Harding Uses Dominant Run Game Against Henderson State
September 25, 2023
Behind junior fullback Blake Delacruz, Harding (Ark.) rushed for 353 yards and beat then-No. 20 Henderson State (Ark.), 27-16. Delacruz had a career-high 179 yards and scored three touchdowns in the win. This was the Bisons fifth straight win over Henderson State in Arkadelphia. Harding stays at No. 10 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Henderson State fell four spots to No. 24.
The Top 10 remained relatively unchanged this week with every team winning or on an off week. Ferris State (Mich.) was idle and is still the No. 1 while Colorado School of Mines dominated Colorado State-Pueblo, 55-14, and remains No. 2, followed by Pittsburg State (Kan.), Minnesota State, and Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), who round out the Top 5.
There is only one Top 25 matchup this coming weekend and it is a big one in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference as No. 4 Minnesota State travels to No. 9 Bemidji State (Minn.). Both teams sit atop the conference standings with identical 4-0 records, with Augustana (S.D.) and No. 19 Minnesota-Duluth waiting in the wings with 3-0 conference marks.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 4 Next Game
1 Ferris St. (Mich.) (23) 2-1 715 1 Idle Sept. 30 vs. Northern Michigan
2 Colorado School of Mines (6) 4-0 702 2 D. Colorado St.-Pueblo, 55-14 Sept. 30 vs. Chadron St. (Neb.)
3 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 4-0 667 3 D. Nebraska-Kearney, 33-14 Sept. 30 at Northeastern St. (Okla.)
4 Minnesota St. 4-0 614 5 D. Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.), 42-10 Sept. 30 at No. 9 Bemidji St. (Minn.)
5 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 4-0 612 4 D. Arkansas-Monticello, 45-25 Sept. 30 vs. Southeastern Oklahoma St.
6 West Florida 3-1 559 7 D. West Georgia, 49-21 Sept. 30 at North Greenville (S.C.)
7 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 2-1 557 6 Idle Sept. 30 at Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.)
8 Delta St. (Miss.) 4-0 526 8 D. Shorter (Ga.), 56-20 Sept. 30 at West Alabama
9 Bemidji St. (Minn.) 4-0 494 9 D. Mary (N.D.), 41-10 Sept. 30 vs. No. 4 Minnesota St.
10 Harding (Ark.) 4-0 468 10 D. No. 20 Henderson St. (Ark.), 27-16 Sept. 30 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma St.
11 Emporia St. (Kan.) 4-0 444 11 D. Central Oklahoma, 38-27 Sept. 30 at Missouri Western St.
12 Slippery Rock (Pa.) 4-0 408 12 D. Seton Hill (Pa.), 35-14 Sept. 30 vs. Indiana (Pa.)
13 Benedict (S.C.) 4-0 367 14 D. Chowan (N.C.), 31-3 Sept. 30 vs. Morehouse (Ga.)
14 Indianapolis (Ind.) 3-0 331 16 D. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 35-10 Sept. 30 at Missouri S&T
15 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 4-0 299 17 D. Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 24-7 Sept. 30 vs. Virginia-Wise
16 Texas A&M-Kingsville 3-0 290 18 Idle Sept. 30 at Texas-Permian Basin
17 Western Colorado 4-0 277 19 D. Chadron St. (Neb.), 35-17 Sept. 30 vs. Colorado Mesa
18 Davenport (Mich.) 3-0 201 21 D. William Jewell (Mo.), 55-27 Sept. 30 at Michigan Tech
19 Minnesota-Duluth 4-0 166 23 D. Southwest Minnesota St., 33-0 Sept. 30 vs. Winona St. (Minn.)
20 Angelo St. (Tex.) 2-2 143 22 D. Western New Mexico, 62-9 Sept. 30 at Eastern New Mexico
21 Central Missouri 3-1 113 25 D. Washburn (Kan.), 58-28 Sept. 30 vs. Northwest Missouri St.
22 Valdosta St. (Ga.) 4-0 83 NR D. North Greenville (S.C.), 28-3 Sept. 30 at Chowan (N.C.)
23 Assumption (Mass.) 2-1 68 24 Idle Sept. 30 vs. Pace (N.Y.)
24 Henderson St. (Ark.) 3-1 53 20 Lost to No. 10 Harding (Ark.), 27-16 Sept. 30 at Oklahoma Baptist
25 Shepherd (W.Va.) 3-1 52 13 Lost to Kutztown (Pa.), 20-3 Sept. 30 vs. Shippensburg (Pa.)
Dropped Out: Virginia Union (15)
Others Receiving Votes: Truman St. (Mo.), 46; Virginia Union, 45; Augustana (S.D.), 33; Tuskegee (Ala.), 25; Tiffin (Ohio), 23; Black Hills St. (S.D.), 11; Virginia St., 10; Indiana (Pa.), 8; Mars Hill (N.C.), 4; Central Washington, 3; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 3; Missouri Western St., 3; Bowie St. (Md.), 2.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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Behind junior fullback Blake Delacruz, Harding (Ark.) rushed for 353 yards and beat then-No. 20 Henderson State (Ark.), 27-16. Delacruz had a career-high 179 yards and scored three touchdowns in the win. This was the Bisons fifth straight win over Henderson State in Arkadelphia. Harding stays at No. 10 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll while Henderson State fell four spots to No. 24.
