The 2024 Harding Bisons football team represented Harding University in the 2024 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Great American Conference (GAC). The Bisons were led by eighth-year head coach Paul Simmons and played their home games at First Security Stadium in Searcy, Arkansas.
The team entered the 2024 season as both the reigning GAC champion and the defending NCAA Division II national champion.
Preseason The GAC coaches preseason poll was released on August 1, 2024. The Bisons were predicted to finish first in the conference, receiving 10 of the 12 first place votes, while Ouachita Baptist and Southern Arkansas each received one first place vote.
Schedule
Rankings
Game summaries Southern Nazarene
Statistics SNUHAR First downs 4 24 Total yards 49 607 Rushing yards 33 554 Passing yards 16 53 Turnovers 1 3 Time of possession 25:38 34:22 Team Category Player StatisticsSouthern Nazarene Passing Rasheed Noel 2/5, 17 yards Rushing Evan Rader 1 rush, 37 yards Receiving Dalen Smith 1 reception, 9 yardsHarding Passing Cole Keylon 2/5, 53 yards, TD Rushing Andrew Miller 6 rushes, 129 yards, TD Receiving Will White 1 reception, 32 yards
At Oklahoma Baptist
Statistics HAROKB First downs 31 8 Total yards 506 157 Rushing yards 427 27 Passing yards 79 130 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 42:24 17:36 Team Category Player StatisticsHarding Passing Cole Keylon 4/6, 60 yards, TD Rushing Blake Delacruz 14 rushes, 68 yards, 2 TD Receiving Stone Sheffield 2 receptions, 53 yards, TDOklahoma Baptist Passing Kenny Rosenthal 12/33, 110 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Caden Peevy 2 rushes, 19 yards Receiving Michael Marshall 4 receptions, 33 yards
At Arkansas–Monticello
Statistics HARUAM First downs 23 9 Total yards 578 191 Rushing yards 433 104 Passing yards 145 87 Turnovers 1 3 Time of possession 32:42 27:09 Team Category Player StatisticsHarding Passing Cole Keylon 3/4, 145 yards, 2 TD Rushing Andrew Miller 6 rushes, 78 yards, 2 TD Receiving Braden Jay 1 reception, 70 yards, TDArkansas–Monticello Passing Demilon Brown 9/20, 79 yards, 3 INT Rushing Tyler Reed 17 rushes, 73 yards Receiving Isaiah Cross 3 receptions, 32 yards
No. 20 Henderson State
Statistics HSUHAR First downs 4 25 Total yards 153 618 Rushing yards 28 546 Passing yards 125 72 Turnovers 3 0 Time of possession 18:49 41:11 Team Category Player StatisticsHenderson State Passing Andrew Edwards 7/19, 125 yards, 2 INT Rushing Andrew Edwards 4 rushes, 11 yards Receiving Jalen Abraham 2 receptions, 59 yardsHarding Passing Cole Keylon 1/1, 41 yards Rushing Braden Jay 4 rushes, 162 yards, 3 TD Receiving Will White 1 reception, 41 yards
At SW Oklahoma State
Statistics HARSWO First downs 25 5 Total yards 523 95 Rushing yards 393 73 Passing yards 130 22 Turnovers 1 2 Time of possession 33:00 27:00 Team Category Player StatisticsHarding Passing Cole Keylon 4/5, 130 yards, 3 TD Rushing Kyler Finney 8 rushes, 87 yards, TD Receiving Braden Jay 1 reception, 54 yards, TDSW Oklahoma State Passing Kai Kunz 7/15, 22 yards Rushing Kai Kunz 12 rushes, 60 yards Receiving Michael Arceneaux II 5 receptions, 8 yards
NW Oklahoma State
Statistics NWOHAR First downs 4 28 Total yards 32 502 Rushing yards 24 418 Passing yards 8 84 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 25:31 34:29 Team Category Player StatisticsNW Oklahoma State Passing Brodey Johnson 5/11, 9 yards, INT Rushing Darien Gill 11 rushes, 46 yards Receiving Travis Romar 3 receptions, 13 yardsHarding Passing Cole Keylon 2/3, 64 yards, TD Rushing Andrew Miller 11 rushes, 107 yards Receiving Braden Jay 1 reception, 54 yards
At No. 9 Ouachita Baptist
