BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Harding scored 19 points in the fourth quarter but came up one drive short of overcoming a three-touchdown deficit after three quarters and fell 21-19 to Ferris State on Saturday at Top Taggart Field in the first round of the NCAA Division II Super Region 3 Playoffs.

Harding, the No. 7 seed, finished the season 9-3. The team’s seniors finished their careers with 40 victories.

No. 2 seed Ferris State remained undefeated at 12-0 and advances to host No. 6 seed Northwest Missouri State in the Super Region semifinals next weekend.

Trailing 21-0, Harding punctuated a 12-play, 64-yard drive with a 5-yard Taylor Bissell TD run on a pitch to the left. The score came on the first play of the fourth quarter. The extra point missed, and Harding trailed 21-6.

Harding’s shortest drive of the season came on its next drive. Devyn Comer forced a fumble on a sack that Chris Wein recovered at the Ferris 26 and returned to the 3-yard line. A Bulldog sideline penalty put the ball at the 1. Cole Chancey scored on the next play but Harding’s two-point conversion attempt failed and the Bisons trailed 21-12 with 13:22 left.

Harding cut the lead to 21-19 with 7:57 left when Bissell took a pitch to the left and dove into the end zone for a 16-yard TD run, ending a 53-yard drive that came after a Ferris punt.

Harding forced its fifth straight three-and-out, and Ferris punted to the Harding 38. The Bisons picked up a first down, but had it negated for an illegal block penalty. Four plays later, an incomplete pass on 4th-and-8 at the Ferris 48 ended Harding’s comeback hopes.

Ferris became only the second team this season to score against Harding in the first quarter when it took the opening kickoff 85 yards on 10 plays and scored on Jevon Shaw’s 5-yard run.

The Bulldogs added two more touchdowns in the second quarter, the first came after a 14-yard punt into the wind and the second after a high snap resulted in a blocked punt. Ferris quarterback Jayru Campbell threw a 2-yard pass to Marvin Campbell for the first score, and ran in from a yard out on the second TD.

Harding lost two offensive starters and one defensive starter in the first half to injuries. Starting quarterback Preston Paden and starting wide receiver and holder Kohl Blickenstaff both left with injuries. Starting safety Daylon Markham left early in the game with a shoulder injury. Paden returned in the second half, but Blickenstaff and Markham did not.

FACTS AND FIGURES

– Harding had 17 first downs, 13 of them coming in the second half and 172 of Harding’s 262 rushing yards came in the second half.

– Ferris State had only one first down and 48 total yards in the second half. The Bulldogs had 12 first downs and 153 total yards in the game.

– Cole Chancey led Harding’s rushing attack with 101 yards on 25 carries.

– GLIAC Player of the Year Jayru Campbell rushed for only 26 yards on 16 carries and passed for only 85 yards, completing 9-of-14 passes.

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SEARCY – Sophomore quarterback Preston Paden scored three of Harding’s five rushing touchdowns, and the Bisons held Northwestern Oklahoma to only 47 rushing yards in a 38-7 Homecoming victory over the Rangers Saturday at First Security Stadium.

No. 24 Harding moved to 6-2 overall and in the Great American Conference with its sixth straight home victory against Northwestern, who fell to 3-5 overall and in the GAC. The Rangers had allowed only seven points in winning their last two games.

Paden had two rushing touchdowns in the first half ending drives that began in Northwestern territory. He scored a 4-yard touchdown with 8:57 left in the first quarter on a drive set up by Frank Herbert’s 26-yard punt return.

Harding’s second scoring drive started at the Northwestern 33. Devyn Comer and Chris Wein sacked Northwestern quarterback Cesar De Leon at the 5. Daylon Markhamfielded the ensuing punt at the 38 and returned it 5 yards. It took the Bisons six plays to go 33 yards, and Paden ended the drive with a 3-yard run.

Harding’s final points of the half came on a 41-yard Cameron Scott field goal with 3:51 left.

The Bisons had three long scoring drives in the second half. A 5-play, 78-yard drive that opened the second half resulted in Paden’s third touchdown, coming from 1 yard out.

Sophomore Cole Chancey scored a 6-yard touchdown to punctuate an 8-play, 65-yard drive midway through the third quarter, and sophomore Romar Reades’ 4-yard touchdown run ended a 10-play drive that covered 63 yards early in the fourth quarter.

Northwestern’s only touchdown came with 5:16 left in the game. Kentrez Bell caught a pass over the middle from quarterback Cesar De Leon. Harding defensive back Daylon Markham knocked the ball loose at the 2-yard line, but officials ruled that Bell recovered the fumble in the end zone despite Harding’s Tony Becton emerging with the ball.

Harding plays its final regular season road game next Saturday against East Central in Ada, Oklahoma. Kickoff at Koi Ishto Stadium is at 4 p.m.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Harding rushed for 334 yards and limited Northwestern to 47. Northwestern entered the game averaging 165.1 rushing yards per game.
• Harding outgained Northwestern 409-245 overall, the fourth time in the last five games that the Bisons surpassed 400 total yards.
• Harding had an almost 15-minute time-of-possession advantage. The Bisons had the ball for 36 minutes, 58 seconds. Northwestern had the ball 23:02 and ran only 48 plays.
• Harding was 8-of-12 on third down, the Bisons’ most third-down conversions of the season. Northwestern was 3-of-11.
• Sophomore Taylor Bissell led Harding in both rushing yards (82) and receiving yards (42). He has 251 all-purpose yards in the last two games.
• Harding defensive end T.J. Winslow had a team-high five tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In four career games against Northwestern, Winslow has 14 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
• Paden scored three rushing TD in a game for the first time in his career and became the first Bison this season to score three TD in a game.
• Harding has now outscored its opponents 90-7 in the first quarter of games this season.
• Cole Chancey had 72 rushing yards and moved past Chris Gilliam (1,876, 1994-97) into 10th place on Harding’s career rushing list with 1,877 yards.
• Chancey tied Terrence Dingle (2015-17) for sixth in career rushing TD with his 21st.

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