#7 Harding football beats Arkansas Tech to clinch GAC title

Since 2017, Harding fullback Cole Chancey has pulled the Bisons out of a lot of tough spots.

Chancey, Harding’s career rushing leader, had only 29 yards at halftime, and the Bisons led Arkansas Tech by only seven points. That all changed on the first drive of the second half.

Harding (10-1) scored on each of its first four possessions after halftime and defeated Arkansas Tech 31-0 Saturday to win the Great American Conference outright championship. It was Harding’s fifth overall conference championship and second outright GAC title, also in 2016. The Bisons will find out their postseason scenario tomorrow at 4 p.m. on NCAA.com.

Chancey carried the load on that first possession with 48 rushing yards on a 67-yard drive that gave the Bisons a 14-0 cushion with 9:31 remaining in the third. Chancey scored from 12 yards out for his second of three TD in the game.

Chancey rushed for 124 yards in the third quarter alone and finished with 210 yards on 28 carries, his second 200-yard game of the season.

In the process, Chancey eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the season, becoming the first Harding running back ever to go over 1,000 yards in three different seasons. He also broke former quarterback Park Parish’s single-season TD record. Parish had 21 TD in 2016, and Chancey has 23 this season.

Harding went ahead three scores with 2:31 left in the third quarter. Grant Ennis nailed a 25-yard field goal to punctuate an eight-play drive.

Chancey tacked on his third TD from 1 yard out with 9:01 left in the game, and Jhalen Spicer took a pitch and raced down the visitor sideline 23 yards for Harding’s final score.

Harding’s lone score in the first half came on its first drive. Harding went 84 yards on 10 plays with Chancey scoring on a 5-yard run. Harding converted two long third downs through the air. The first came on a 10-yard pass to Chancey, his first career reception, and the second on a 49-yard pass from Paden to Michael Cendrick on 3rd-and-11.

The shutout was Harding’s second of the season. The Bisons blanked East Central 28-0 in the season opener. Tech had eight possessions in the game. Five ended in punts, one on downs, one on a missed field goal and one on an interception by Oric Walker, Jr. Tech’s longest drive of the second half was 20 yards.

Harding rushed for 377 yards and had 436 total yards. Tech (4-7) had only 203 total yards, including 32 on the ground.

Saturday’s game was the 50th for head coach Paul Simmons, who now has a 40-10 career record.

It was Harding’s ninth straight win and fifth straight road victory.

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