Harding Blanks Northwestern Oklahoma to Extend Winning Streak to Four Games

[Seminole Indian]

ALVA, Okla. – Northwestern Oklahoma, Harding's opponent Saturday, had lost three close games this season by only eight points. The Bisons made sure Saturday's game was never close as Harding defeated Northwestern Oklahoma 34-0, its first shutout since a 42-0 blanking of Southern Nazarene in 2015.

The victory moved Harding to 4-3 overall and in the Great American Conference and extended the Bisons' winning streak to four games. Northwestern Oklahoma fell to 3-4 overall and in conference.

How it Happened

Things went Harding's way from the very beginning. Two interceptions off deflected passes and a dominating ground game gave Harding a 21-0 lead at halftime.

On the first drive of the game, Harding's Devyn Comer intercepted a pass deflected by Ben Trotter and returned it 62 yards for the Bisons' second defensive touchdown of the season. Harding led 7-0 with 13:09 left in the first quarter.

Following a Northwestern punt, Harding needed only three plays and a 62-yard run by Grant Kimberlin on a misdirection play to move ahead 14-0 with 7:42 left in the first quarter.

Harding's longest drive of the first half, 75 yards, resulted in its third touchdown. Brandon Gates scored from 2 yards out with 9:46 left in the half to give Harding a 21-0 lead.

Northwestern drove to the Harding 6 late in the second quarter, but Tremaine Brock blocked an Isaiah Weed pass, and Sam Blankenship came down with the interception.

Harding rushed for 225 yards on 29 carries in the first half with Kimberlin gaining 71 yards and Cole Chancey adding 63 yards on eight carries.

Tristan Parsley kicked a 41-yard field goal to end a 14-play, 51-yard drive that took over eight minutes off the clock and gave the Bisons a 24-0 advantage with 6:45 left in the third. Just over two minutes later, officials called both teams off the field for a lightning delay that lasted one hour and 50 minutes.

Three plays after the delay ended, Harding's V'Onte Williams intercepted a pass at the Harding goal line and returned it 38 yards. It was Williams' third interception of the season and the first time this season Harding's defense intercepted three passes in a game.

The turnover led to a 13-yard TD run by Gates that gave the Bisons a 31-0 lead. Tristan Parsley added a 28-yard field goal with 7:32 left to push Harding's lead to 34-0.

Facts and Figures

Harding rushed for 408 yards on 60 carries, its second game this season with more than 400 rushing yards and fifth straight game with more than 300 rushing yards.

Kimberlin rushed for 108 yards on nine carries, his third straight game with over 100 yards rushing. Chancey had 85 yards on 12 carries, and Gates had 54 yards on nine carries. Zach Shelley rushed for 49 yards on 10 carries and moved into sixth in career rushing yards at Harding.

Northwestern Oklahoma converted over 51 percent of third downs entering the game but was only 3 of 12 against Harding.

Harding had 417 total yards to only 201 for Northwestern. The Bisons held the Rangers to only 83 rushing yards.

Harding had the ball for 37:09 and has won the time-of-possession battle in all seven games this season.

Harding had 118 interception return yards, fourth-most ever in a game and the most since the Bisons had 123 return yards on three interceptions against Northeastern State in 1999.

Harding limited Northwestern Oklahoma to only 48 offensive plays, the fewest by a Harding opponent since East Central ran only 43 plays in 2016.

http://www.hardingsports.com/news/2017/10/14/football-harding-blanks-northwestern-oklahoma-to-extend-winning-streak-to-four-games.aspx