ARKADELPHIA- After previously throwing just one interception all season, Harding picked off five passes against the No. 20 Ouachita Baptist Tigers en route to a 21-7 Gulf South Conference victory on Homecoming weekend in Arkadelphia.
The Bisons (4-3, 2-2) used a special teams punt block and wildcat formation featuring receiver Zac Ross to wear down Ouachita (4-2, 3-2) in miserable weather conditions at A.U. Williams Field.
Harding recorded the first sack that Ouachita has given up all season, while also coming up with six turnovers in a pivotal region matchup.
Harding got on the board first with a 13-yard reception by Kale Gelles from quarterback Chaz Rogers with 6:11 remaining in the second quarter to give the Bisons a 7-0 lead.
Ouachita answered back immediately via a 44-yard touchdown strike from junior quarterback Eli Cranor to receiver Jeremy Young to tie the game at 7-7 with 5:31 left in the first half.
After a Harding kickoff return of 55 yards by Kyle Young to the Ouachita 1-yard line, running back Dominic Blood ran in the touchdown to give Harding a 14-7 lead with 5:14 left.
The Tigers held Harding to only 117 yards at halftime, but Ouachita only produced 175 total yards on a wet A.U. Williams Field.
In the second half, Harding recorded the only touchdown on a 16-yard run by Zac Ross to bring the score to 21-7.
Senior running back KJ Johnson was held to his lowest output of the season, gaining 61 yards on 22 carries. Cranor finished 22-for-40 with 194 yards and a touchdown, but with five interceptions. Young again was the primary receiver for Cranor with nine catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, while freshman Jaime Harris added five catches for 47 yards.
Sophomore Denszell Brown led the Tiger defense with nine tackles, while junior Clayton Goree added eight, including an interception.
For Harding, Ross led the rushing attack with 63 yards, while also adding 59 yards passing on an 8-for-11 effort.
Steve Hudson led the tackles chart for the Bisons with 10, while Josh Jones added two interceptions to his eight total takeaways this season. Jones led the GSC and was second in the country with six interceptions before the matchup.
Ouachita entered the NCAA Division II Regional Rankings at No. 5 before the loss, but still have four games remaining in the 2009 season.
The Tigers travel to Magnolia, Ark to face Southern Arkansas for another GSC matchup on Saturday, Oct. 17. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.
