BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The SBU Bearcats (0-2) will open things up at home against the Harding University Bisons (1-1) this weekend, with hopes of avenging last season's bitter defeat. This weekend will be the first true opportunity to benefit from their independent schedule, after facing Southeast Missouri in week #1, and MIAA powerhouse Northeast Missouri in week #2. SBU's head coach, Keith Allen, believes his team can learn from last week's performance at Maryville.
"We played better than we did up there in 2007. But we still have some mistakes we need to correct. We had some costly penalties, but I was happy to see we were 3 for 3 in the red zone."
THE OPPONENT
The Harding Bisons enter the contest with a 1-1 record, after defeating West Alabama 37-27. "They are a good football team," said Allen. "They have an explosive offense who can move the ball really well down the field." The Bisons average 34 points per game, and are led by quarterback David Knighton, who has averaged 332.5 yards in the air through the first two games of the season.
This is the fifth time the schools have played. Harding has won all four previous contests.
LAST SEASON
The Bearcats lost last season's opener at Harding, 40-43. SBU put up over 500 yards of total offense in the contest, but lost a late lead to the Bisons to open the season 0-1. In his first game in an SBU uniform, quarterback Steve Gachette threw for 379 yards and 4 touchdowns. And although he had no way to know it at that time, his twelve completions to Nick Smart were the first of 143 'hook ups' - which would end up rewriting history. Gachette wrote history of his own that evening, setting SBU records for pass attempts (61) and completions (40), which he would later break (both records) in the game with Fort Hays. "You have to go back to 2006 for the whole story," reflected Allen. Here in Bolivar, we had a 2 score lead in 2006, and lost it. Then last season in Searcy, we lost the game right at the end."
SCORING STREAK
SBU is on track to break their consecutive games without being shutout in the last game of this season. Should the Bearcats score in all 11 games in the 2008 campaign, they will have avoided the shutout for 44 straight times against Missouri S&T on November 8, which passes the old mark of 43 set in the 10th game of the 1992 season.
