SEARCY -- Andrew Black's passing put Henderson State in a comfortable position against Harding Thursday night. Cody Mikell's lone completion proved impossible for the Bisons to overcome.
Mikell faked a punt and threw 46 yards to A.J. Smith for a third-quarter touchdown that staked the Reddies to a 28-13 lead. Sheldon Watson's late interception, Harding's last of three turnovers, preserved a 28-20 Henderson victory at First Security Stadium.
Black, a 2,000-yard passer last year as a sophomore, completed 18 of 30 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns, sneaking one yard for a first-quarter score that broke a 7-7 tie.
In the season and Great American Conference opener for both teams, Henderson gained revenge for Harding's 35-3 rout in Arkadelphia last year. The Bisons went on to a 13-1 record and the school's first GAC football title under retiring coach Ronnie Huckeba, winning two games in the NCAA Division II playoffs before falling to top-ranked Northwest Missouri State.
Harding is No. 15 in the D2 preseason poll and picked second (to Southern Arkansas) and Henderson third in the GAC by league coaches. Both teams return to action Sept. 9 with in-state games, Harding at SAU and Henderson at home against Arkansas Tech.
Spoiling Paul Simmons' debut as Harding's head coach, the Reddies snapped the Bisons' nine-game home winning streak while extending the visiting team's streak of seven straight victories between these former Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference rivals.
The game was 7-7 after two touchdown passes in the first 1:46, Harding's Terrence Dingle connecting with Grant Kimberlin for 30 yards and Black finding C.W. Caver for 72 yards on a post pattern.
Dingle scored Harding's other touchdowns on a pair of one-yard sneaks, but the Bisons had an extra-point attempt blocked, leaving it 14-13, and fumbled on third and three from the HSU six with 12:02 left. Replacing GAC Offensive Player of the Year Park Parish at quarterback in the Bisons' ground-oriented attack, Dingle completed four of eight passes for 101 yards.
Black's pocket presence helped the Reddies score the touchdown that set the halftime lead at 21-13. After 16 yards on a quarterback draw, the 6-1 native of Tyler, Texas, hit Austin Bennett for 33 yards on a fade route down the left side. Black later bought time on a third-down scramble before finding Ben Johnson in the corner of the end zone from 11 yards out with 4:23 before the break.
Henderson's only turnover came on the game's opening kickoff, Harding's Dra Smith pouncing on return man Dayton Markham's fumble. The Bisons scored in two plays, as did the Reddies in response.
Zach Shelley carried 10 times for 109 yards as Harding outgained Henderson 235-99 on the ground. Harding controlled the second-half clock, holding the ball for 35:50 overall, but Henderson's 292 passing yards, with Black throwing to eight receivers and Mikell hitting Smith on the game's biggest play, proved decisive.
Sports on 09/02/2017