On a day when the top two teams in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 play pageants against other teams, the biggest of the two could be in Searcy.

Top-ranked Harding (3-0, 3-0 Great American Conference) will put its state-record 22-game winning streak on the line when it hosts No. 20 Henderson State (3-0, 3-0). at the First Security Stadium in a clash that will undoubtedly shake up the pecking order at both the conference and national level.

However, the result will only lead to upheaval. A win or a loss for both won't make or break their season, not because each team still has a ton of important games on the schedule, but it will take a long time to determine how things will turn out.

“I mean, this is a really talented football team,” Henderson State coach Greg Holsworth said of Harding. “They are coached really well and play very, very hard. They know how to win. Shooting, they’ve done that quite a bit in the last few seasons.”

The Bisons' overall winning streak is the longest at any level of NCAA football, matching the 22-game streak compiled by the University of Arkansas from 1963 to 1965. Harding has also won 18 straight GAC games and 11 straight home games.

But Henderson State is right at the center of those remarkable grades.

The last time the Bisons lost a game was on October 15, 2022 when the Reddies defeated them 15-14. That was also Harding's last loss in Searcy and GAC play. To make things even more interesting, Henderson State has won in six of its last seven trips to Harding's home field.

So while No. 2 Grand Valley State has a monster non-conference home game with No. 21 West Florida, the storylines and plots surrounding the Harding-Henderson State showdown are undeniable.

“It's a big game for us,” Harding coach Paul Simmons said shortly after his team defeated the University of Arkansas at Monticello 63-3 last week. “It's Parents' Weekend and if you're a Bison fan, you've got 10 days to prepare to come out and get rowdy. I told the boys I don’t think there will be a seat in the house.”

“We will do our best to be ready to play.”

For Harding, being ready hasn't been a problem all season.

Harding, which went 27-16 at Henderson State in 2023, has outscored its first three opponents 181-10 and allowed just 397 yards of offense, the best mark in NCAA Division II. Those totals far exceeded the Bison's numbers a year ago, and that hasn't gone unnoticed.

“They do a great job on offense, they do a great job on defense and they do a great job on special teams,” Holsworth said. “Obviously they were very successful last year. They don't just award national championship trophies like participation awards. They went out and earned it.”

“There’s still a lot of season ahead of us, but I would say they picked up right where they left off.”

Henderson State was also impressive, especially in the fourth quarter. The Reddies hold a 44-0 advantage over their opponents in the final period, including a 20-0 lead last week against Arkansas Tech. Holsworth says his team's defense ultimately made the difference.

“Those defensive players played really hard,” he said. “I thought the game certainly went in our favor in the fourth quarter (against Arkansas Tech). But our defensive players and actually our special teams played really consistently throughout the evening.”

“Those two sides of the ball have an impact. It was late in the fourth quarter when a couple of guys stepped in front of the ball, made some plays, made some interceptions, but our defensive line, I thought, put their quarterback in adverse situations all night long, which ultimately led to that he somehow forced things. Our defensive backs then made the plays.

There's a good chance the Reddies' secondary won't see as many passing plays as it did a week ago. Harding threw just 19 passes all year, the same number that Arkansas Tech quarterback Ethan Everson completed in his team's loss to Henderson State.

What Holsworth and his defense will experience is a massive amount of running. Harding has already rushed for 1,409 yards, with Andrew Miller leading the way with 245 yards on 19 carries.

Holsworth specified that the Reddies will need to be strong not just on defense but everywhere else to beat the Bisons on the road again.

“We have to perform at our best on special teams, offense and defense,” he said. “What they do on offense forces you to play really disciplined football and be unselfish. You can't be the guy who tries to play for someone else. You have to do your job.”

“You also have to be very physical when you play against them. If you can't keep up with their physicality, you don't stand a chance. I think our kids play pretty physical and they appreciate the challenge that Harding brings.”

None

GAC rankings

TEAM;CONF.;TOTAL

Harding;3-0;3-0

Henderson State;3-0;3-0

Ouachita Baptist; 3-0;3-0

Arkansas-Monticello;2-1;2-1

Arkansas Tech;2-1;2-1

South Arkansas;2-1;2-1

SO Oklahoma State;1-2;1-2

NW Oklahoma State;1-2;1-2

SW Oklahoma State;1-2;1-2

East Central Oklahoma.;0-3;0-3

Oklahoma Baptist;0-3;0-3

Southern Nazarene;0-3;0-3

GAMES ON SATURDAY

Always central

Southeastern Oklahoma State at Northwestern Oklahoma State, 6 p.m

Arkansas-Monticello at Ouachita Baptist, 6 p.m

East Central Oklahoma at Oklahoma Baptist, 6 p.m

Southern Nazarene in the southwestern state of Oklahoma, 6 p.m

Southern Arkansas at Arkansas Tech, 6 p.m

Henderson State at Harding, 7 p.m

Harding coach Paul Simmons