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Henderson State University Athletics

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35
Winner Harding HU 7-0 , 7-0
10
Henderson St. HSU 5-2 , 5-2
Winner
Harding HU
7-0 , 7-0
35
Final
10
Henderson St. HSU
5-2 , 5-2
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
HU Harding 0 7 21 7 35
HSU Henderson St. 3 0 0 7 10

Game Recap: Football |

Turnovers, Weather Mar Homecoming as Reddies Fall to Harding

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Five first-half turnovers doomed Henderson State on Saturday afternoon, spoiling a stellar day for the Reddie defense as they fell to Harding by a final score of 35-10. The Reddies allowed just 53 yards to the Bisons on 20 first-half plays and forced three Harding punts in the opening two periods of play.

HSU received the opening kickoff and was methodical in driving down the field, amassing 56 yards on 17 plays; the drive was capped off by a Ryan McDonnell field goal from 36 yards out. The kick was immediately followed by a 30-minute lightning delay, the first of two delays on the day. The defense immediately forced a three-and-out by Harding and got the ball back less than two minutes after kicking it away.

The ensuing Henderson drive resulted in the first turnover of the day, a strip sack of Reddie quarterback Andrew Edwards. The loss of possession set Harding up in great field position, deep in Henderson State territory. HSU's defense again kept Harding from achieving a first down and forced a field goal attempt. The try by Magnus Lepak caromed off the left upright, giving the Reddies the ball for their third possession of the game.

The next HSU possession consisted of a fourth-down conversion early in the drive as the Reddies made it into Harding territory. However, Edwards was sacked on a fourth-and-nine attempt, which resulted in another turnover.

Two plays later, Paul Manning forced a fumble by Harding quarterback Cole Keylon; Yossif Gamel recovered for the Reddies, who took over from midfield. After driving into the red zone, a completed pass from Edwards to Jacori Williams was stripped away by Harding's Clark Griffin for HSU's third turnover of the half.

After the Reddie defense forced another Harding punt, HSU had a long field in front of them, and Edwards was once again strip-sacked for the fourth turnover of the game. Harding, meanwhile, took advantage of the short field, with Andrew Miller running for a three-yard touchdown. The teams traded possessions for what little remained of the second quarter, after which HSU trailed 7-3.

It took Harding just one play to increase the Reddie deficit. Miller ran for his second touchdown of the game, this one a 75-yard sprint. 

The ensuing drive is where things got crazy: a two-hour, six-minute delay due to multiple tornado warnings in Clark County forced the evacuation of the field and stands. The Reddies, who faced a third-and-two coming out of the delay, spent the remainder of their third quarter punting, with another turnover thrown in. The Reddies turned the ball over six times during the game, and Harding took advantage in the second half, exploding for 309 yards and 28 points through the third and fourth quarters of play, setting the final score of 35-10.

The bright spot for HSU in the second half came as Edwards connected with Cayden Davis for a 46-yard touchdown midway through the final period of play. Edwards finished 24-of-34 passing for 210 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Fredrick O'Donald was the leading rusher for Henderson, compiling 40 yards on 8 carries. Cayden Davis and Maddox Davis each caught seven passes for 94 and 54 yards, respectively.

The Reddies return to action on Saturday, October 25th, with a trip to Russellville to face Arkansas Tech. Kickoff from Thone Stadium is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
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