The football team got back in the win column last week at Harding, winning 30-27 after losing to three nationally-ranked teams.
“I thought our guys responded great, we went in there with the confidence we could play and confidence that we could win,” head coach Todd Knight said.
The Tigers used a steady dose of running to get a win over a very good passing team in Harding. K.J. Johnson rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns, John Johnson rushed for 91 and Terrell Alex also rushed for a touchdown. Wide Receiver Jeremy Young also got in on the action taking two end arounds for a total 60 yards and a scoring a touchdown. The Bisons relied on the passing game, and quarterback David Knighton passed for 473 yards.
“We made a big commitment to the run and tried to balance out a little bit,” Knight said, who added that “we saw some things on film we thought we could take advantage of.”
The Bisons came into the game with the No. 1 passing offense in the Gulf South and continued that trend, but despite the big yards by quarterback Knighton, the Tigers did get some good play from its defense.
“It was hard to defend him, because if we stayed too deep he would run and if we did not cover deep enough he could burn us with the pass over the middle,” linebacker Mikhail Lindsay said.
Defensive end Jerry McNeil had three sacks and two forced fumbles, and Lindsay had 10 tackles and the game-saving interception. Terrance Baker also blocked a field goal, and the entire defense deserved credit for a goal-line stand at the two-yard line to hold Harding to a field goal after a blocked punt.
“That took 11 guys, I mean you can’t just line up there with two yards to go in a college football game and stop somebody without great effort from a lot of people,” Knight said of the stand. Lindsay was proud of his teammates. “It was a big momentum shifter because it was the first time we were able to do that this year, and we were able to give the ball back to our offense,” he said.
After the interception by Lindsay, the Tigers needed to get one first down to end the game, after the first three downs they were a half yard away. They lined up to go for it with quarterback Lance Parker running the sneak to get the first down.
“We felt like if they lined up in a certain front we needed to go ahead and get the first, and we gave Lance the green light. He knew if it was a certain front what he was going to do, and if it was another front he was going to call time out and we would possibly punt the football. We really laid it on Lance’s back, and he made a great decision and got the first,” Knight said. He also gave credit to the offensive line for knocking Harding off the line of scrimmage.
The Tigers could not celebrate to long as they would have to come back and begin preparing for Southern Arkansas University which beat Arkansas Tech 45-42 last week. It was the Muleriders first win, and they seem to be hitting their peak as they get set to play the Tigers. A late turnover cost them the game against Harding two weeks ago.
Mulerider head coach Steve Quinn is a former teammate of Knight at Ouachita, and Knight says the two talk regularly.
“I want them to win them all except when we play them just because of my respect for him and my friendship with him, but I know what kind of coach he is. He will have his team ready,” Knight said.
Knight said SAU runs two different offenses, a spread attack and an option attack, with 60 percent to 70 percent of it being a spread. They also use two quarterbacks, both of whom can run and run both offenses. Defensively, they use a three-man front and use a lot of pressure.
It is Homecoming for the Tigers, and that should help give the Tigers a little extra motivation.
“Well I think playing at home in front of a real enthusiastic crowd, great student support and it being Homecoming, I think those things are important, we still have a football game to play, but those things create enthusiasm,” Knight said. “I am just excited about being at home and having an enthusiastic environment to play in, and after traveling I just really think our band and cheerleaders are some of the best and it makes a difference,” Knight added.
Echoing what Knight said earlier, Lindsey added, “It’s still a football game just like any other.”
