Game Statistics
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Nov. 13) -- Central Oklahoma's long tenure in the Lone Star Conference came to an inglorious end here Saturday afternoon when the Bronchos fell to Angelo State 49-35 in the season finale.
It was the sixth straight loss for UCO, which finished 2-9 overall -- its worst finish since an 0-10-1 campaign in 1989 -- and 2-8 in the league. The Bronchos, members of the LSC since 1988, will play as NCAA Division II independents next year before joining the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in 2012.
UCO was in the game most of the way and tied it 35-35 with its opening drive of the third quarter, but the offense netted just 56 yards on its final seven possessions and the Rams scored twice in the final 9:40 to take the win.
Quarterback Ethan Sharp hit 27-of-47 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns with two second-half interceptions as the Bronchos finished with 364 total yards. Daniel Morrell led the receivers with five catches for 84 yards and a TD and Josh Birmingham rushed for 92 yards, though he was held without a touchdown for the first time this season.
ASU racked up 510 total yards, with Josh Neiswander connecting on 28-of-44 passes for 391 yards and five TDs.
The Rams broke a 28-28 halftime tie with a quick touchdown on their first possession of the third quarter, but UCO came back with its most impressive drive of the game.
The Bronchos went 72 yards in 15 plays, converting three third-and-short situations en route. Birmingham carried five times for 29 yards while adding a seven-yard reception and Sharp was 6-of-9 passing for 42 yards in the drive, which ended when Sharp hit a sliding Carter Whitson with an eight-yard scoring strike.
That made it 35-35 with 6:48 left in the third quarter and it stayed that way until ASU went ahead to stay with 9:40 left on Neiswander's five TD pass of the game. The Rams added an insurance score with 2:12 remaining.
The two teams combined for 506 yards and 56 points in a back-and-forth first half that ended in a 28-28 stalemate.
ASU took a 7-0 lead on its first possession of the game, but the Bronchos came back with 14 unanswered points to go in front as Sharp ran for one score and threw for another.
The sophomore quarterback hit 6-of-7 passes for 48 yards in UCO's tying 73-yard TD drive and capped it with a five-yard keeper when he rolled left as if to throw before taking off and diving in for the score.
Creadell Pennon had a 21-yard punt return to the ASU 44-yard-line to set up the Bronchos' next score, with UCO needing just five plays to cover that distance.
Whitson started it with an 18-yard pass to Dolphin Davis on a flea-flicker and then Birmingham ripped off a 16-yard run up the middle. Sharp got the score three plays later with a seven-yard TD pass to Bryce Davis, who made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone.
The Rams answered back with quick 68-yard drive to tie it at 14-all, but UCO went back on top 21-14 when Sharp ended a 64-yard march with a 20-yard TD toss to Morrell.
ASU scored on its next two possessions to grab a 28-21 lead late in the half, with the Bronchos tying it with a quick-strike 56-yard drive in the final minute.
Sharp drilled a 38-yard pass between two defenders to Morrell to start it, scrambled for no gain on first down from the ASU 18 and then found Tucker Holland crossing the middle for the score with just 50 seconds left in the half.
Sharp ended the season with 2,444 passing yards, which ranks fifth on UCO's single-season list, and Birmingham ended up tied for eighth on the school rushing chart with 1,250 yards.
