A year after Harding University's first undefeated conference championship, the team has a new head coach and starting quarterback.
Paul Simmons, who has been the Bisons' defensive coordinator since 2010, was named "head coach in waiting" in August of last year and assumed his new role after Harding lost 35-0 to eventual NCAA Division II champion Northwest Missouri State in the playoff quarterfinals.
Junior Terrence Dingle will replace Harding's 2016 leading rusher, Park Parish, as quarterback of the Flexbone offense, and Simmons believes Harding will sustain its success.
"We certainly have some guys that are not proven," said Simmons, who has been a defensive assistant at Harding since 2006. "What we've seen over the past several years is that the pieces change but the success has not changed. I'll be disappointed if we take a step back on offense. And surprised."
Dingle's only start came in a Week 8, 35-7 victory over East Central University, which finished the season 1-10.
"He's waited a long time for his time," said Simmons, who has been a defensive assistant since 2006. "And his time is here. I look forward to seeing him get his chance."
The quarterback transition -- paired with the loss of four out of Harding's five leading tacklers last season -- landed the defending Great American Conference champions at No. 2 in the GAC's preseason coaching poll, behind Southern Arkansas University.
"It just motivates you," said Dingle, who will be joined in the backfield by returning running backs Zach Shelley (688 yards, 6 touchdowns) and Romar Reades (486 yards, 7 touchdowns). "A lot of people focused on what we lost instead of what we still have. A lot of guys who are going to have big roles this year had big roles last year. I don't think Harding has lost to Southern Arkansas since I've been here, and I don't plan on that happening now."
Harding will play at Southern Arkansas on Sept. 9, which will be the earliest the teams have played each other since they also played each other in Week 2 in 2011. Harding will open this season at Henderson State, which is picked No. 3 in the coaches poll, on Aug. 31.
"The schedule-maker didn't do us any favors, that's for sure," Simmons said. "But I like the urgency it's created in practice all summer long."
Southern Arkansas Coach Bill Keopple is just getting used to his team being picked at the top.
"From what I know, it's not something that's happened here in the history of the school," said Keopple, who in 2009 inherited a team that had gone 18-35 in the years since its 2003 playoff appearance. "That means we've turned the corner."
Keopple has a 42-42 record in eight seasons at Southern Arkansas -- a career that started 7-23 in his first three seasons.
"It couldn't really have been a whole lot worse as a program at the time," said Keopple, a Parkview High graduate who served as an assistant under Houston Nutt in 1998 and 1999 at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. "It's just about the kind of guys you get ... and we have the best team we've probably had here."
The Muleriders return nine starters on defense and eight starters on offense, which include junior running back Michael Nunnery (1,110 yards, 12 touchdowns) and junior quarterback Barrett Renner, who led the GAC in passing (3,371 yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions) last season. Senior defensive back and leading tackler Elgin Moore (80) returns along with senior linebacker and tackle-for-loss leader Corey Jenkins (10.5).
"There's depth everywhere," Keopple said.
Southern Arkansas will open the season at Arkansas Tech University on Aug. 31. The Muleriders have gone 0-4 in Russellville during Keopple's tenure, but a victory would set up a decisive matchup with Harding the next week.
"I know they've got a lot coming back," Keopple said. "They're going to grind you. Don't expect them to drop off very far."
Sports on 08/27/2017