Bisons’ playoff run makes Texas stop

After traveling almost 2,200 miles to Indiana, Ohio and Michigan the past three weeks, Harding University’s 320-mile one-way trek to Commerce, Texas, will feel like a home playoff game to the Bisons.

Harding (11-3) battles Texas A&M-Commerce (12-1) today in the NCAA Division II semifinals.

“We expect to have a giant Bisons crowd,” Harding Coach Paul Simmons said. “A lot of our fans struggled to get to our games. We may have had 85 or 90 fans make the 10- and 11-hour rides, but this trip will be a lot easier on them. Plus, we have a lot of Harding graduates who live and work in the Dallas area. We’ll have a lot of Bi-sons fans in attendance.”

The winner of today’s game will play the winner of the Indiana (Pa.)-West Florida game for the national championship next Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan.

Harding has played four consecutive games on the road, counting the regular-season finale at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. Over the last three weeks, the Bisons have been on the playoff trail to Indianapolis, Ashland, Ohio, and Big Rapids, Mich. Those three round trips have amounted to nearly 4,400 miles.

Harding enters the game as the NCAA Division II leader in rushing touchdowns (51) and rushing yards (4,868). The Bisons have rushed for more than 300 yards 10 times this season and for 200 or more yards in 27 consecutive games.

Against the Lions, the Bi-sons will attempt to slow the Division II passing leader. Senior Luis Perez leads the classification in passing attempts

(532), passing yards (4,390) and passing touchdowns (42).

“He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country,” Simmons said. “The system that they run suits him and plays to his strengths. And he’s got great weapons to go along with him. It’s the best passing team we’ve seen all season by far.”

The Lions have six receivers with at least 41 receptions. Five of them have 598 or more receiving yards. Senior Buck Wilson, a 6-0 senior, leads the Lions with 11 TD receptions and 950 yards.

Harding and A&M-Commerce are no strangers. The Bisons and Lions have met four previous times with A&M-Commerce holding a 3-1 advantage. Their last meeting came in the 2013 Live United Texarkana Bowl, which Harding won 44-3.

Like Harding, A&M-Commerce has won all three of its previous postseason games on the road. Harding is 8-1 away from home this season while the Lions are 5-0 at Memorial Stadium.

“We’ve played nine of our last 12 games on the road, but our kids love it,” Simmons said. “We have no distractions and our guys just like to be together. We don’t view it as a negative.”