ARKADELPHIA -- Two second-half penalties provided the Harding Bison with the help they needed, and they defeated the Ouachita Baptist Tigers 31-28 at Harris Stadium on Saturday.
Ouachita Baptist pulled within 24-21 late in the third quarter after junior Kris Oliver's 5-yard touchdown run, and it appeared to be in position to get the ball right back with Harding facing a 4th-and-2 situation in Harding territory.
But a dead-ball personal foul called on senior defensive back Zach Miller gave Harding first down at its 48.
Six plays later, freshman running back Cole Chancey scored on a 4-yard run to give Harding a 31-21 lead with 10:28 left in the game.
"That's the name of the game: When you have an opportunity, what do you do with it," Harding Coach Paul Simmons said. "You hate when mistakes happen to you, but when you get a chance to take advantage of them, you've got to do it, and we did."
Another penalty, on Ouachita's subsequent drive, eventually turned first and goal from the 8 into fourth and goal from the 18.
Junior kicker Cole Antley missed a field-goal attempt from 35 yards, leaving Ouachita two scores down midway through the fourth quarter.
Ouachita cut Harding's lead to three points on a 6-yard run by junior running back Drew Harris with 2:12 left, but an onside-kick attempt was recovered by Harding, which ran out the clock to seal the victory.
"We just have to clean those things up," Ouachita senior quarterback Austin Warford said. "That's why we watch film. We'll go in there [today], watch film and get ready for Southern Nazarene on Thursday."
Harding (3-3) has won three consecutive games after it began the season at 0-3.
"I think our best practice might have been on the Tuesday after our third loss in a row," Simmons said. "Our guys just said, 'We're not going to give in.' That really was a turning point for us. We have a long way to go, but I've been in this for 25 years, and I don't know that I've ever been more proud of a group of guys than I am today."
Harding scored on its first possession with junior quarterback Terrence Dingle's 30-yard keeper. Dingle ran free off tackle after a fake dive to Dancey, who helped set up Harding's opening score with a 46-yard run up the middle.
Dingle said Dancey's long run helped set up Harding's perimeter game throughout.
"Once we get our inside game going, it's really hard to stop us," Dingle said. "That allows us to get the ball on the edge to our fast guys."
Dingle kept 18 times for 83 yards. He was sacked once for a 7-yard loss. Senior running back Grant Kimberlin rushed seven times for 101 yards to lead Harding.
Ouachita (4-2) pulled even early in the second quarter with Oliver's 1-yard run.
Harding responded with a 58-yard drive that included senior running back Zach Shelley's 2-yard touchdown run that gave the Bison a 14-7 lead with 8:58 left in the second quarter.
Ouachita countered with a 5-play, 52-yard drive featuring Warford's 1-yard shovel pass to sophomore receiver Allie Freeman to tie the score with 5:53 left.
Warford completed 17 of 27 passes for 243 yards and 1 touchdown. He rushed for 65 yards on 12 carries. Freeman caught 6 passes for 114 yards.
A 50-yard field goal by senior Tristan Parsley gave Harding a 17-14 lead that held up into the second half.
Ouachita scored late in the third quarter to pull within 24-21 after Oliver's 3-yard touchdown run.
"Both teams are always fired up to play each other no matter what their records are," Warford said. "Hat's off to them. They played a heck of a ballgame."
HENDERSON STATE 14, OKLAHOMA BAPTIST 13
Henderson State (3-3, 3-3 GAC) recovered an onside-kick attempt with 10 seconds left in the game to hold off a late comeback by Oklahoma Baptist (0-6, 0-6) at Crain Family Stadium in Shawnee, Okla. Oklahoma Baptist had just scored on a 2-yard touchdown reception by Alex Lewis from redshirt freshman quarterback Preston Haire, who was 32 of 54 for 267 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Henderson trailed 7-0 at halftime before redshirt junior quarterback Andrew Black rushed for two touchdowns in the third quarter to earn the deciding lead.
Black interchanged with senior Evan Lassiter, but threw one pass at the Oklahoma Baptist goal line, which was intercepted for a touchback with 3:20 left in the second quarter.
It was the only turnover of the game.
ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO 46, NO. 24 ARKANSAS TECH 45
Quarterback Cole Sears scored on a 10-yard touchdown run with 1:44 left in the game and Josh Marini kicked the deciding extra point as Arkansas-Monticell0 (3-3, 3-3 GAC) rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 24 Arkansas Tech (4-2, 4-2) at Willis “Convoy” Leslie Cotton Bowl Stadium in Monticello.KJ Reid’s 39-yard interception return for a touchdown gave the Wonder Boys a 42-32 lead with 13:10 left in the fourth quarter, but Sears led the Boll Weevils back with a 20-yard scoring pass to Jalen Tolliver at the 8:43 mark.
Eric Perez’s 24-yard field goal three minutes later gave the Wonder Boys a 45-39 lead, but Sears led the Boll Weevils on a 9-play, 71-yard drive that he capped with his winning run.
Ty Reasnor threw two incompletions on Arkansas Tech’s ensuing drive, then found Jakcob Dean for 4 yards. Facing fourth and 6 at the Wonder Boys’ 43, Reasnor was sacked by Justin Atkins, and the Boll Weevils ran out the remaining 1:11.
Sports on 10/08/2017