The Bisons won their home opener at First Security Bank Field Saturday night 69-0 against Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Harding posted a school record 692 yards of offense, the most since 2007.
The Bisons scored on their first seven offensive possessions, not having to punt until the third quarter.
“We know our potential as an offense, but failed to showcase that in week one,” junior quarterback Jacob Moore said. “Last week’s loss propelled us into a week of focused practice and a fierce competitive mindset come game day.”
Moore replaced injured senior quarterback Keenan Kellett and threw for 186 yards and a combined four touchdowns (two rushing, two passing).
After being quiet the first game, senior wide receiver Alex Rachal had a break-out game, catching three passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns.
“It felt great to contribute; I was in the zone,” Rachal said.
Moore said it is difficult to shine as a wide receiver in this offense and was happy to see Rachal go out and have a great day.
The Bisons threw for a total of 238 passing yards, the most since they adopted the run-happy triple option. Harding gave up 167 total yards of offense, forcing nine punts and two turnovers.
“Our mindset was to dominate the offense and get the nasty taste out of our mouths from last week,” senior defensive end Daniel Riley said.
The Bisons played tough defense as they got their first recorded shutout since joining the GAC last season.
“This victory gives us more confidence, and helps us regain some composure from week one,” Moore said. “We are going to build off this win by looking at what we did right and what we did wrong, then continue to strive for perfection.”
Harding heads into week three sitting at 1-1. The Bisons’ next game is against Southern Nazarene University on Sept. 28 at home, where they anticipate Kellett’s return.
