# 2023 Harding Bisons football team

The 2023 Harding Bisons football team was an American football team that represented Harding University in the Great American Conference (GAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division II football season. In their sixth year under head coach Paul Simmons, the team compiled a perfect 15–0 record (11–0 against conference opponents), outscored opponents by a total of 665 to 156, and won the GAC and NCAA Division II championships. The team also set an NCAA record for most rushing yards in a season with 6,161 rushing yards.
The team finished the regular season ranked No. 2 among Division II programs and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs where they received a bye in the first round and defeated No. 6 Central Missouri (35–34) in the second round, No. 2 Grand Valley State (7–6) in the quarterfinals, and No. 11 Lenoir–Rhyne (55–14) in the semifinals. Through the December 16 victory over Colorado Mines, the Bison have won 18 consecutive games, the longest winning streak in program history. Harding defeated No. 1 Colorado Mines in the Division II national championship game on December 16, 38–7, to win the school's first national championship.
Harding defensive end Nathaniel Wallace was selected as the 2023 GAC Defensive Player of the Year. Paul Simmons was selected as GAC Coach of the Year.
The team played its home games at First Security Stadium in Searcy, Arkansas.

## Preseason

The GAC coaches preseason poll was released on August 1, 2023. The Bisons were predicted to finish second in the conference. Ouachita Baptist was favored to win the conference.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 6:00 p.m. | at Southern Nazarene | No. 14 | SNU StadiumBethany, OK | W 53–20 | 1,754 |
| September 9 | 7:00 p.m. | Oklahoma Baptist | No. 12 | First Security StadiumSearcy, AR | W 49–10 | 2,800 |
| September 16 | 6:00 p.m. | Arkansas–Monticello | No. 11 | First Security StadiumSearcy, AR | W 59–19 | 3,100 |
| September 23 | 6:30 p.m. | at No. 20 Henderson State | No. 10 | Carpenter–Haygood StadiumArkadelphia, AR | W 27–16 | 6,013 |
| September 30 | 6:00 p.m. | Southwestern Oklahoma State | No. 10 | First Security StadiumSearcy, AR | W 64–0 | 2,300 |
| October 7 | 4:00 p.m. | at Northwestern Oklahoma State | No. 9 | Ranger FieldAlva, OK | W 62–0 | 3,213 |
| October 14 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 5 Ouachita Baptist | No. 9 | First Security StadiumSearcy, AR | W 41–10 | 5,600 |
| October 21 | 2:00 p.m. | at Southern Arkansas | No. 6 | Memorial StadiumEl Dorado, AR | W 54–20 | 1,196 |
| October 28 | 2:00 p.m. | at Southeastern Oklahoma State | No. 4 | Paul Laird FieldDurant, OK | W 55–0 | 1,178 |
| November 4 | 3:00 p.m. | East Central | No. 4 | First Security StadiumSearcy, AR | W 48–7 | 5,500 |
| November 11 | 2:00 p.m. | at Arkansas Tech | No. 3 | Thone StadiumRussellville, AR | W 56–0 | 2,347 |
| November 25 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 6 Central Missouri* | No. 3 | First Security StadiumSearcy, AR (NCAA Division II Second Round) | W 35–34 | 3,500 |
| December 2 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 2 Grand Valley State* | No. 3 | First Security StadiumSearcy, AR (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal) | W 7–6 | 3,100 |
| December 9 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 11 Lenoir–Rhyne* | No. 3 | First Security StadiumSearcy, AR (NCAA Division II Semifinal) | W 55–14 | 2,900 |
| December 16 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. No. 1 Colorado Mines* | No. 3 | McKinney ISD StadiumMcKinney, TX (NCAA Division II Championship Game) | W 38–7 | 12,552 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time |||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking т = Tied with team above or below ( ) = First-place votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Final |
| AFCA | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 4 | т 3 (1) | 3 (1) | 1 (28) |
| D2Football.com | 15 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 |