Statistics HAROUA First downs 15 12 Total yards 288 198 Rushing yards 218 85 Passing yards 70 113 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 33:02 26:58 Team Category Player StatisticsHarding Passing Cole Keylon 5/12, 57 yards Rushing Cole Keylon 14 rushes, 78 yards Receiving Darius Brown 3 receptions, 38 yardsOuachita Baptist Passing Eli Livingston 10/18, 109 yards, INT Rushing Kendel Givens 13 rushes, 47 yards, TD Receiving Connor Flannigan 5 receptions, 62 yards
No. 22 Southern Arkansas
Statistics SAUHAR First downs 21 15 Total yards 417 423 Rushing yards 221 340 Passing yards 196 83 Turnovers 1 0 Time of possession 31:33 28:27 Team Category Player StatisticsSouthern Arkansas Passing Judd Barton 18/31, 196 yards, TD Rushing Judd Barton 14 rushes, 87 yards Receiving Seth Johnson 1 reception, 49 yards, TDHarding Passing Cole Keylon 2/4, 83 yards, TD Rushing Braden Jay 7 rushes, 136 yards, TD Receiving Blake Delacruz 1 reception, 52 yards, TD
SE Oklahoma State
Statistics SOUHAR First downs 13 19 Total yards 275 490 Rushing yards 151 415 Passing yards 124 75 Turnovers 4 1 Time of possession 29:16 30:44 Team Category Player StatisticsSE Oklahoma State Passing Cergio Perez 7/24, 124 yards, TD, 3 INT Rushing D. J. Brown 21 rushes, 67 yards, TD Receiving Kobe Jennings 4 receptions, 67 yards, TDHarding Passing Cole Keylon 2/4, 75 yards, TD Rushing Braden Jay 6 rushes, 108 yards, 2 TD Receiving Braden Jay 1 reception, 53 yards, TD
At East Central
Statistics HARECU First downs 26 8 Total yards 469 106 Rushing yards 435 52 Passing yards 34 54 Turnovers 1 0 Time of possession 33:41 26:19 Team Category Player StatisticsHarding Passing Braden Jay 1/1, 34 yards Rushing Andrew Miller 16 rushes, 151 yards, 2 TD Receiving Darius Brown 1 reception, 34 yardsEast Central Passing Sergio Kennedy 13/19, 54 yards Rushing Cade Searcy 10 rushes, 29 yards Receiving Bryce Bodkin 3 receptions, 28 yards
Arkansas Tech
Statistics ATUHAR First downs 19 28 Total yards 312 520 Rushing yards 34 498 Passing yards 278 22 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 22:15 37:45 Team Category Player StatisticsArkansas Tech Passing Ethan Everson 17/35, 261 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Deuce Wise 9 rushes, 13 yards Receiving Jordan Jackson 6 receptions, 102 yardsHarding Passing Cole Keylon 2/3, 22 yards Rushing Braden Jay 7 rushes, 104 yards, 2 TD Receiving Andrew Miller 1 reception, 11 yards
At No. 13 Pittsburg State (NCAA Division II First Round)
Statistics HARPSU First downs 28 10 Total yards 585 148 Rushing yards 518 39 Passing yards 67 109 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 37:10 22:50 Team Category Player StatisticsHarding Passing Cole Keylon 2/3, 50 yards, TD, INT Rushing Blake Delacruz 15 rushes, 89 yards Receiving Darius Brown 1 reception, 50 yards, TDPittsburg State Passing Chad Dodson Jr. 11/24, 104 yards, INT Rushing Noah Hernandez 12 rushes, 42 yards Receiving Jack Roberts 3 receptions, 65 yards
At No. 5 Grand Valley State (NCAA Division II Second Round)
Statistics HARGVSU First downs 28 13 Total yards 475 223 Rushing yards 475 44 Passing yards 0 179 Turnovers 0 1 Time of possession 39:03 20:57 Team Category Player StatisticsHarding Passing Cole Keylon 0/1, 0 yards Rushing Andrew Miller 15 rushes, 202 yards, 3 TD Receiving None Grand Valley State Passing Ike Udengwu 13/25, 179 yards Rushing Khalil Eichelberger 9 rushes, 36 yards, TD Receiving Syone Usma-Harper 3 receptions, 58 yards
At No. 2 Ferris State (NCAA Division II Quarter Final)
Statistics HARFSU First downs 11 24 Total yards 193 452 Rushing yards 130 287 Passing yards 63 165 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 28:13 31:47 Team Category Player StatisticsHarding Passing Cole Keylon 5/7, 63 yards, INT Rushing Blake Delacruz 10 rushes, 43 yards Receiving Dane Romberger 2 receptions, 36 yardsFerris State Passing Trinidad Chambliss 18/27, 145 yards, 2 TD Rushing Taariik Brett 3 rushes, 89 yards Receiving Brady Rose 7 receptions, 45 yards
Personnel
References