It will be a battle for first-place in the Great American Conference as Henderson State takes on No. 22 Harding on Saturday in Searcy, Ark. with kickoff set for 6 p.m. at First Security Stadium.
 
Both teams are tied with Ouachita Baptist, Arkansas Tech and East Central for first-place in the league with 4-1 records.

The game will feature the league's top rushing offense against the top rushing defense. The Bisons average 366.6 on the ground, while the Reddies defense allows just 92.0 yards per game.
 
Harding is coming off a 26-21 loss to Ouachita Baptist last week in a game that saw the Bisons total 368 yards of rushing offense, while allowing the Tigers 375 yards of total offense.
 
The Bisons enter Saturday's game averaging a GAC-best 366.6 yards rushing per game, while scoring 40.0 points per contest which ranks second in the GAC. Harding is third in total offense averaging 477.4 yards per contest which includes 110.8 yards passing per game.
 
Harding's dangerous ground game features two of the league's top rushers in quarterback Park Parish and running back Michael Latu.
 
Parish is averaging 77.2 yards per game and has scored a NCAA-best 12 touchdowns. Latu averages 75.8 yards per contest and has totaled four rushing touchdowns.
 
The Reddies will also have to contend with Matt Tenison who averages 60.0 rushing yards per game and has scored three touchdowns, as well as  Eric Simmons (166 yards, 11.1 per carry) and junior Eric Kelly (217 yards, 12.1 per carry). Kelly is also second in receiving yards for Harding with four catches for 131 yards.
 
Defensively, opponents are averaging 117.6 yards rushing and 222.0 yards passing per game. The Bisons defense has forced 10 turnovers including five interceptions this year.
 
As a defense, Harding leads the league in quarterback sacks with 11 and has racked up 35.0 tackles for lost yardage. 
The leading tackler for Harding is Daylan Skidmore. On the year, Skidmore has totaled 42 tackles including 22 solo stops.
 
Madison Firmin has totaled 18 tackles on the season but leads the team with 5.5 tackles for lost yardage including 4.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries.
 
In the previous two weeks, Henderson State has been able to slow down two of the top offenses in the GAC in Southwestern Oklahoma and Arkansas Tech. The Reddies have surrendered just seven points and a total of 543 yards of offense in the last two games.      

The Reddie defensive unit recorded a season-best 11 tackles for loss last week against the Wonder Boys in a 17-7 win at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium. For the year, Henderson has total 37 tackles for losses, 14 interceptions and 37 pass breakups.    
 
Lawson Schulz had a career-high 15 tackles against Arkansas Tech and leads the Reddies with 40 tackles on the year to go along with 5.5 tackles for lost yardage.
 
Linebacker Josh Davis follows with 34 tackles after having 9 stops including a season-best 4.0 tackles for loss last week against the Wonder Boys. 

Gary Vines has 28 tackles while having three interceptions, and Tavares Garner leads the GAC and ranks sixth nationally in passes defended with 11 to go along with 28 tackles.
 
Offensively, the Reddies totaled 305 yards on the ground last week against Arkansas Tech, the most since 2012 when Henderson had 305 yards in a win over Ouachita Baptist.
 
Jaquan Cole set a Henderson record with 245 yards rushing surpassing Kenny Fells' mark of 243 against East Central in 1985. Cole leads the GAC in rushing averaging over 118 yards per game.             

Dallas Hardison completed 7-of-17 passes for 60 yards and last week running his numbers on the year to 94-of-154 passes for 898 yards this season for a 61.0 completion percentage.    

JaVante Mack continues to be Henderson's top receiver with 26 receptions for 234 yards.        

Corey Chappell follows Mack with 193 yards on 13 receptions. The senior from Rowlett, Texas ranks second in the GAC in kickoff returns averaging 30.2 yards per return. Chappell had a GAC record return of 100 yards against Northwestern Oklahoma. 
           
Harding and Henderson State meet for the 51st time in a series which dates back to 1926. The Reddies lead the series 31-18-1 including having won four of the last five games against the Bisons.
 
Last year, the Reddies were shutout in the second half for the first time since 2011 as Harding rallied from a 24-13 halftime deficit to beat Henderson 28-24.
 
Saturday's game will be broadcast on the Henderson State Sports Network and be carried locally on 100.9 FM KDEL in Arkadelphia being the flagship station.          
 
Additional stations broadcasting the game are 100.7 FM and 1310 AM in Malvern, 103.3 FM and 690 AM in Benton, Ark., and 920 AM, The Sports Animal in Little Rock. The Henderson State Sports Network will be also available on-line at hsusports.com.

The broadcast team of Phil Elson, RJ Hawk and Hunter Lively will call all the action of Reddies football with the Domino's Pregame Show set for 5 p.m.

Live stats and live video will also be available on-line at www.hsusports.com.

FULL GAME NOTES HERE