10 Sep 2025 No. 2 Harding vs. Southwestern Oklahoma tonight in Searcy

Posted at 6:53 PMh in Sports by

#2 Harding Bisons (1-0, 1-0) vs. Southwestern Okla. Bulldogs (0-1, 0-1)
Sept. 11 • 7 p.m. • Searcy, Ark. • First Security Stadium

REMINDER: All ticket sales for Thursday’s game will be cashless. You can purchase your general admission tickets HERE. The concession stand and the merchandise trailers will accept cash.Below are 11 Facts and Stats about this week’s game.  

  1. Home Opener and Ranking: The No. 2-ranked Bisons kick off their 2025 home schedule against Southwestern Oklahoma. The Bisons are coming off a dominant 49-7 road win at Northwestern Oklahoma and are ranked in their 79th consecutive AFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll.
  2. Rushing Attack vs. Rush Defense: Harding’s rushing offense, which averaged 8.3 yards per rush against Northwestern Oklahoma, will face a stiff test against a Southwestern Oklahoma defense that allowed only 3.3 yards per rush to Arkansas Tech in its opener.
  3. Dominant Series History: This is the 20th meeting between the two schools, with Harding leading the series 14-5. The Bisons have won 10 of 12 all-time meetings in Searcy, including eight straight.
  4. A Look Back: In last season’s 57-3 win over SWOSU, Harding’s defense held the Bulldogs to just 22 passing yards, while quarterback Cole Keylon accounted for five total touchdowns (three passing, two rushing).
  5. Defensive Shut Down: The Harding defense was lights out in its season opener, holding Northwestern Oklahoma to just three first downs—the fewest allowed since 2014—and forcing 10 punts on 10 possessions.
  6. Third Down Efficiency: The Bisons offense was incredibly efficient in their first game, converting 10 of 11 third downs (90.9%), which is the highest percentage since a 91.7% performance in 2022.
  7. Record-Setting Rushing: Harding’s 484 rushing yards in the opener were the second-most by any NCAA Division II team this season, trailing only New Mexico Highlands’ 537 yards.
  8. Winning Ways in the GAC: Since 2016, Harding has compiled a remarkable 79-10 (.888) record in Great American Conference games, with only one of those losses coming by more than 10 points.
  9. Cole Keylon’s Pursuit of History: Quarterback Cole Keylon, the winningest QB in GAC history with a 37-4 record as a starter, needs just 13 rushing yards to become the first player in Harding history with 2,000 career rushing and passing yards.
  10. Braden Jay’s Yardage and TD Chase: Slot back Braden Jay, the career leader in yards per rush (12.7), ranks seventh all-time at Harding with 2,496 rushing yards. He needs 194 more yards to pass Zach Shelley for sixth and two touchdowns to become the fourth Bison player with 40 career touchdowns.
  11. Tackling Machine: All-American linebacker Clark Griffin is a tackling machine. He needs 17 more tackles to pass Daylan Skidmore for second on Harding’s NCAA-era career list. He also needs 3.5 tackles for loss to pass Josh Aldridge for third all-time and is looking to become the first Bison to lead the team in tackles four times.