Harding Football vs. Indianapolis - GAME NOTES

[Seminole Indian]

Harding Bisons (8-3, 8-3) vs. #6 Indianapolis Greyhounds (11-0, 11-0)
Nov. 18, 2017 • 12 p.m. • Indianapolis, Ind. • Key Stadium

Game Story
Harding will make its fourth appearance in the NCAA Division II Playoffs Saturday as the No. 7 seed in Super Region Three and will travel to meet No. 2 Indianapolis, the regular season champion in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Kickoff at Key Stadium in Indianapolis will be at 1 p.m. local time and noon Central Time.

Harding is playing postseason football for the ninth time in program history. The Bisons played in NAIA bowls in 1972 (Cowboy) and 1976 (San Jacinto Shrine) and in the NAIA playoffs in 1989 and 1992. Harding has played in the NCAA II Playoffs in 2012 and 2014 and reached the national quarterfinals last season. The Bisons also played in the 2013 Live United Texarkana Bowl.

Harding enters the matchup on an eight-game winning streak, tied for the third longest in program history. The streak came after the Bisons opened the season with three consecutive losses.

Harding enters the game as the NCAA Division II leader in rushing yards per game (356.5) and tied for first in rushing TD (42). Harding has rushed for more than 300 yards eight times this season and for 200 or more yards in 58 of its last 59 GAC games, including the last 24 straight.

Harding's defense concluded the regular season as the top unit in the GAC in rushing defense (108.9 yards per game) and total defense (300.4) and second in scoring defense (19.3).

The Bisons' defense has allowed only 16.2 points per game in its six road games this season. In those games, Harding opponents have averaged 99.6 rushing yards and 171.8 passing yards.

Harding has outscored its opponents 105-21 off turnovers this season, including 91-7 in the last eight games.

The Coaches
Harding's Paul Simmons is in his first season as the head coach of the Bisons. He is in his 12th season at Harding and had been Harding's defensive coordinator since 2010. Simmons was a three-time All-American defensive end and linebacker at Harding.

Bob Bartolomeo, a 1977 Butler graduate, is in his eighth season as head coach of the Greyhounds. He is 69-23 at Indianapolis.

Series History
First Meeting between Harding and Indianapolis

Home/Road Records
Harding is 5-1 on the road this season and has won its last five. The Bisons have averaged 359.5 rushing yards and have 22 rushing TD. Indianapolis was 7-0 at home.

Streaks, Trends and Records
Zach Shelley averages 8.9 yards per carry in his career, which is the highest among active players at any level in the NCAA (min. 2,000 yards) -- Bernard McDondle (Colorado St.-Pueblo) is second at 8.4 ... ranks fourth at Harding in career rushing yards (2,511) and fifth in career rushing TD (21) ... ranks seventh with 3,405 all-purpose yards, 416 behind Santiago Collins (3,821, 2000-03).

Harding needs 79 rushing yards to reach 4,000 for the fourth consecutive season ... needs 11 points to reach 400 for the fifth consecutive season ... with three TD vs. Arkansas Tech, Harding surpassed 50 TD for the fifth consecutive season.

Junior linebacker Sam Blankenship needs three tackles to become the first Harding player with 100 tackles in a season since Tim Polk had 101 in 2003. Only Polk and Said Perez (113, 2000) have reached 100 since the NCAA standardinzed tackle stats.

The last Harding player from Indiana to appear in a regular season game was defensive back Seth Woodason in 2008. A native of Terre Haute, Woodason played in 15 games over three seasons and had eight tackles.

With four points against Indianapolis, Harding senior Tristan Parsley would become the highest-scoring kicker in program history. Parsley has 239 points. Coy Nance (2000-03) is Harding's scoring leader for kickers with 243 points.

Harding has won the time-of-possession battle in all 11 games and ranks second in Division II at 35:31 per game. The Bisons had the ball 111 minutes more than their opponents. Harding has won TOP in 25 of its last 27 games.

In the last three games, Harding has converted 27-of-39 third downs, 69.2 percent. In the last five games, Harding opponents have converted only 18-of-61 third downs, 29.5 percent.

Harding freshman Cole Chancey has 925 rushing yards, the most ever by a Bison freshman. With 75 yards, he would become the eighth different Harding player with 1,000 rushing yards in a season. The last was Park Parish, who had 1,157 last season.

Harding did not complete a pass against Arkansas Tech. The Bisons are now 3-0 since 2015 in games that they did not complete a pass.

A Quick Look at Indianapolis
Indianapolis had an undefeated regular season for the first time since going 8-0 in 1953 ... the Greyhounds were 6-5 in 2016, winning their last four games ... UIndy's 15-game winning streak is currently the longest in Division II ... Indianapolis has won 11 straight home games, the third-longest streak in Division II ... the Greyhounds had the top passing efficiency in Division II at 191.92 and allowed a D2-low six sacks ... UIndy was last among seven teams in the GLVC with 250.7 passing yards allowed per game ... Indianapolis junior quarterback Jake Purichia leads D2 in passing efficiency (191.7) and ranks third in yards per pass (10.28) and fourth in completion percentage (70.1).

Team Leaders (Conference Rank in parenthesis)
HARDING
Rushing - Cole Chancey: 156 rushes, 925 yards (3rd), 8 TD (8th); Zach Shelley: 89 rushes, 700 yards, 4 TD; Grant Kimberlin: 60 rushes, 602 yards, 3 TD; Terrence Dingle: 138 rushes, 545 yards, 16 TD (2nd)
Passing - Terrence Dingle: 27-of-64, 545 yards, 4 TD
Receiving - Andrew Dather: 10 receptions, 225 yards, 1 TD
Tackles - Sam Blankenship: 97 tackles (2nd); Devyn Comer: 11.5 TFL (4th), 6.5 sacks (2nd); V'Onte Williams: 3 INT (5th)
Punting - Tristan Parsley - 27 punts, 37.3 avg.
Kicking - Tristan Parsley - 10 of 14 FG (5th), 49 of 50 PAT

INDIANAPOLIS
Rushing - Al McKeller: 147 rushes, 990 yards (4th), 11 TD (2nd)
Passing - Jake Purichia: 176-of-251, 2,598 yards (4th), 28 TD (1st)
Receiving - Garrett Willis: 53 receptions, 882 yards (2nd), 8 TD (3rd); Malik Higgins: 41 receptions, 707 yards (4th), 10 TD (1st)
Tackles - Joe Lambright: 101 tackles (4th); Jacob Schmatz: 17.5 TFL (3rd), 12.5 sacks (2nd)
Punting - Brad Schickel - 37 punts, 39.2 avg.
Kicking - Brad Schickel - 11 of 14 FG (1st) , 54 of 54 PAT (1st)

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