## Game summaries
### At Southern Nazarene

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Bisons | 14 | 21 | 11 | 7 | 53 |
| Crimson Storm | 0 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 20 |
at SNU Stadium, Bethany, Oklahoma
* Date: August 31
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 1,754
* Referee: Dan Wilson
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | HAR | SNU |
| First downs | 19 | 14 |
| Total yards | 322 | 322 |
| Rushing yards | 282 | 145 |
| Passing yards | 40 | 177 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 6 |
| Time of possession | 33:29 | 26:31 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 2/3, 40 yards, TD |
| Harding | Rushing | Braden Jay | 4 rushes, 63 yards |
| Harding | Receiving | Braden Jay | 1 reception, 26 yards, TD |
| Southern Nazarene | Passing | Gage Porter | 6/16, 116 yards, 3 INT |
| Southern Nazarene | Rushing | Gage Porter | 26 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD |
| Southern Nazarene | Receiving | Andrew Tisdale | 2 receptions, 74 yards |

### Oklahoma Baptist

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| OKB Bison | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 12 HAR Bisons | 14 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 76 °F (24 °C)
* Game attendance: 2,800
* Referee: Dewayne Barbee
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | OKB | HAR |
| First downs | 15 | 25 |
| Total yards | 238 | 513 |
| Rushing yards | 9 | 382 |
| Passing yards | 229 | 131 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 27:32 | 32:28 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Oklahoma Baptist | Passing | Aidan Thompson | 27/44, 229 yards, TD, INT |
| Oklahoma Baptist | Rushing | E. J. Moore | 6 rushes, 14 yards |
| Oklahoma Baptist | Receiving | Michael Marshall | 6 receptions, 63 yards |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 2/5, 124 yards, 2 TD |
| Harding | Rushing | Andrew Miller | 5 rushes, 69 yards, TD |
| Harding | Receiving | Darius Brown | 1 reception, 76 yards, TD |

### Arkansas–Monticello

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Boll Weevils | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 19 |
| No. 11 Bisons | 21 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 59 |
at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 81 °F (27 °C)
* Game attendance: 3,100
* Referee: Chuck Scott
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | UAM | HAR |
| First downs | 11 | 24 |
| Total yards | 217 | 463 |
| Rushing yards | 34 | 424 |
| Passing yards | 183 | 39 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 4 |
| Time of possession | 26:24 | 33:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Arkansas–Monticello | Passing | Demilon Brown | 18/32, 183 yards, TD, 2 INT |
| Arkansas–Monticello | Rushing | Demilon Brown | 12 rushes, 15 yards |
| Arkansas–Monticello | Receiving | Kristian Gammage | 3 receptions, 92 yards |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 1/3, 39 yards |
| Harding | Rushing | Jhalen Spicer | 5 rushes, 76 yards, TD |
| Harding | Receiving | Braden Jay | 1 reception, 39 yards |
Entering the game, the Boll Weevils had the top offense in the GAC, scoring 53.5 points per game, but here weld to just 217 yards of offense against Harding.

### At No. 20 Henderson State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 10 Bisons | 0 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 27 |
| No. 20 Reddies | 3 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 16 |
at Carpenter–Haygood Stadium, Arkadelphia, Arkansas
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 89 °F (32 °C)
* Game attendance: 6,013
* Referee: Michael Catton
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | HAR | HSU |
| First downs | 22 | 11 |
| Total yards | 363 | 244 |
| Rushing yards | 353 | 54 |
| Passing yards | 10 | 190 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 39:53 | 19:57 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 1/4, 10 yards |
| Harding | Rushing | Blake Delacruz | 31 rushes, 179 yards, 3 TD |
| Harding | Receiving | Dane Romberger | 1 reception, 10 yards |
| Henderson State | Passing | Andrew Edwards | 15/28, 190 yards, TD |
| Henderson State | Rushing | Andrew Edwards | 6 rushes, 24 yards |
| Henderson State | Receiving | Timieone Jackson | 7 receptions, 96 yards, TD |

