SEARCY, Arkansas — Despite holding 12th-ranked Harding to 12 points in the first half, the University of Arkansas at Monticello football team suffered its fourth straight loss to start the 2015 season, a 47-21 set back to the Bisons on Saturday night in Searcy.

The Weevils (0-4) held the Bisons (4-0) to zero touchdowns in the first quarter, the first time that Harding has been held without a touchdown in the opening quarter since its 2014 matchup with Ouachita on October 18.

The Bisons busted loose for 28 points in the third quarter and 35 points in the second half, started by a touchdown just 20 seconds into the half following a 72-yard kickoff return by Harding's Zach Shelley.  

UAM scored two touchdowns in the third quarter, a 17-yard pass from senior quarterback Hunter Leppert to senior receiver Kevin Beckwith in the back of the end zone at the 12:07 mark and a 90-yard pass from Leppert to sophomore Jalen Tolliver at the 2:33 mark.

That touchdown pass from Leppert to Tolliver was the fourth pass of at least 90 yards in UAM history, the first pass of that distance since 2000 and the longest pass allowed by Harding in First Security Stadium history (since 1958).

UAM scored one more touchdown in the game, a seven-yard pass from Leppert to junior Trevon Smith with 7:28 remaining in regulation.

Overall, the Weevils had 356 yards of offense. Leppert finished the night 16-for-24 for 301 yards with three touchdowns. Tolliver had three catches for 129 yards, sophomore Jeremy Jackson had four for 49 and Smith had three for 42.

Defensively, senior linebacker Ofisa Kose turned in his third straight double-digit tackles performance. He led both teams with 14.

Harding totaled 519 yards of offense in Saturday night's game, 333 of those yards coming on the ground. Harding ran 33 more plays than UAM (83-50) and held the ball for just over 40 minutes of the 60-minute contest.

The Weevils are back in action next Saturday, October 3 on the road against Oklahoma Baptist with a noon kickoff in Shawnee.