KUTZTOWN, Pa. — There’s a specific reason why Harding and Kutztown (Pa.) University are two of the best in NCAA Division II at both rushing and stopping the run.

Expect the front lines to take center stage when the Bisons and Bears meet in the national semifinals on what’s expected to be a frigid Saturday afternoon. The winner takes on either Ferris (Mich.) State or Newberry (S.C.) on Dec. 20 for the championship in McKinney, Texas, and on a day where the weather may suit ground-and-pound tactics, there is a good chance the interior units for both Harding and Kutztown will have a say-so in which team will be practicing or packing up equipment next week.

“I tell you what, their O-line is definitely a strength,” Harding Coach Paul Simmons said of Kutztown. “That’s a really, really talented group. They’ve also got a 6-8 tackle that will be in an NFL camp in the fall, without a doubt.”

That tackle, Ryan Schernecke, has played a big part in the Bears averaging 219.7 rushing yards, a mark which ranks No. 16 in Division II. The 330-pound redshirt senior was one of eight finalists for the Gene Upshaw Award that’s given annually to the top Division II lineman in the country. Schernecke finished fifth in voting for the award, while Ferris State offensive tackle Tim Anderson won it Friday.

Schernecke has started 14 games at left tackle for the Bears, who have nearly as many passing yards (2,963) as they do rushing yards (3,076).

The three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection has routinely been the guy running backs Steven Burkhardt and Jaedyn Stewart follow behind to churn out yardage. The duo has a combined 1,706 yards on the ground and 20 rushing touchdowns.

Last week, Kutztown ran for 216 yards during its 51-29 victory over Frostburg (Md.) State in the quarterfinals. That mark represented the 10th time it eclipsed the 200-yard rushing mark in a game this season, but even that pales in comparison to what Harding does on a regular basis.

The Bisons have carried for 400 yards or more in a game 11 times, including twice during the postseason, and averages a nation-leading 450.5 rushing yards. Harding also has an Upshaw finalist in runner-up Jake Mitchell, a 6-2, 270-pound senior who was a first-team All-Great American Conference selection this season.

With Mitchell leading the way, Harding has generated 6,308 yards rushing, which broke the NCAA all-division record of 6,160 that it set in 2023.

But the effective running games the Bisons and Bears employ are also why the play of their defensive lines are expected to be pivotal.

Kutztown allows 77.9 rushing yards while Harding yields 106.4 yards, which ranks No. 3 and No. 17, respectively, in Division II. Both units are the catalysts of their overall defense, too. The Bisons give up 249.2 yards — the No. 1 mark in the nation — and the Bears are fourth at 260.6 yards.

The teams are also close in tackles behind the line of scrimmage, with Harding totaling 86 stops and Kutztown tallying 82.

“They’ve been really close up there as one of the top teams in the country, with their stats on defense,” Simmons said about the Bears. “The strength of their team, at least on defense, is the D-line. I really do expect them to mix it up some and show us several different looks, but that’s what we prepare for every single week.

“We don’t know what to expect so we practice against every front every week. If you told me they were going to get in the same front and sit in it all game, I doubt very strongly that that’s going to happen. We think they’ll jump from front to front to front.”