### Southwestern Oklahoma State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 10 Bisons | 7 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 64 |
at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 88 °F (31 °C)
* Game attendance: 2,300
* Referee: Brad Frisby
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | SWO | HAR |
| First downs | 4 | 25 |
| Total yards | 79 | 587 |
| Rushing yards | 29 | 462 |
| Passing yards | 50 | 125 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 24:38 | 35:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| SW Oklahoma State | Passing | Sean Shelby | 5/9, 26 yards, 2 INT |
| SW Oklahoma State | Rushing | Troy Henderson | 5 rushes, 16 yards |
| SW Oklahoma State | Receiving | Elijah Reed | 3 receptions, 29 yards |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 5/6, 125 yards, 2 TD |
| Harding | Rushing | Andrew Miller | 7 rushes, 134 yards, 2 TD |
| Harding | Receiving | Will White | 1 reception, 50 yards, TD |
Quarterback Cole Keylon completed five passes, each going to a different receiver.

### At Northwestern Oklahoma State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 9 Bisons | 14 | 28 | 7 | 13 | 62 |
| Rangers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Ranger Field, Alva, Oklahoma
* Date: October 7
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 68 °F (20 °C)
* Game attendance: 3,213
* Referee: Dan Wilson
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | HAR | NWO |
| First downs | 21 | 6 |
| Total yards | 414 | 108 |
| Rushing yards | 380 | 63 |
| Passing yards | 34 | 45 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 4 |
| Time of possession | 22:09 | 37:51 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 1/2, 34 yards, TD |
| Harding | Rushing | Cole Keylon | 7 rushes, 90 yards, TD |
| Harding | Receiving | Darius Brown | 1 reception, 34 yards, TD |
| NW Oklahoma State | Passing | Caleb Deal | 11/20, 45 yards, 4 INT |
| NW Oklahoma State | Rushing | Jashaun Foster | 8 rushes, 27 yards |
| NW Oklahoma State | Receiving | Chancelor Gill | 4 receptions, 21 yards |

### No. 5 Ouachita Baptist

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 5 Tigers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 9 Bisons | 7 | 3 | 10 | 21 | 41 |
at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 64 °F (18 °C)
* Game attendance: 5,600
* Referee: Darin Lair
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | OUA | HAR |
| First downs | 14 | 22 |
| Total yards | 234 | 427 |
| Rushing yards | 155 | 427 |
| Passing yards | 79 | 0 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 26:35 | 33:25 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ouachita Baptist | Passing | Riley Harms | 13/27, 79 yards |
| Ouachita Baptist | Rushing | Kendel Givens | 23 rushes, 146 yards |
| Ouachita Baptist | Receiving | Connor Flannigan | 8 receptions, 38 yards |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 0/1, 0 yards, INT |
| Harding | Rushing | Braden Jay | 10 rushes, 131 yards, 2 TD |
| Harding | Receiving | None | |
The no. 9 Bisons downed the no. 5 Tigers, handing Oauchita Baptist its first loss of the season.

### At Southern Arkansas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 Bisons | 14 | 10 | 21 | 9 | 54 |
| Muleriders | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
at Memorial Stadium, El Dorado, Arkansas
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 86 °F (30 °C)
* Game attendance: 1,196
* Referee: Dewayne Barbee
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | HAR | SAU |
| First downs | 29 | 19 |
| Total yards | 653 | 4462 |
| Rushing yards | 631 | 264 |
| Passing yards | 22 | 198 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 36:09 | 23:51 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 2/6, 22 yards |
| Harding | Rushing | Braden Jay | 8 rushes, 202 yards, TD |
| Harding | Receiving | Braden Jay | 2 receptions, 22 yards |
| Southern Arkansas | Passing | O. B. Jones | 15/23, 169 yards, TD |
| Southern Arkansas | Rushing | Kadyn Roach | 4 rushes, 94 yards, TD |
| Southern Arkansas | Receiving | Jakarion Lockett | 4 receptions, 65 yards |

