auburn University Tigers up until the fall of the 2014 season where he transferred to OBU.
“This is really the first game this season where we are facing a team that has a duel threat at quarterback,” defensive coordinator Paul Simmons said. “Any time you can add an element of the quarterback run game along with a good passing game is always challenging.”
Simmons said Frazier’s elusiveness and speed will be difficult to contain. Simmons also said that if they can hold Frazier to an average day, it’s a win for the Bison defense.
OBU has the third-ranked offense in the GAC, the best rated offense the No. 1-ranked GAC Harding defense has faced thus far this season. This could be a measure of how good Harding’s defense actually is.
“Frazier brings a strong arm and can complete throws other GAC quarterbacks cannot make,” senior cornerback Darious Lane said. “He manages the ball well, and if he can’t find someone open, he tucks it and runs hard, sometimes harder after initial contact.”
Lane said they need to come out and win the physical battle and really test their wide outs. He said they have to execute their game plan better than past weeks.
Saturday is not just a big game for the Bisons as they look to stay undefeated, but it is also the unveiling of the new jumbotron scoreboard donated and dedicated to the 1959 Harding University Bisons.
Harding will play OBU Saturday at 6 p.m. at First Security Stadium.