The Top 10 remained relatively unchanged this week with every team winning or on an off week. Ferris State (Mich.) was idle and is still the No. 1 while Colorado School of Mines dominated Colorado State-Pueblo, 55-14, and remains No. 2, followed by Pittsburg State (Kan.), Minnesota State, and Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), who round out the Top 5.
There is only one Top 25 matchup this coming weekend and it is a big one in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference as No. 4 Minnesota State travels to No. 9 Bemidji State (Minn.). Both teams sit atop the conference standings with identical 4-0 records, with Augustana (S.D.) and No. 19 Minnesota-Duluth waiting in the wings with 3-0 conference marks.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 4 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (Mich.) (23) | 2-1 | 715 | 1 | Idle | Sept. 30 vs. Northern Michigan | |
| 2 | Colorado School of Mines (6) | 4-0 | 702 | 2 | D. Colorado St.-Pueblo, 55-14 | Sept. 30 vs. Chadron St. (Neb.) | |
| 3 | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 4-0 | 667 | 3 | D. Nebraska-Kearney, 33-14 | Sept. 30 at Northeastern St. (Okla.) | |
| 4 | Minnesota St. | 4-0 | 614 | 5 | D. Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.), 42-10 | Sept. 30 at No. 9 Bemidji St. (Minn.) | |
| 5 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 4-0 | 612 | 4 | D. Arkansas-Monticello, 45-25 | Sept. 30 vs. Southeastern Oklahoma St. | |
| 6 | West Florida | 3-1 | 559 | 7 | D. West Georgia, 49-21 | Sept. 30 at North Greenville (S.C.) | |
| 7 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 2-1 | 557 | 6 | Idle | Sept. 30 at Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) | |
| 8 | Delta St. (Miss.) | 4-0 | 526 | 8 | D. Shorter (Ga.), 56-20 | Sept. 30 at West Alabama | |
| 9 | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 4-0 | 494 | 9 | D. Mary (N.D.), 41-10 | Sept. 30 vs. No. 4 Minnesota St. | |
| 10 | Harding (Ark.) | 4-0 | 468 | 10 | D. No. 20 Henderson St. (Ark.), 27-16 | Sept. 30 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma St. | |
| 11 | Emporia St. (Kan.) | 4-0 | 444 | 11 | D. Central Oklahoma, 38-27 | Sept. 30 at Missouri Western St. | |
| 12 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 4-0 | 408 | 12 | D. Seton Hill (Pa.), 35-14 | Sept. 30 vs. Indiana (Pa.) | |
| 13 | Benedict (S.C.) | 4-0 | 367 | 14 | D. Chowan (N.C.), 31-3 | Sept. 30 vs. Morehouse (Ga.) | |
| 14 | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 3-0 | 331 | 16 | D. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 35-10 | Sept. 30 at Missouri S&T | |
| 15 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 4-0 | 299 | 17 | D. Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 24-7 | Sept. 30 vs. Virginia-Wise | |
| 16 | Texas A&M-Kingsville | 3-0 | 290 | 18 | Idle | Sept. 30 at Texas-Permian Basin | |
| 17 | Western Colorado | 4-0 | 277 | 19 | D. Chadron St. (Neb.), 35-17 | Sept. 30 vs. Colorado Mesa | |
| 18 | Davenport (Mich.) | 3-0 | 201 | 21 | D. William Jewell (Mo.), 55-27 | Sept. 30 at Michigan Tech | |
| 19 | Minnesota-Duluth | 4-0 | 166 | 23 | D. Southwest Minnesota St., 33-0 | Sept. 30 vs. Winona St. (Minn.) | |
| 20 | Angelo St. (Tex.) | 2-2 | 143 | 22 | D. Western New Mexico, 62-9 | Sept. 30 at Eastern New Mexico | |
| 21 | Central Missouri | 3-1 | 113 | 25 | D. Washburn (Kan.), 58-28 | Sept. 30 vs. Northwest Missouri St. | |
| 22 | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 4-0 | 83 | NR | D. North Greenville (S.C.), 28-3 | Sept. 30 at Chowan (N.C.) | |
| 23 | Assumption (Mass.) | 2-1 | 68 | 24 | Idle | Sept. 30 vs. Pace (N.Y.) | |
| 24 | Henderson St. (Ark.) | 3-1 | 53 | 20 | Lost to No. 10 Harding (Ark.), 27-16 | Sept. 30 at Oklahoma Baptist | |
| 25 | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 3-1 | 52 | 13 | Lost to Kutztown (Pa.), 20-3 | Sept. 30 vs. Shippensburg (Pa.) |
Dropped Out: Virginia Union (15)
Others Receiving Votes: Truman St. (Mo.), 46; Virginia Union, 45; Augustana (S.D.), 33; Tuskegee (Ala.), 25; Tiffin (Ohio), 23; Black Hills St. (S.D.), 11; Virginia St., 10; Indiana (Pa.), 8; Mars Hill (N.C.), 4; Central Washington, 3; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 3; Missouri Western St., 3; Bowie St. (Md.), 2.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
