BETHANY, Okla. –  After displaying their most successful season in the Division II era last year, Southern Nazarene Football returned to the field Thursday night for their 2023 season-opener, hosting the No. 15 Harding Bisons, who gave the Storm some trouble last year in Bethany. The Bisons carried over their dominance this season, spoiling SNU's season opener with the 53-20 win.
 
The Bisons (1-0, 1-0 GAC) took control of the game early, scoring seven touchdowns before the Storm (0-1, 0-1 GAC) could answer. Harding dominated the ground game, rushing for 282 yards on 57 attempts, good for 322 total yards. The Storm had the better passing game, recording 177 yards in the air which also contributed to 322 total yards. Harding's defense was the difference-maker, causing SNU to commit numerous turnovers over the course of the evening. 
 
The Bisons opened the game with a 10-play, 53-yard drive that earned them their first touchdown from the SNU three. The Storm were unable to answer in the next possession as Harding forced a quick three-and-out but made up for it on the defensive end, downing the Harding quarterback to end their drive with a punt. 
 
It wasn't long before Harding regained possession, picking off SNU deep in Storm territory to push for another rushing touchdown, bumping their lead to 14-0. Another Storm turnover turned into a feisty Harding offense as they added two additional touchdowns and pulled away from the Storm with 8:21 left in the second quarter, leading 28-0.
 
Harding's defense was also troubling for the Storm late in the second quarter as they forced another SNU fumble that paved the way for their fourth rushing touchdown of the evening. With just under a minute to change the momentum, SNU worked quickly in the last possession of the half, but their 67-yard drive was cut short after another interception on 1st and 10. 
 
SNU remained without a score moving into halftime with Harding on top at 35-0. 
 
Southern Nazarene started the second half with a big defensive stop at the Harding 24, forcing a Bisons fumble for a loss of six and a third down. Gage Porter was quick with the response, dancing through the middle of the Bisons' defense for SNU's first touchdown of the game. 
 
The Bisons added on points in their next two possessions, securing another rushing touchdown and the game's first field goal. With Harding ahead 46-6, Porter cut the deficit once more, capping off a 75-yard drive with his second rushing touchdown of the night to start the final quarter. 
 
Keeping the distance, Harding pieced together a strong drive midway through the fourth quarter, storming down the field for a 24-yard touchdown to take their lead to 53-13. The teams traded possessions and SNU was able to lessen the blow at the 1:30 mark as Jarvis Davis connected with Angel Ramirez for a six-yard score. With a final score of 53-20, SNU walked away with a tough loss in their first home game of the season. 
 
Up Next 
 
Southern Nazarene will be on the road the next two Saturdays, gearing up for Arkansas Tech on September 9th followed by a matchup with Northwestern Oklahoma State on September 16th. The Storm lost to Tech on the road last year, but picked up the win over NWOSU in Bethany.