### At Southeastern Oklahoma State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 4 Bisons | 21 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 55 |
| Savage Storm | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Paul Laird Field, Durant, Oklahoma
* Date: October 28
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Rain, 54 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 1,178
* Referee: Michael Catton
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | HAR | SOU |
| First downs | 27 | 8 |
| Total yards | 502 | 141 |
| Rushing yards | 436 | 45 |
| Passing yards | 66 | 96 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 5 |
| Time of possession | 36:39 | 23:21 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 1/2, 39 yards |
| Harding | Rushing | Braden Jay | 6 rushes, 70 yards, TD |
| Harding | Receiving | Darius Brown | 1 reception, 39 yards |
| SE Oklahoma State | Passing | Weston Conaway | 13/22, 71 yards, 3 INT |
| SE Oklahoma State | Rushing | D. J. Brown | 9 rushes, 42 yards |
| SE Oklahoma State | Receiving | Duce Pittman | 2 receptions, 23 yards |

### East Central

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| No. 4 Bisons | 7 | 14 | 21 | 6 | 48 |
at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 71 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 5,500
* Referee: Darin Lair
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | ECU | HAR |
| First downs | 7 | 30 |
| Total yards | 134 | 528 |
| Rushing yards | 22 | 528 |
| Passing yards | 112 | 0 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 20:24 | 39:36 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| East Central | Passing | Traair Edwards | 7/11, 69 yards, TD |
| East Central | Rushing | David Hall | 7 rushes, 13 yards |
| East Central | Receiving | Hayden Stewart | 3 receptions, 34 yards |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 0/2, 0 yards |
| Harding | Rushing | Blake Delacruz | 18 rushes, 112 yards, TD |
| Harding | Receiving | None | |
The Tigers were held to just 134 yards of total offense while Harding only attempted two passes, both of which were incomplete.

### At Arkansas Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 3 Bisons | 14 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 56 |
| Wonder Boys | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Simmons Bank Field, Russellville, Arkansas
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 2,347
* Referee: Frank Wittenberg
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | HAR | ATU |
| First downs | 20 | 8 |
| Total yards | 418 | 91 |
| Rushing yards | 333 | -27 |
| Passing yards | 85 | 118 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 38:41 | 21:19 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 2/3, 85 yards, TD |
| Harding | Rushing | Andrew Miller | 11 rushes, 80 yards, TD |
| Harding | Receiving | Braden Jay | 1 reception, 44 yards, TD |
| Arkansas Tech | Passing | Taye Gatewood | 10/20, 70 yards, INT |
| Arkansas Tech | Rushing | Deuce Wise | 6 rushes, 6 yards |
| Arkansas Tech | Receiving | Joyrion Chase | 2 receptions, 31 yards |

### No. 6 Central Missouri (NCAA Division II Second Round)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 Mules | 7 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 34 |
| No. 3 Bisons | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas
* Date: November 25
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 50 °F (10 °C)
* Game attendance: 3,500
* Referee: Craig Demaree
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | UCM | HAR |
| First downs | 27 | 20 |
| Total yards | 534 | 418 |
| Rushing yards | 109 | 384 |
| Passing yards | 425 | 34 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 24:18 | 35:42 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Central Missouri | Passing | Zach Zebrowski | 34/44, 425 yards, 5 TD |
| Central Missouri | Rushing | Zach Zebrowski | 16 rushes, 94 yards |
| Central Missouri | Receiving | Arkell Smith | 9 receptions, 150 yards, 3 TD |
| Harding | Passing | Zach Strickland | 1/1, 26 yards |
| Harding | Rushing | Blake Delacruz | 34 rushes, 154 yards, 2 TD |
| Harding | Receiving | Ty Dugger | 1 reception, 26 yards |
The Mules scored a touchdown with less than 30 seconds in regulation, needing an extra point to tie the game and potentially send it into overtime. However, Harding defensive lineman Gage Price blocked the game-tying PAT, securing the 35–34 victory for the Bisons.

