GAC Playoff Round 2 Preview

27 November 2024 at 12.10

GAC Playoff Round 2 Preview

The march to a repeat continues for the Harding Bisons. This week, the Bisons will be on the road again, taking on Grand Valley State up in Allendale, Mich. It’s a rematch of the Super Region Three final from a season ago, when the Bisons defeated the Lakers in Searcy, Ark., 7-6, in an absolute slugfest of a game.

Things might look a little different this time around, starting with the weather. The forecast for Saturday is 28 degrees with a bit of wind, so it feels even colder. Will that play a factor in this one? Possibly, but let’s dive into personnel matchups first.

Harding’s offense crushed a very good Pitt State defense last week, racking up over 500 rushing yards against the Gorillas. The Bison are absolutely on a roll right now, and have been all year. However, in the last two weeks, the Bisons have not had a negative game as both the Gorillas and Arkansas Tech failed to accumulate and tackle for loss. Grand Valley State’s defense has been very good again this year, holding opponents to 4.2 yards per carry. game and 13.7 points per match. The run defense has been healthy, giving up just 115 yards per carry. game and 3.6 yards per carry. Again, they haven’t seen a rushing attack like Harding’s this year, but watching the Bisons a season ago will certainly help prepare for the game. Third downs will be a key in this one. The Lakers allow opponents to convert just 27 percent of the time on third down, good for sixth nationally. The Bisons are first in the nation on third down, converting over 58 percent of the time. Of course, the key to third down is winning on early downs and putting yourself in manageable situations. After the first quarter, the Bisons did it at will against Pitt State, converting 9-of-11 chances in the win. I don’t pretend to know the GVSU staff, but I do know their linebackers are solid and defensive lineman Niles King (12 TFL, 8.5 sacks) could be a big upset. The defensive line isn’t the same as it was a year ago, but we’ll see how much that means with the Lakers still employing plenty of returnees from last year’s team.

On the other side of the ball, there are questions about who will be behind center for the Lakers on Saturday. Usual starter Avery Moore did not play last week against UIndy and it is unclear if he will be the guy this week. A senior, he can make plays with his legs and carry at least 12 times in five games this season. It could be junior Ike Udengwu at quarterback again this week. Udengwu had a nice game last week, throwing for 223 yards, two touchdowns and a single interception in the win. Overall, the Lakers have the potential to control the game on the ground if they are able to block the Bisons up front. GVSU is averaging 233 yards per carry. game and five yards per carry, while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. game in attack. And the Lakers have been pretty consistent on the ground this year, finishing under 200 yards rushing just four times this season. One of those times, however, was last week when the Lakers ran for 68 yards on 39 carries. Simple math shows that’s less than two yards per carry. transportation. Not a good tune-up until you face one of the nation’s best rush defenses in the Bisons, who are giving up just 73 yards per carry. game and 2.4 yards per carry. If the Lakers can’t establish the run, I don’t think there is an opportunity for GVSU to tear Harding through the air. The Bisons have picked off 16 passes this year and the Lakers are averaging just 168 yards per carry. game and only eight yards per attempt. It’s not an explosive, downfield attack, and I think the inability to stretch the field will play into Harding’s hands.

There are a lot of questions surrounding the Lakers coming into this game. On the Harding side, there are no questions, just boring predictability, both of which are good things for the Bison. Will the weather affect ball security for the Harding backs? Possibly. And frankly, on paper, that might be the biggest unknown on the Harding side of things. But I trust the Harding defense immensely, and I don’t see the Lakers doing enough on offense to complement any positives that come from their defensive performance. Bisons move on.

Harding 27, Grand Valley State 10