| 2023 Harding Bisons football | |
|---|---|
NCAA Division II national champion GAC champion | |
NCAA Division II championship game, W 38–7 vs. Colorado Mines | |
| Conference | Great American Conference |
| Ranking | |
| AFCA | No. 1 |
| Record | 15–0 (11–0 GAC) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive scheme | Flexbone triple option |
| Defensive coordinator | Roddy Mote (7th season) |
| Co-defensive coordinator | Luke Tribble (7th season) |
| Base defense | 3–4 |
| Home stadium | First Security Stadium |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Harding $^ | 11 | – | 0 | 15 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 24 Henderson State ^ | 9 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ouachita Baptist | 9 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern Arkansas # | 9 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma Baptist | 6 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern Nazarene # | 6 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas Tech | 5 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SE Oklahoma State | 5 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Central | 3 | – | 8 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas–Monticello | 2 | – | 9 | 2 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NW Oklahoma State | 1 | – | 10 | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SW Oklahoma State | 0 | – | 11 | 0 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2023 Harding Bisons football team was an American football team that represented Harding University in the Great American Conference (GAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division II football season. In their sixth year under head coach Paul Simmons, the team compiled a perfect 15–0 record (11–0 against conference opponents), outscored opponents by a total of 665 to 156, and won the GAC and NCAA Division II championships. The team also set an NCAA record for most rushing yards in a season with 6,161 rushing yards.[1]
The team finished the regular season ranked No. 2 among Division II programs and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs where they received a bye in the first round and defeated No. 6 Central Missouri (35–34) in the second round, No. 2 Grand Valley State (7–6) in the quarterfinals, and No. 11 Lenoir–Rhyne (55–14) in the semifinals. Through the December 16 victory over Colorado Mines, the Bison have won 18 consecutive games, the longest winning streak in program history.[2] Harding defeated No. 1 Colorado Mines in the Division II national championship game on December 16, 38–7, to win the school's first national championship.
Harding defensive end Nathaniel Wallace was selected as the 2023 GAC Defensive Player of the Year. Paul Simmons was selected as GAC Coach of the Year.[3]
The team played its home games at First Security Stadium in Searcy, Arkansas.[1]
- ^ a b "2023 Football Schedule". Harding University. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ "No. 3 Harding vs. No. 6 Central Mo. -- GAME NOTES". November 21, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Simmons named GAC Coach of the Year". The Daily Citizen. November 17, 2023.
- ^ https://christianchronicle.org/great-cloud-of-witnesses-helped-propel-harding-football-to-national-title/