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EDMOND (Oct. 2) – After 155 plays, it came down to two kicks. Fortunately for Central Oklahoma, both were off the mark.
East Central missed two field goals in the final four seconds and the Bronchos were able to celebrate a thrilling 31-28 Lone Star Conference North Division victory Saturday night at Wantland Stadium.
ECU's Matt Berrey was short on a 45-yard field goal try with four seconds left, but a substitution infraction on UCO resulted in a 15-yard penalty and gave the Tigers another chance. It didn't matter, however, as Berrey was wide left on his 30-yard try at the final horn as the Bronchos escaped.
UCO overcame 14-0 and 21-7 deficits in earning the win, improving to 2-3 on the year, 2-2 in the overall league standings and 1-0 in the North Division.
“It wasn't pretty, but we battled the whole game and found a way to get it done,” UCO coach Tracy Holland said. “We didn't hang our heads when we got behind and did a great job getting back in the game, both offensively and defensively. It's a big, big win for us.”
The Bronchos looked in control after Ethan Sharp's 53-yard touchdown bomb to Daniel Morrell capped a 24-point run that turned a 21-7 second-quarter deficit into a 31-21 lead with 7:10 left to play, but ECU bounced right back.
The Tigers pulled within 31-28 on a touchdown with 4:17 remaining and got the ball back on their own 13-yard-line with 1:20 to play. ECU moved to a first-and-10 at the UCO 27 in the final seconds, but three straight incomplete passes set up the faithful last-second field goal tries.
Sharp was 25-of-43 passing for 268 yards and two TDs as the Bronchos finished with 387 yards. Tucker Holland caught seven passes for 64 yards and Morrell finished with four receptions for 86 yards, while running back Josh Birmingham was limited to 88 hard-earned yards on 28 carries.
Linebackers Tucker Cason (11 tackles, 1.5 for loss) and Turner Troup (10 tackles, 1.0 for loss) led the defense that gave up 401 total yards -- including 320 passing -- but got big interceptions from Keno Meadows, Randy Stanley and Creadell Pennon.
ECU, which entered the contest averaging just 15.0 points and 189.2 total yards a game, racked up 119 yards in its first two possessions to open a quick 14-0 lead.
The Bronchos got on the board in the final minute of the opening period when Birmingham barged across from a yard out to end a nine-play, 71-yard drive that was keyed by Sharp passes of 18 and 30 yards to Greg Everidge.
An 82-yard TD pass put the Tigers back up by 14 at 21-7 midway through the second quarter, with UCO scoring 10 points in the final minutes to get within 21-17 by intermission.
A 12-yard punt set up a 38-yard TD drive that Birmingham jump-started with a 21-yard dash and Sharp ended with a seven-yard scoring toss to Tim Branch, who bowled over an ECU defender at the goal line with 4:03 remaining in the period to make it 21-14.
It looked like it would stay that way, but Stanley picked off a Vanderzee pass at the UCO 46 and returned it to the Tiger 43 with 27 seconds left and the Bronchos picked up 15 yards before Chris Robbs booted through a 45-yard field goal on the final play.
Neither team did much in the third period until UCO started a 16-play, 80-yard scoring drive that started with 3:08 left in the third and ended with 11:55 remaining in the game.
Holland had catches of 11 and 13 yards to convert a pair of third-and-10 problems, Branch ripped off a 16-yard run and Birmingham went for six yards on a fourth-and-one at the ECU 16 before Birmingham finally ended the lengthy march with a two-yard burst.
Cason and Herbert Byrd teamed up for a sack on ECU's next possession to force a quick punt and the Bronchos extended their lead to 31-21 at the 7:10 mark when Sharp hit a wide-open Morrell in stride with the 53-yard bomb.
But the Tigers made it interesting, converting two fourth downs in coming back with a TD drive of their own to get within 31-28 and set up the wild finish.
UCO continues LSC North Division play next Saturday, going to Blackwater Draw, N.M. to take on Eastern New Mexico at 3 p.m.
