Big Plays, Big Win

10/1/2011 6:00:00 PM

Joshua Birmingham

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EDMOND (Oct. 1) -- A bevy of big plays paved the way for Central Oklahoma to celebrate Homecoming in style Saturday afternoon at Wantland Stadium, with Joshua Birmingham and Creadell Pennon leading the parade.

Birmingham had a 74-yard touchdown jaunt and set up a field goal with a 60-yard scamper en route to a 233-yard rushing game, while Pennon returned one of his three interceptions a record-tying 100 yards for a score as the Bronchos rolled over East Central 41-21 to snap a frustrating 10-game losing streak.

UCO improved to 1-4 in its home opener and beat the Tigers for the sixth straight time in dropping ECU to 3-2.

“It was good to be home, there's no doubt about that,” head coach Tracy Holland said. “I couldn't be more proud of our guys for the way they've hung in there this year through everything we've been through. They played incredibly hard today and we came up with a lot of big plays on both sides of the ball. It was a great, great win for us.”

UCO used Birmingham's cross-country TD run, Pennon's length-of-the-field return and a 24-yard scoring scramble by quarterback Ethan Sharp to open up a 21-0 second-period lead before the Tigers got a last-second field goal to make it 21-3 at the break.

ECU opened the third period with 10 unanswered points to pull within 21-13, but the Bronchos got two TD passes from Sharp in roaring back with a 17-0 run to break the game open.

Birmingham needed just 20 carries to finish with his 233-yard outing that ranks as the sixth-best in school history and the sophomore star added 43 yards on five receptions to finish with 276 all-purpose yards, the third-best at UCO.

Pennon gave the Bronchos a 14-0 second-period lead when he picked off a Tyler Vanderzee pass in the end zone and returned it 100 yards down the sideline. The junior cornerback added two fourth-quarter interceptions and finished with a school-record 115 return yards while adding eight tackles and breaking up two other passes.

The Bronchos finished with a season-high 425 yards as Sharp completed 26-of-36 passes for 176 yards and two scores. He had a 21-yard scoring toss to Bryce Davis late in the third period and a three-yard TD strike Derrick Ingram in the fourth.

Chris Robbs added field goals of 32 and 43 yards for the Bronchos, who go back on the road next Saturday to face Football Championship Subdivision member Cal Poly.

ECU finished with 442 yards, including 360 passing as Tyler Vanderzee hit 26-of-55 attempts, but the Tigers netted just 82 rushing yards in 27 tries.

Safety Keno Meadows, cornerback Brandon Williams and linebacker Tucker Cason had 10 tackles apiece to lead the defense.

Defenses dominated in a scores first quarter before Birmingham got things started on the fourth play of the second period, racing through the middle after taking a direct hand-off out of the wildcat formation and then getting to the sideline for his 74-yard scoring dash.

ECU appeared to be marching for a tying touchdown late in the half, but Pennon stopped that threat when he stepped in front of a Vanderzee pass three yards deep in the end zone and returned it down the sideline the other way for a stunning score. It went down officially as a 100-yard return, tying the record held by three others – including Brandon Williams last week against Southwestern Oklahoma.

UCO's defense forced a quick punt and the Bronchos added another score with just 46 seconds left in the half. Birmingham had a 36-yard burst on a third-and-four play to key that drive and Sharp finished it when he found open daylight after dropping back to pass and scrambled 24 yards to pay dirt.

The Tigers managed to get in range for a 32-yard field goal on the final play of the half to draw within 21-3 at intermission.

ECU got close with 10 straight points in the third period to draw within 21-13 before the Bronchos re-established control.

UCO went 80 yards in eight plays to make it 28-13, ending it when Davis hauled in a 21-yard over-the-shoulder scoring pass from Sharp with 3:46 left in the third quarter.

Pennon set up the next two scores with interceptions, stopping the Tigers with interceptions at the UCO 17- and 32-yard lines.

Birmingham followed the first with a 60-yard dash down the sideline to set up a 32-yard Chris Robbs field goal with 10:14 left to play that made it 31-13 and Birmingham's 28-yard sprint after the second led to Sharp's three-yard TD pass to Ingram on his first career reception.

That upped the lead to 38-13 with 8:39 remaining, with ECU coming back to get its last touchdown at the 7:06 mark to make it 38-21.

The Tigers attempted an onside kick after that score, but Christian Hood recovered at the ECU 43 and UCO ended up getting a 43-yard field goal from Robbs with 2:31 left to complete the scoring.

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