October 20th, 2026 7:00am
Week seven of Great American Conference football gave us the matchup everyone had been waiting for, and Harding made sure there was little debate left afterward. The Bisons welcomed Henderson State to Searcy with both teams sitting at 6-0, but by the time the afternoon was over, Harding had established itself as the team to beat in the GAC.
Elsewhere, East Central continued its strong season with a dramatic comeback at Oklahoma Baptist, Ouachita Baptist put together another lopsided win, Southeastern Oklahoma State bounced back, and Arkansas Tech finally found its way back into the win column. With the regular season moving into its second half, the conference race is starting to separate into distinct groups.
Harding 46 at Henderson State 16
For six weeks, Harding and Henderson State had been perfect. On Saturday, the Bisons made sure there was only one undefeated team left in the matchup.
Harding rolled to a 46-16 win behind a dominant rushing attack that piled up 433 yards and six touchdowns. Quarterback Malik Young led the way with a program-record 214 rushing yards, helping the Bisons consistently move the chains against a Henderson defense that had been one of the conference's toughest units.
After Henderson took an early 8-7 lead, Harding responded with 25 points in the second quarter to take control. The Bisons added another touchdown in each of the final two quarters, while their defense kept the Reddies out of the end zone until the fourth.
Henderson quarterback Jordan Walker threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, but the Reddies could not keep pace with Harding's ground game. The Bisons have now beaten two of the conference's top contenders, and Saturday's 30-point victory was their most convincing statement yet. Harding is not just undefeated. It has established itself as the team everyone else in the GAC has to chase.
East Central 17 at Oklahoma Baptist 10
East Central needed a fourth-quarter comeback to escape Shawnee with a 17-10 victory over Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday night.
The Bison led 10-0 entering the final quarter after blocking two punts and a field goal. East Central finally broke through when Quincy Thompson scored on a three-yard run, and Gabriel Ogura later connected on a 32-yard field goal to tie the game with 2:27 remaining.
After Amin White intercepted an Oklahoma Baptist pass to set up the Tigers near midfield, Sergio Kennedy delivered the game-winner with a 26-yard touchdown run with 30 seconds left.
The Tigers scored all 17 of their points in the fourth quarter, finishing with 262 yards of total offense in difficult, rainy conditions. Oklahoma Baptist's defense had kept East Central off the scoreboard for three quarters, but the Tigers made the plays when they mattered most.
It was not a clean offensive performance from East Central, but the comeback kept the Tigers near the top of the conference race. For Oklahoma Baptist, two blocked punts and a blocked field goal were not enough to overcome a fourth quarter in which the offense could not find an answer.
Ouachita Baptist 62 at Arkansas-Monticello 10
Ouachita Baptist had little trouble with Arkansas-Monticello, rolling to a 62-10 victory behind 483 yards of total offense and four takeaways.
The Tigers exploded for 28 points in the second quarter to take a 41-3 halftime lead. Their offense produced 250 rushing yards and 233 passing yards, while the defense consistently created problems for the Weevils. Ouachita also added a special-teams touchdown to complete a performance that featured contributions from all three phases.
The 52-point victory gives the Tigers three consecutive wins and keeps them firmly in the mix near the top of the conference. After coming within one point of Harding earlier this season, Ouachita has responded with a strong stretch of football.
Arkansas-Monticello managed just 10 points as the Weevils struggled to slow the Tigers' balanced attack or generate enough offense to make the game competitive.
Southeastern Oklahoma State 25 at Northwestern Oklahoma State 10
Southeastern Oklahoma State got back on track with a 25-10 road win over Northwestern Oklahoma State, led by a defense that completely disrupted the Rangers' rushing attack.
The Savage Storm held Northwestern to minus-37 rushing yards, recording 12 tackles for loss and five sacks. Southeastern also came away with two interceptions, including a defensive touchdown that helped build its advantage.
After Northwestern opened the scoring with a first-quarter field goal, Southeastern answered with 13 points in the second quarter and added 12 more in the third. The Rangers managed a fourth-quarter touchdown, but their offensive struggles continued throughout the afternoon.
The defensive performance was the biggest takeaway for Southeastern, which limited Northwestern to 128 total yards. The Savage Storm have shown they can compete with the conference's top teams, and a defensive effort like Saturday's gives them a strong foundation heading into the final weeks.
Arkansas Tech 37 at Southern Arkansas 27
Arkansas Tech snapped its four-game losing streak Saturday, using a powerful rushing attack to earn a 37-27 win over Southern Arkansas.
The Wonder Boys jumped out to a 20-0 lead before Southern Arkansas fought back into the game. The Muleriders eventually erased the deficit and tied the score at 27 with 12:50 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Arkansas Tech responded with a field goal to regain the lead before the defense forced a turnover on downs. Tracy Daniels then broke free for a 23-yard touchdown run with 59 seconds remaining to put the game away.
Daniels finished with 142 rushing yards and two touchdowns as the Wonder Boys piled up 370 yards on the ground. Even after losing their early lead, Tech continued to lean on its running game when the game was on the line.
The win gives Arkansas Tech some much-needed momentum after four straight losses. Southern Arkansas showed it could fight back from a large deficit, but the Muleriders could not get the final stop needed to complete the comeback.