258Athletics The Brotherhood. A group of men, athletes, coaches and believers playing to glorify the name of God on and off the football field. After pushing through the ups and downs of a hardfought season, the Brotherhood climbed to the top of the college football world. On Dec. 16, 2023, more than 6,000 members of the Harding community joined together in McKinney, Texas to support the undefeated Bisons at McKinney ISD stadium. With loud voices and black-and-gold pom poms waving in the air, there was a different sense of energy amongst the Harding faithful. This energy propelled the Bisons throughout a legendary performance that ultimately ended with scenes of elation. The No. 2 Harding Bisons defeated No. 1 Colorado School of Mines 38-7 to claim their first national championship in school history. The Bison offense rushed for 502 yards during the historic performance. This was the third game of the season that the Bisons rushed for over 500 yards. Harding’s defense put the clamps on the Oredigger offense following a touchdown on the first drive of the game. The Bisons successfully held the Orediggers on all three fourth down conversion attempts throughout the game. The dominant performance placed an exclamation point at the end of an undefeated season. The story was complete. The Brotherhood finished the race and left no stones unturned on the offensive or defensive side of the ball. 6,160 rushing yards– a number that has not been achieved at any level in the history of college football. The number seems improbable, but the offense made it possible. Harding led the nation in rushing yards per game with an average of 410.7 yards. Four members of the Bison offense rushed for over 500 yards throughout the 2023 season. Two members, sophomore running back Braden Jay and Associated Press (AP) All-American junior running back Blake Delacruz, rushed for over 1000 yards. “We had guys making plays all throughout the playoffs,” Delacruz said. “Anybody can make a play at a certain time and if a guy wasn’t making a play at a certain game, he was still giving his all in other areas of the field. I think that’s really special.” Along with the Bisons rushing success, the powerful offensive line boosted the playmaking ability for the slotbacks and running backs. The offensive line received multiple awards for their success on the field and in the classroom. Most notably, senior offensive lineman Hunter Willis earned first-team AP All-American honors. Delacruz said every member of the Harding offensive line should have received All-American honors for their efforts during the historic season. “They set the tone every game and every play. The way they do their job each and every day, from Monday all the way into Saturday is unbelievable,” Delacruz said. “With this offense you have to be detailed, and they took that to the next level with the way they played and the effort they gave.” The Harding defense achieved an incredible feat during the 2023 Division II playoffs. The path to the national championship would look like a gauntlet for most teams. However, the Bisons took care of business in a special way. In the playoffs, the Bisons faced off against No. 6 University of Central Missouri, No. 2 Grand Valley State University, No. 11 Lenoir-Rhyne University and No. 1 Colorado School of Mines. Harding’s defense held each playoff opponent to their lowest single-game point total of the season during the playoff run. Junior defensive lineman Wesley Coleman said the coaches would constantly remind the team that “when it gets harder for the Bisons, the Bisons get tougher.” “Coming in every single day and every single week knowing that we’re going to have to face crazy opponents, we’re going to have to put up our best performance,” Coleman said. The consistent fight on defense propelled the Bisons near the top of many stat leaderboards. Harding led the nation along with the University of Charleston for the most defensive touchdowns in Division II football. The notable stats and performances led to multiple honors for the Harding defense. Senior defensive lineman Nathaniel Wallace earned first-team AP All America and Great American Conference Defensive Player of the Year. The hard work on defense started long before the beginning of the national championship season. Junior defensive lineman Dre Hall said the players on defense were motivated to lock in during summer practices after missing out on the 2022 playoffs. “The whole season we were saying we wanted to be the best defense and we felt like we had a lot to prove,” Hall said. “To be able to show up on the biggest stage– that was a great feeling.” A dream finally came true for many members of the Harding community on that beautiful December day in McKinney. To this day, it can still be hard for people to grasp the memories and feelings of championship triumph for the Bisons. Head Coach Paul Simmons said it is “really impossible” to describe the joy of the 2023 season. “In so many ways, it was the best season of life. The games, the playoff run and the national championship was so amazing, but the incredible memories made along the way and the special reunion that took place that weekend in McKinney is what we will always carry with us,” Simmons said. “It really was such an emotional experience and the feeling of pride that you could feel in the entire Bison Community was priceless. What an amazing ride it was.” Written by Nic Fraraccio The Harding Bisons claim the NCAA DII National Championship for the first time in school history. BAND OFBrothers Photo courtesy of Jeff Montgomery
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