Harding wins homecoming game for the ages
November 3, 2007
By Scott Goode
Harding SID
SEARCY – It was a game that an overflow Homecoming crowd of 5,600 will not soon forget.
Harding broke a plethora of school records and held on for a 62-55 victory over Arkansas Tech on Saturday at First Security Stadium in the highest-scoring game in Bison football history. It was Harding's 17 th win in its last 18 Homecoming games.
Harding junior quarterback David Knighton completed 46-of-62 passes for 529 yards and seven touchdowns, but his most important score came on the ground. The Seminole, OK, native dove in from a yard out with 1:41 left to give the Bisons the victory.
Arkansas Tech's Marcus Arnold returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to the Harding 43, and with 1:32 left, the Wonder Boys looked poised to tie the game for the sixth time. Then on 4 th-and-5, Tech quarterback Justin Ray left the pocket in an attempt to rush for the first down. He was met at the Harding 21 by Andrew Jackson, Cam Clark and Jordan Huckeba, who flipped Ray into the air, forcing a fumble that Harding sophomore Ray Hatfield recovered.
Harding (5-4, 4-3 Gulf South Conference) needs a victory next Saturday in its season-finale against Ouachita Baptist to secure its fourth consecutive winning season. Arkansas Tech (5-5, 3-5) had its season end against the Bisons.
With the score tied at 48-48, Arkansas Tech's Tracey Stiger returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown to give the Wonder Boys the lead. Harding came right back, driving 56 yards on seven plays with Knighton hitting redshirt freshman Jordan Watson with a 10-yard pass to knot the game at 55 with 12:00 left.
Harding's defense, which had forced only two punts in the game's first three quarters, came alive in the fourth. The Bisons held the Wonder Boys to two consecutive three-and-outs and three straight punts in the final period before forcing the game-deciding fumble on the final drive.
The two teams combined for 70 first downs, the most ever in a non-overtime game in NCAA II history. The old record was 67 by Indianapolis and Michigan Tech in 2003. Harding's 39 first downs were a school record, tied a GSC record and were only three off the all-time NCAA II record of 42 set by Delaware in 1973.
Knighton broke nearly every school passing record in the game, including completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns. His 46 completions set a GSC record and were the fourth-most in NCAA II history. Knighton also became Harding's career and single-season leader in passing yards and touchdowns in the game. He has 29 passing touchdowns in 2007 and 53 in his career. Knighton has passed for 2,834 yards this season and 5,757 in his career.
Harding sophomore Zac Ross set career highs with 10 receptions and 125 receiving yards. He caught two touchdown passes and added 95 yards on kick returns for 220 all-purpose yards.
For Arkansas Tech, Ray rushed for 131 yards on 24 carries and four touchdowns and completed 21-of-39 passes for 244 yards and two more scores. Senior wide receiver Chris Gunter had nine catches for 111 yards.