Trumann alum Will White with 2 TD receptions, #12 Harding beats Oklahoma Baptist

No. 12 Harding rolled up 513 total yards, scored three rushing touchdowns, three passing touchdowns and had a 72-yard fumble return for another touchdown in a 49-10 victory over Oklahoma Baptist on Saturday in the Bisons’ home opener at First Security Stadium. With the win Harding improved to 2-0 on the season and dropped Oklahoma Baptist to 1-1.

The Bisons scored touchdowns on six on its nine possessions, punted once, missed a field goal and ran out the last eight and a half minutes of the game on a drive that ended with a kneel down deep in Oklahoma Baptist territory. Harding rushed for 382 yards on 51 carries with touchdowns coming from Jhalen Spicer (19 yards), Cole Keylon (7 yards) and Andrew Miller (55 yards). The Bisons also passed for 131 yards and three touchdowns with Keylon connecting with Darius Brown (76 yards) and Will White (48 yards), and backup quarterback Malik Young hitting White again on a 7-yard TD pass.

Senior linebacker Zach Strickland put the game away in the third quarter with a 72-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

TEAM NOTES

• The win was Harding’s 15th straight at home against Oklahoma teams … the Bisons have won six straight games dating to last season and has won three straight home games.
• Harding had 382 rushing yards and 131 passing yards for 513 total yards … the last time Harding had more than 300 rushing yards, 100 passing yards and 500 total yards was at Arkansas Tech in 2019 when the Bisons had 406-108-514.
• Harding averaged 9.0 yards per play, only the 13th time in program history the Bisons averaged 9.0 or more per play and the most since averaging 10.9 yards per play at Northwestern Oklahoma in 2021.
• Harding limited Oklahoma Baptist to only 9 rushing yards, the fifth-fewest the Bisons have ever allowed in a GAC game and the fewest since limiting Oklahoma Baptist to 3 yards rushing in 2021.

PLAYER NOTES

• With his fumble return for a TD on Saturday, senior Zach Strickland joined Dra Smith, Daylon Markham and Kennard Henderson as the only Harding players ever with an interception return and a fumble return touchdown in their careers … Strickland’s interception return TD came last season against Oklahoma Baptist … the 72-yard fumble return was the sixth-longest in program history and the longest since Dra Smith’s 96-yard return vs. Southwestern Oklahoma in 2017.
• Will White had two receiving TD, becoming the first HU player with two receiving TD in a game since Kage Citty in last year’s season opener at East Central.
• Darius Brown’s first career reception went for 76 yards and a TD … it was tied for the 14th-longest passing TD in program history and was the longest since Bobby Green’s 85-yard reception at Ouachita Baptist in 2019.
• Andrew Miller scored his first collegiate TD on a 55-yard run.
• Jhalen Spicer scored his 15th career rushing TD, the most among active Bisons.
• With his rushing TD and two passing TD on Saturday, Cole Keylon has eight career rushing TD and eight career passing TD.
• Malik Young threw his first career passing TD.
• Clark Griffin led Harding in tackles for the second straight game … he had seven tackles … his 2.0 TFL matched his career high.
• Nathaniel Wallace had a sack, a forced fumble, a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries … he now has 13.5 sacks in his career, moving him into Harding’s career top 20 … it was his second career forced fumble and his fifth pass breakup.
• Ty Dugger had two pass breakups and has three for the season.

SERIES NOTES

• Harding improved to 8-0 all-time against Oklahoma Baptist, including 4-0 in Searcy.

UP NEXT

• Harding returns to First Security Stadium next Saturday, hosting Arkansas-Monticello on Family Weekend at 6 p.m.

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