### No. 2 Grand Valley State (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 2 Lakers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| No. 3 Bisons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas
* Date: December 2
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 3,100
* Referee: Cecil Harrison
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | GVS | HAR |
| First downs | 10 | 15 |
| Total yards | 222 | 225 |
| Rushing yards | 62 | 205 |
| Passing yards | 160 | 20 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 19:31 | 39:14 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Grand Valley State | Passing | Cade Peterson | 10/19, 123 yards |
| Grand Valley State | Rushing | Khalil Eichelberger | 2 rushes, 31 yards |
| Grand Valley State | Receiving | Darrell Johnson | 5 receptions, 63 yards |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 1/3, 20 yards |
| Harding | Rushing | Blake Delacruz | 28 rushes, 70 yards |
| Harding | Receiving | Braden Jay | 1 reception, 20 yards |
In the quarterfinal round of the NCAA division II playoffs, Harding hosted no. 2 Grand Valley State from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Lakers entered the game with one of the best defenses in all of division II, holding opponents to an average of 17 points per game. The Lakers' defense held the Bisons scoreless for just over 56 minutes of game time before Harding quarterback Cole Keylon scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown.

### No. 11 Lenoir–Rhyne (NCAA Division II Semifinals)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 11 Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| No. 3 Bisons | 14 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 55 |
at First Security Stadium, Searcy, Arkansas
* Date: December 9
* Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 58 °F (14 °C)
* Game attendance: 2,900
* Referee: Chris Glass
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | LRU | HAR |
| First downs | 14 | 26 |
| Total yards | 336 | 500 |
| Rushing yards | -3 | 431 |
| Passing yards | 339 | 69 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 19:17 | 40:43 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Lenoir–Rhyne | Passing | Sean White | 23/33, 270 yards, INT |
| Lenoir–Rhyne | Rushing | Deondre Lester | 1 rush, 12 yards |
| Lenoir–Rhyne | Receiving | Deondre Lester | 8 receptions, 139 yards, TD |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 2/3, 69 yards, TD |
| Harding | Rushing | Blake Delacruz | 21 rushes, 147 yards, 2 TD |
| Harding | Receiving | Roland Wallace | 1 reception, 65 yards, TD |

### Vs. No. 1 Colorado Mines (NCAA Division II Championship Game)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 3 Bisons | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
| No. 1 Orediggers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at McKinney ISD Stadium, McKinney, Texas
* Date: December 16
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Sunny, 53 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 12,552
* Referee: Bryan Earl
* Box score, Recap
| Statistics | HAR | CSM |
| First downs | 21 | 18 |
| Total yards | 548 | 341 |
| Rushing yards | 502 | 71 |
| Passing yards | 46 | 270 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 36:10 | 23:50 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Harding | Passing | Cole Keylon | 2/2, 46 yards |
| Harding | Rushing | Blake Delacruz | 27 rushes, 212 yards |
| Harding | Receiving | Roland Wallace | 2 receptions, 46 yards |
| Colorado Mines | Passing | John Matocha | 24/33, 270 yards, TD, INT |
| Colorado Mines | Rushing | Landon Walker | 6 rushes, 56 yards |
| Colorado Mines | Receiving | Max McLeod | 14 receptions, 153 |

## Statistical accomplishments

On offense, Harding prioritizes the run game, averaging over 400 rushing yards per game. In a game against Southern Arkansas on October 21, the team rushed for 631 yards and had two players (Braden Jay and Blake Delacruz) each tally over 200 rushing yards.
On defense, the team has recorded four shutouts and has allowed per-game averages of 10.92 points, 74.2 rushing yards, and 158.62 passing yards.
The team's individual statistical leaders include:
* Blake Delacruz with 1,149 rushing yards and 114 points scored;
* Cole Keylon with 546 passing yards;
* Braden Jay with seven receptions for 164 yards;
Harding became the first team in NCAA history to rush for over 6,000 yards in a single season.