ARKADELPHIA, Ark.  -  No. 17 Henderson travels to Searcy to take on Harding in a national top 20 matchup at First-Security Stadium. The game is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 28.

STORYLINES: SETTING THE SCENE
No. 17 Henderson State looks to open the season with four straight wins for the first time since 2021. The Reddies dealt the Bisons' their last defeat both at First Security Stadium and overall in a 15-14 result on October 15, 2022. No other team has defeated Harding on its home turf since 2018; Henderson has won six of its last seven games there.

Harding enters Saturday's contest on a 22-game winning streak. While the Bison trail in the all-time series (24-34-1), they have won six of their last nine meetings with HSU.

REDDIES REPORT: OFFENSE
Jeremiah Davis became the first Henderson running back to rush for 150 or more yards in a game since 2018 when he tallied 158 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries against Arkansas Tech. No other player has rushed for more yards in a GAC game this season - a fact that likely contributed to Davis' selection as the GAC Offensive Player of the Week. He now paces the league in rushing yards (294) and is tied for the most rushing touchdowns (five).

Timieone Jackson continues to lead the GAC with 20 catches. His 171 receiving yards lead the team and are third-best in the conference. He is currently on pace to record 73 receptions in 2024, which would be the sixth-most ever by a Henderson wide receiver in a single season.

Cayden Davis is ranked sixth in the league with 137 yards on five receptions. His 27.4 yards per catch average is the highest among GAC players with at least five catches.

Quarterback Andrew Edwards paces the GAC in passing yards (738) and pass completion percentage (67.0). On HSU's all-time leaderboard, Edwards currently finds himself in second place for career passing yards (5,854), career passing touchdowns (54), and career offensive yardage (6,549). He is currently third in program history with 423 career completions.

Through three weeks, Henderson State has the conference's third-best scoring offense (34 points per game). The Reddies are also second in the league with 1,289 yards of total offense.

REDDIES REPORT: DEFENSE
Henderson State is ranked amongst the top four teams in the conference in both points allowed (15.3 per game) and total offense allowed (257 yards per game). The Reddies' defensive unit is also ranked second in passing yards allowed (427) and interceptions (five).

Kolbi Crawford leads the team with 19 total tackles, including 13 solo tackles. In last week's game alone, he had eight tackles, half of a tackle for loss, two pass breakups, and a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown.

This season, defensive end Gary Lewis has tallied 18 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, four quarterback hurries, and a fumble recovery.

Four different HSU defensive backs has recorded an interception in the team's first three games. Cameron Thomas posted his second pick of the year against ATU.

REDDIES REPORT: SPECIAL TEAMS
Senior punter Axel Robertson averaged 45.5 yards per punt on eight attempts during the Arkansas Tech game. Two of his punts had a distance of 50 or more yards, including a long of 56 yards.

Jody Easter returned three kickoffs for a total of 73 yards against the Wonder Boys. His longest return went for 29 yards.

THE OPPONENT: HARDING
Harding is the only team in all of NCAA Division II that has not allowed a sack yet this season.

The Bisons pace both the GAC and the nation in rushing yards per game (469.7), yards per rush (7.58) and rushing touchdowns (19). Their 1,686 yards of total offense also rank second amongst all Division II teams. Seven players on the team have rushed for more than 100 yards, with two of those players (Andrew Miller and Blake Delacruz) having 225 yards or more.

Four of Harding's ten pass completions in 2024 have gone for touchdowns. Braden Jay leads the team with 91 yards and two touchdowns on two receptions.

Harding tops the league in third-down conversion percentage both for and against. The Bisons have converted 63.6 percent of their third-down opportunities, while opponents only have a 20 percent success rate in similar situations against HU's defense.

The Bisons are ranked first in the conference for total defense with 397 yards allowed through three games. They have surrendered just one touchdown during that span.

At this point in the season, Harding has 10 sacks as a team - the most of any squad in the GAC. Eight different players have recorded a sack, with Gage Price and Dre Hall have picked up two apiece. The Bisons are averaging nine tackles for loss per game.

Defensive back Ty Dugger earned GAC Defensive Player of the Week after he had two interceptions and a pick six in HU's 63-3 victory over Arkansas-Monticello. Harding is currently tied for the second-most team interceptions in the GAC with five.

Kicker Magnus Lepak won GAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in week one. The sophomore is a perfect 25-for-25 on PATs and two-for-two on field goal attempts. He made his season long of 36 yards against Oklahoma Baptist on September 14.

The Bisons are currently eighth in the league with 195 penalty yards on 24 calls.

THE COACHING MATCHUP
Greg Holsworth makes his first trip to Searcy as a head coach with a perfect 3-0 record in tow. Since Holsworth joined HSU's coaching staff in 2017, the Reddies are 2-1 on the road against the Bisons.

Harding's Paul Simmons prepares to face the Reddies for the seventh time. He is 4-2 in previous meetings with Henderson. Simmons' Bisons have now started 3-0 in each of the last three seasons.

THE LAST MEETING
Henderson State led 9-7 at halftime. The Bisons outscored the Reddies 20-7 across the final 30 minutes of play to pick up a 27-16 win on the road.

Eventual DII National Championship Game MVP Blake Delacruz rushed for 179 yards and three touchdowns. He paced a ground attack that put up 353 yards as a collective on the night.

Andrew Edwards went 15-of-28 passing for 190 yards and a touchdown, with Timieone Jackson (7 receptions, 96 yards, touchdown) being his favorite target. Edwards also led the team with 24 rushing yards.

Zach Strickland led Harding's defense with eight tackles (six solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, and half of a sack. Jakob Neel finished with eight tackles of his own.

LIVE STATS AND ADDITIONAL LIVE COVERAGE
Visit hsusports.com/coverage to access live stats and additional live coverage of Saturday night's game.