Kickoff: 6:00 PM CT (7:00 PM ET / 4:00 PM PT)
Venue: Wilkins Stadium, Magnolia, Arkansas (Capacity: ~6,000)
Broadcast: ESPN+ / GAC Digital Network / Harding Sports Radio
Weather Forecast (Magnolia, AR)
Temperature: ~92°F (33°C) at kickoff, cooling into the mid-80s by the 4th quarter
Conditions: Mostly sunny, humid, light winds (5–8 mph)
Impact: Heat and humidity could test depth and conditioning, especially for defenses.
Injury Report
Harding (2–0, ranked #2 AFCA/D2Football):
QB Cole Keylon – Healthy; making his 43rd career start, the winningest QB in GAC history (38–4 record).
RB Braden Jay – Healthy; NCAA active career leader in yards per rush (12.5 YPC).
LB Clark Griffin – Healthy; NCAA DII active leader with 297 career tackles.
No major injuries reported; depth intact.
Southern Arkansas (2–0, receiving votes):
QB starter rotation – Healthy; offense averaging 486 YPG.
RB committee – Healthy; balanced rushing attack.
WR top unit – Healthy; multiple explosive plays through first two games.
Defense – Healthy, but facing its toughest test yet against Harding’s option attack.
Key Player Matchups
QB Cole Keylon (Harding) vs. SAU Linebackers
Keylon is the only player in Harding history with 2,000+ rushing and 2,000+ passing yards. His dual-threat ability will stress SAU’s second level.
RB Braden Jay (Harding) vs. SAU Front Seven
Jay rushed for 136 yards and a 73-yard TD on just seven carries in last year’s meeting.
LB Clark Griffin (Harding) vs. SAU Offense
Griffin anchors a defense that has held opponents scoreless on 21 straight possessions.
SAU QB & WR Corps vs. Harding Secondary
SAU averages 486 YPG, but Harding’s defense is allowing just 2.73 yards per play (2nd in DII).
Recent Team Form
Harding Bisons (2–0, 2–0 GAC, #2 nationally)
9/11: W 55–0 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma State
9/4: W 49–7 @ Northwestern Oklahoma State
Trend: Offense averaging 52 PPG; defense allowing just 3.5 PPG.
Southern Arkansas Muleriders (2–0, 2–0 GAC)
9/4: W 49–14 vs. Oklahoma Baptist
8/30: W 38–21 vs. Arkansas Tech
Trend: Offense averaging 43.5 PPG; defense allowing 17.5 PPG.
Series History
All-time series: Harding leads 32–27–1.
Last meeting (2024): Harding won 49–17 in Searcy, AR.
Harding has won 9 of the last 10 meetings.
SAU’s last win came in 2016.
Betting Trends
Harding:
8–2 SU in last 10 games.
7–3 ATS in last 10.
Unders hit in 6 of last 10.
Southern Arkansas:
6–4 SU in last 10 games.
5–5 ATS in last 10.
Overs hit in 7 of last 10.
Head-to-Head: Harding has covered in 7 of the last 9 meetings.
Historical Betting Results
Harding: Profitable ATS as a road favorite; unders common when defense dominates.
Southern Arkansas: Struggles ATS against ranked GAC opponents; overs frequent when defense falters.
GAC Trends: Ranked road favorites cover ~61% of the time in September conference games.
Game Odds
Harding Bisons 56
Southern Arkansas Muleriders – 14
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 19, 2025
