EDMOND (Nov. 16) – Central Oklahoma accepted an invitation to the 49th Annual Mineral Water Bowl Sunday, with the Bronchos set to take on Sioux Falls on Dec. 6 in Excelsior Springs, Mo.
It will be the first-ever bowl appearance for UCO, which is 8-3 on the season and finished third in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The No. 16-ranked Cougars are 10-1 and came in third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Game-time is 12 p.m. at Tiger Stadium. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by contacting the UCO Ticket Office (ehooker1@uco.edu/405-974-2140) or clicking here.
The Mineral Water Bowl pits the highest-finishing teams from the MIAA and NSIC that don't qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs. Pittsburg State and Northwest Missouri of the MIAA along with Minnesota State-Mankato and Minnesota-Duluth of the NSIC made the 24-team playoff field.
"This is a great opportunity for our program and we're certainly excited about the chance to play another game," UCO head coach Nick Bobeck said. "It will be invaluable experience for us as a young football team with the additional practices we'll get.
"Our players were really pumped when we gave them the news today and I know they'll work hard over the next few weeks preparing to meet what we know will be a great team in Sioux Falls."
The Bronchos were picked for a low finish in the MIAA this season after having combined for just eight wins the last four years, but UCO won its first three games en route to reaching the eight-win mark for the first time since 2004.
It will be the 11th post-season appearance for the Bronchos, who have qualified for the playoffs 10 times and won two national championships (1962 and '82).
Sioux Falls' lone loss this season was a 27-14 setback to top-ranked MSU-Mankato.
The Cougars are averaging 42.7 points a game behind quarterback Luke Papilion (2,550 passing yards) and running back Nephi Garcia (1,108 rushing yards). USF is allowing just 18.1 points a game behind linebacker Cameron Ostrom (69 tackles) and defensive back Solomon St. Pierre (10 interceptions).
