13 Dec 2023 #3 Harding Bisons (14-0) vs. #1 Colo. Sch. of Mines (14-0) this Saturday 

Posted at 7:53 PMh in Sports by

Below are 11 Facts and Stats about this week’s game. The No. 3-ranked Harding Bisons, riding an 18-game winning streak, take on No. 1 Colorado School of Mines on Saturday in the NCAA Division II national championship game at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas.

  1. KEY STAT: Both Harding and Mines rank in the top three in Division II in both scoring offense and scoring defense … HU is 3rd in scoring offense and 2nd in scoring defense … Mines is 2nd in scoring offense and 3rd in scoring defense … HU’s defense has forced 29 turnovers and has 24 fourth-down stops.
  2. Harding, the No. 1 seed and winner of Super Region 3, is in its eighth playoff appearance (also 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021) … the Bisons have 9 of the 11 playoff wins ever by GAC teams … the game is HU’s 1st national championship game … Harding’s last national championship was the 1975 NAIA men’s bowling title.
  3. HU’s current 18-game winning streak is the longest in program history … during the streak, HU has won 10 home games, seven road games and one neutral site game.
  4. HU has victories over five nationally ranked teams this season, a program record … the Bisons have three wins over top 10 teams, matching the record of the 2017 team … Harding is 1-3 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams with a 16-13 overtime victory over Valdosta State in 2005.
  5. Harding has a D2 single-season record 5,659 rushing yards and needs 341 rush yards to become the first NCAA team ever to rush for 6,000 yards in a season … HU has a school-record and NCAA-leading 74 rushing TD … HU’s 6.8 yards per rush leads D2 and would be a school record … HU’s 404.2 rush yards per game leads D2 and would be a school record … HU led D2 in rushing in 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2022 and in rushing TD in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021 … HU’s 74 rushing TD this season are the most by any D2 team since at least 2008.
  6. HU’s offense leads D2 in 3rd Down Conversions at 57.1%, converting 84 of 147 … the Bisons are 8th in D2 in 3rd Down Conversions Defense at 26.5%, allowing only 45 of 170 … HU has also converted 14 of 18 4th Downs.
  7. HU has scored 74 rush TD, 9 pass TD, 5 INT return TD, 2 fumble return TD, 1 kickoff return TD and 1 punt return TD for 92 total TD … Harding’s previous school record was 74 TD in 2016.
  8. HU ranks 5th in D2 in total defense with 240.1 yards allowed per game … 10 of HU’s opponents have gained fewer than 300 yards in a game … HU is 4th in rushing defense, allowing 68.6 yards per game … 10 of Harding’s 14 opponents have rushed for fewer than 100 yards.
  9. HU leads D2 in time of possession, averaging 35:30 per game … HU has had 35+ minutes 9 times this season, including each of the last 7 games … HU twice had 40 or more minutes of possession.

OPPONENT WATCH: CSM QB John Matocha leads D2 in passing efficiency (176.7), 2nd in completion pct. (70.5), 3rd in passing TD (42) and 4th in passing yards (4,028) … WR Max McLeod leads D2 in receiving yards (1,503) and 4th in receiving TD (16).