The Bisons won seven games in 2015. Not bad, but it followed three consecutive nine-win seasons, which each included postseason play. However, the Bisons bring back seven of the top eight rushers from last season to an offense predicated upon the run and have a schedule with six home games that fall favorably for them.

OFFENSE

Park Parish will lead the charge in the triple option once again in his senior year. Parish was a First Team All-GAC quarterback, who led the team in rushing yards and was third in rushing touchdowns in ’15. Senior Michael Latu (6.1 yards per carry), an All-Super Region 3 player, and junior Zach Shelley (10.0 yards per carry) were second and third is rushing yards last year, respectively. The passing game is used sparingly, but junior Andrew Dather hauled in 45 percent of the completed passes last year. Harding graduated only two starters from last year’s offensive line, which gave up only six sacks, and juniors Michael Gragg and Gavin De Los Santos are key returners.

DEFENSE

Trevon Biglow, First Team All-GAC last year and All-Super Region 3, returns to the defensive line. The senior recorded 9.5 sacks in ’15. Senior Daylan Skidmore, the team’s leading tackler last season, returns at linebacker after a second team all-conference performance. And junior Daylan Markham and senior Scott Middleton are part of a strong defensive secondary.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Tristan Parsley handled kicking and punting duties and the junior, while 6-for-14 on field goals, was successful on his final three attempts and made 53-of-55 PATs. Shelley, along with senior Corey Bassett, shared the kick return responsibilities.

OUTLOOK

Put simply – the triple option is a difficult offense to plan for, especially with usually just a few days to do it. Add to that the fact that Harding has the right players in place to run it and the Bisons run it well. HU has put up 52 rushing touchdowns for three straight seasons. Looking back to look ahead – three of the four losses in 2015 were on the road, in three of the four Harding had fourth quarter leads, and all the losses were by an average of 5.3 points – basically one score. All are strong motivational points for a team that is poised to win at least nine games again in 2016.

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To describe 2015 as an up and down season would be accurate – two wins, two losses, three wins, two losses, two wins. Still, the Muleriders collected seven wins on the year and the third winning season in four years and were tied for fourth in the Great American Conference. SAU won the games it was supposed to win, but unfortunately fell to the nationally ranked teams (or teams receiving votes in the D-II poll) in those contests, even in heartbreaking fashion in a 29-28 loss at No. 14 Henderson State.

OFFENSE

The offense was big for the Muleriders last season, scoring 35.5 points per game, which was third in the GAC, and leading the conference by racking up 471.3 yards per game. After a stellar freshman season, in which he was named GAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-GAC, Barrett Renner will be back to lead the offense. His two most often found targets in Tanner Hudson, a second team All-GAC wide receiver-turned-tight end who led the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, and Jonathan Weisheit, honorable mention All-GAC who led the team in receptions, are back as juniors. Another junior, Michael Nunnery was the team’s leading rusher in last year’s pass-dominated offense.

DEFENSE

Renner wasn’t the only fantastic freshman on the roster in 2015. Davondrick Lison earned honorable mention All-GAC with a season that included 9.0 sacks, 17.5 tackles-for-loss and a D-II high seven forced fumbles, and returns this year to the SAU defensive line. Dominic Kelly, a senior, should be a force again at linebacker. And the team’s two leading tacklers from last season in Elgin Moore (93 tackles, four interceptions) and Q’Niko Thomas (78 tackles, one interception) headline the defensive backfield.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Bradford Grems was called upon for field goals only five times in 2015, and made three of them. He was also 47-of-54 in PAT duty. Weisheit had a punt returned for a touchdown as one of his 29 returns last year and Sidney Moore could be returning kicks again in his junior year.

OUTLOOK

With the breakout season from Renner as a freshman, it’s reasonable to think that the Muleriders were a little ahead of schedule. But with so many key components to the success of 2015 back for another go-round, there won’t be any surprise in the GAC about what the team from Magnolia can do. The task of breaking through into the upper echelon on the league is what lies ahead for Coach Keopple and his team. SAU should put together another winning season and will need to win a game or two that they “aren’t supposed to” in order to move into play beyond the regular season.

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The Hendrix football program won three games in 2013, its first season back on the field following a hiatus of more than five decades. There was improvement to that record in each of the following seasons. Hendrix also earned a trip to the D-III playoffs. With 23 seniors on the roster in 2016, the setup seems to be one laid out for the Warriors to make a deep playoff run.

OFFENSE

The only player on the HC roster currently listed as solely a QB, Seth Peters looks to follow a first team All-SAA performance and should break the 10,000-yard mark in passing yards before his senior year is done in 2016. The backfield is highlighted by senior Dayton Winn, who owns numerous school offensive records, was named an AP Little All-American last season and led D-III in all-purpose yards (248.4 ypg). The top five receivers from ’15 are all back, including junior Ben Leudtke, who had 720 receiving yards on 46 receptions. The offensive line is anchored by all-conference performers Brook Billings and Trent Middleton.

DEFENSE

The defense looks to replace key players from last year’s squad. Any depth on the defensive front will be coming from young players. Junior linebacker Jake Brantley and senior defensive back Shaquille Grant tied for second on the team last year in tackles with 67 apiece and each return.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Winn also took care of business on punt return and kickoff return duty in 2015. Senior Steve Crenshaw was 6-for-13 in field goal attempts last season and made 47 of 54 PATs.

OUTLOOK

The schedule favors the Warriors as both teams that beat them in 2015 (Austin and Berry) come to Conway this year. Peters should be at full strength and Winn looks to shine in his senior year. The goal for this team won’t be just to make the playoffs, but to play for a title.

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