31 Dec 2024 Harding Football finishes No. 4 in AFCA Poll

Posted at 11:07 AMh in Sports by

SEARCY — The Harding football team concluded the 2024 season with a No. 4 ranking in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 poll, as well as the D2Football.com poll. The Bisons also finished No. 2 on MasseyRatings.com and No. 3 on NCAA.com’s Power 10.

This marked the 10th time since 2012 that Harding finished the season ranked in the AFCA Top 25, with the last eight seasons being consecutive. The No. 4 finish was the team’s second straight top-five finish, following their national championship title in 2023.

Harding boasted an impressive 12-2 overall record, sharing the Great American Conference (GAC) championship and advancing to the national quarterfinals in the NCAA II Playoffs. The team won its 11th and 12th NCAA II Playoff games, with the rest of the GAC combining for only two playoff wins.

The Bisons dominated various statistical categories, leading NCAA II in:

  • Offense: 3rd down conversion percentage (56.5%), passing yards per completion (24.43), rushing offense (413.9 yards per game), sacks allowed (0.14 per game), scoring offense (48.1 points per game), tackles for loss allowed (2.57 per game), and team passing efficiency (214.62)
  • Defense: passing yards allowed (114.8 per game) and total defense (200.6 yards per game)
  • Special Teams: blocked kicks allowed (0) and blocked punts allowed (0)

Harding broke multiple school records, including:

  • Individual career records: Braden Jay’s average yards per rush (12.12) and total offense per play (12.24), and Dre Hall’s quarterback sacks (25.0)
  • Team season records: average yards per rush (7.08), rushing yards per game (413.9), total offense per play (7.58), tackles for loss (104.0), interception return touchdowns (5), and opponent punt return yards (4)
  • Individual game records: Blake Delacruz’s rushing touchdowns scored (4), Darion Dunlap-Johnson’s interceptions (3), and Jeremiah Jordan’s pass breakups (4)

Five Harding players earned All-America honors: Jake Dugger, Ty Dugger, Clark Griffin, Braden Jay, and Gage Price. Additionally, 25 players received All-GAC honors, and 26 were named to the GAC Academic Honor Roll.