RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - No. 2 Harding (7-0, 7-0 GAC) won its second AFCA top-30 matchup of the year, defeating No. 15 Henderson State (6-1, 6-1 AFCA) to remain unbeaten and move that much closer to a GAC championship.
(RV) East Central (6-1, 6-1 GAC) put its one-loss record in jeopardy, overcoming a 10-0 fourth-quarter deficit on the road at Oklahoma Baptist (3-4, 3-4 GAC). Southeastern Oklahoma State scored a defensive touchdown for the fifth game in a row with a defensive-led 25-10 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State (0-7, 0-7 GAC).
Ouachita Baptist (5-2, 5-2 GAC) secured its largest margin of victory since 2024 while Arkansas Tech (3-4, 3-4 GAC) snapped its four-game losing streak after holding on to defeat Southern Arkansas (2-5, 2-5 GAC), 37-27, behind running back Tracy Daniels' second straight game with at least 140 rushing yards.
East Central 17, Oklahoma Baptist 10
Oklahoma Baptist dominated the first half, forcing punts on four of East Central's first five drives, with the other drive resulting in a missed field-goal. Trailing 10-0 heading into the fourth quarter, the Tigers scored on its first possession of the final stanza before turning over the Bison on their next two possessions. With the game tied, 10-10, quarterback Sergio Kennedy scored on a 26-yard run with 30 seconds left to seize the come-from-behind victory, 17-10.
Ouachita Baptist 62, Arkansas-Monticello 10
Ouachita Baptist scored 41 of the first 44 points, with Arkansas-Monticello's three points coming off a short field from a Tiger turnover deep on their own end of the field. Both teams started the second-half with a turnover before UAM tallied the first points of the third quarter, but 21 more points from OUA before the final whistle showed Ouachita Baptist the 62-10 victory.
No. 2 Harding 46, No. 15 Henderson State 16
Henderson State briefly saw an 8-7 lead after converting on a two-point try following its first touchdown before Harding dominated the remaining 23:49 of the opening half. In the second quarter alone, the Bisons outscored the Reddies, 19-0, with two touchdowns, a safety off a blocked punt and a field-goal right before the halftime horn sounded. Following HSU's first touchdown of the second half, Harding's defense picked off Henderson quarterback Jordan Walker on three consecutive fourth-quarter possessions, aiding in the 46-16 final.
Southeastern Oklahoma State 25, Northwestern Oklahoma State 10
Southeastern Oklahoma State held Northwestern to negative-37 rushing yards while sacking NWOSU quarterback Jacob Jones six times. The first four drives of the game ended in a punt before the Rangers got on the board first with an opening-quarter field-goal. The Savage Storm scored the final 13 points of the first half to take a 13-3 lead into the locker room before scoring an 81-yard defensive touchdown on Northwestern's first possession of the second half. The pick-six was SE's fifth straight game with a defensive score as defense carried the Storm the rest of the way for the 25-10 victory.
Arkansas Tech 37, Southern Arkansas 27
Arkansas Tech opened a 20-0 lead a quarter and a half into Saturday night's contest before Southern Arkansas scored on back-to-back second-quarter possessions to close the first half with just a six-point deficit, 20-14. After the Wonder Boys scored on their first second-half possession, ATU held SAU to a pair of redzone field-goals to withstand a late Southern Arkansas run that saw the Muleriders tie the game early in the fourth, 27-27. After a go-ahead field-goal, Tech forced a punt and a turnover-on-downs on the Muleriders' next two possesions as ATU running back Tracy Daniels put the game on ice with his second touchdown of the game to go with his game-high 142 rushing yards with 59 seconds left to play.
GREAT AMERICAN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Malik Young | Harding | QB | 5th | Memphis, Tenn.
Harding fifth-year quarterback Malik Young spearheaded a dominant offensive showing against No. 15 Henderson State, rushing for 214 yards and two touchdowns while adding 38 passing yards as the Bisons defeated the Reddies, 46-16. Young became the first Harding quarterback in program history to rush for more than 200 yards in a single game. Additionally, both of Young's completions came on fourth-down conversions to extend touchdown drives.
DEFENSIVE
Connor Dean | Harding | DB | Jr. | Frisco, Texas
Harding junior defensive back Connor Dean recorded two interceptions and a blocked punt for a safety in the No. 2 Bisons' 46-16 victory over No. 15 Henderson State in the GAC game of the week. Dean's interceptions came on back-to-back HSU drives in the fourth quarter, preventing any sort of rally from the Reddies. Dean's blocked punt came as part of HU's 19-point second quarter to put Harding ahead, 29-8.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Carter McElhany | Ouachita Baptist | WR/RS | Sr. | Greenbrier, Ark.
Ouachita Baptist senior return specialist Carter McElhany earned the conference's Special Teams Player of the Week after breaking the GAC record with his fourth career kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of this past Saturday's game against Arkansas-Monticello. McElhany's record-breaking return came on an 87-yard house call that extended OUA's lead to 48-10.
WEEKLY AWARDS
GAC Offensive Player of the Week
Sept. 7 Sergio Kennedy, East Central
Sept. 14 Sergio Kennedy, East Central (x2)
Sept. 21 Austin Ledbetter, Henderson State
Sept. 28 Andrew Miller, Harding
Oct. 5 Tre Nichols, Ouachita Baptist
Oct. 12 Kaden Jones, East Central*
Oct. 19 Malik Young, Harding
*CFB Network Division II National Player of the Week
GAC Defensive Player of the Week
Sept. 7 Jeremiah Jennings, Oklahoma Baptist
Sept. 14 Kahlil Smith, Ouachita Baptist
Sept. 21 Keshaun Jackson, Southwestern Oklahoma State
Sept. 28 Kaleb Walker, Harding
Oct. 5 Kole McKnight, Southeastern Oklahoma State
Oct. 12 George Getanda, Oklahoma Baptist
Oct. 19 Connor Dean, Harding
GAC Special Teams Player of the Week
Sept. 7 Dean Roberts, Harding
Sept. 14 Jeff Regan, Harding
Sept. 21 Nate Stafford, Ouachita Baptist
Sept. 28 Charles Stinson, Arkansas-Monticello
Oct. 5 Brett Leonardt, Southern Nazarene
Oct. 12 Gabriel Ogura, East Central
Oct. 19 Carter McElhany, Ouachita Baptist