Game Statistics
STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Sept. 20) – A stunning 93-yard kickoff return on the final play of the first half gave Tarleton State some breathing room and the No. 16-ranked Texans went on to hand Central Oklahoma a 42-17 Lone Star Conference setback here Saturday night.
The Bronchos went toe-to-toe with Tarleton in first half and trailed just 21-17 after Chad Susman's field goal with three seconds left, but Roderick Smith fielded the ensuing kickoff at his own seven and raced up the middle of the field for a back-breaking touchdown.
UCO wouldn't score again and the unbeaten Texans put the game away with two second-half touchdowns. The Bronchos fell to 0-4 overall and 0-3 in the league with its third loss to a ranked team, while Tarleton improved to 4-0 and 3-0.
“We came out and played pretty well in the first half, especially offensively, and giving up that touchdown on the kickoff return really hurt,” UCO coach Tracy Holland said. “We just have to keep moving forward and get ready for next week.”
The Bronchos racked up 219 total yards in the first two quarters against a Tarleton defense that entered the contest allowing just 163.0 yards a game, which led the league and ranked second in Division II.
It was a different story in the final two quarters as UCO managed just 36 yards in the second half, including minus-21 rushing. The Texans finished with 484 yards, 252 passing and 232 rushing.
UCO had its two most impressive offensive possessions of the season in the first quarter, mixing the run and pass effectively in embarking on 76- and 80-yard touchdown drives the first two times it touched the ball.
Alex Gibson got the starting nod at quarterback and took the Bronchos 80 yards in nine plays to open the game as UCO jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead.
Jason Palmer touched the ball the first seven plays of the game, rushing five times for 23 yards and catching two passes for 17 more.
Da'Marean Pullen did the rest, taking an inside handoff against a Tarleton blitz and picking up 29 yards before going untouched up the middle from 11 yards out on the next play for the go-ahead touchdown.'
The Texans answered back with an 88-yard TD drive to tie it, but UCO responded with another lengthy scoring march to regain the lead.
This time the Bronchos went 76 yards in 17 time-consuming plays, making three key third-down conversions as well as converting a short fourth-down gamble.
Gibson hooked up with Ryan Gallimore for six yards on a third-and-four play early and Brandon Noohi came in to pick up two yards on a fourth-and-one quarterback sneak to keep the drive alive at the TSU 35-yard-line.
UCO solved a third-and-nine dilemma moments later with a 16-yard shuttle pass from Gibson to Pullen and Pullen followed with runs of four and 13 yards to get the Bronchos to a first-and-goal at the two.
Gibson got the score on a third-and-goal from the four, finding Palmer wide open with a swing pass around the left side. Susman's second extra point gave UCO a 14-7 lead with 57 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Smith capped another long Tarleton drive with his second TD run to tie it again and the Texans followed a UCO punt with a quick-strike 69-yard march to go on top 21-14 with 6:09 left in the half.
Linebacker #K.C. Asiodu# stopped TSU's next possession with a leaping interception and 23-yard return to the Texan 47 in the final minute, with Gibson passes of 15 and eight yards to Lee VonTungln and a personal foul penalty setting up a 37-yard Susman field goal that got UCO with 21-17 with just three seconds remaining.
But the speedy Smith then stunned the Bronchos with his long kickoff return to give Tarleton its 11-point halftime lead.
Defense kept UCO close most of the third quarter, even though a roughing-the-passer penalty took away an interception and long return by Prentise Muse that would have had the Bronchos deep in TSU territory.
That penalty enabled the Texans to move to the UCO 11, but Caleb Prince blocked a 28-yard field goal attempt to keep the deficit at 11. The Bronchos followed with a promising drive that was thwarted by a lost fumble and long return that set up Smith's fourth TD of the game
Tarleton finished the scoring with a short interception return in the fourth quarter.
Gibson finished 24-of-35 passing for 175 yards, with VonTungeln catching eight of those for 68 yards.
UCO returns home next week to open LSC North Division play against Texas A&M-Commerce.
