UCO Loses To No. 5 Ichabods

10/15/2011 4:05:00 PM

Christian Hood

Game Statistics

TOPEKA, Kan. (Oct. 15) -- Future conference rival and No. 5-ranked Washburn had too many weapons and was simply too much for Central Oklahoma here Saturday afternoon.

The Bronchos -- who join WU in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association next year -- dropped their 11^th straight road game with a 48-3 setback to the unbeaten Ichabods (7-0), who rolled up 565 yards and had six passing touchdowns.

It was the sixth road game in seven outings for UCO, which fell to 1-6 with its worst loss since a 54-0 defeat to Texas A&M-Commerce in 1972. The Bronchos end the season with four straight home games, starting with next Saturday's 2 p.m. contest against Fort Hays State.

UCO finished with 303 yards, with Ethan Sharp hitting 22-of-36 passes for 161 yards before giving way to Landon Greve in the final period. Christian Hood caught seven passes for 64 yards to lead the receivers and Joshua Birmingham ended up with 49 yards rushing in 16 tries.

Washburn passed for 417 yards and rushed for 148 in their 565-yard outing. Senior star Dane Simoneau, who entered the game with a school-record 9,001 career passing yards, hit 19-of-31 attempts for 338 yards and five TDs to lead the Ichabods.

UCO trailed 24-3 at intermission and used a goal-line stand to force the Ichabods into a chip-shot field goal to open the third quarter in falling behind 27-3.

But the Bronchos fumbled on their first play following the kickoff and WU needed just three plays to cover 24 yards and up the margin to 34-3.

UCO had its best touchdown threat on the following series before turning the ball over on downs at the Washburn five after reaching a first-and-goal at the six.

Birmingham picked up two yards on a fourth-and-one play to keep the drive alive and Sharp's 34-yard pass to Hood got the Bronchos to the six. But UCO managed just one yard in three plays before Sharp's fourth-down pass was knocked down in the end zone.

Washburn came back out to provide the knock-out punch, getting a 75-yard run on first down from the five before Simoneau's fifth TD pass of the game made it 41-3 early in the fourth period.

The Ichabods racked up 276 first-half yards -- 228 passing -- and scored with 22 seconds left to build a 24-3 halftime cushion as Simoneu had three touchdown passes.

Washburn took a quick 7-0 lead on the opening possession of the game as Simoneau tossed a 15-yard scoring pass on a fourth-and-one play and UCO picked up a couple of first downs before Greve pinned the Ichabods at their own one with a 45-yard punt.

The Bronchos nearly recovered a fumble at the one two plays later and before WU got out of trouble with a 22-yard pass, but Drake Ballew forced another fumble a few plays later and Keno Meadows recovered at the Ichabod 39.

UCO managed only two yards before Chris Robbs was short on a 55-yard field goal and Washburn came back with a 59-yard drive that ended in a 21-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead with 1:15 left in the first period.

The Ichabods pushed that to 17-0 five minutes into the second quarter with a quick-strike 76-yard scoring drive capped by Simoneau's 58-yard TD pass to DeJuan Beard.

The Bronchos came back with their best drive of the first half, moving 53 yards in 10 plays to reach a first-and-10 at the WU 18 as Sharp had passes of 14 yards to Tucker Holland and 16 to Artrell Woods.

Andy Mensah just missed on a diving catch in the end zone on second down from there and a penalty ended up forcing UCO to settle for Robbs' 40-yard field goal with 6:53 left in the half to make it 17-3.

Washburn responded with its last-second scoring drive that Simoneau ended with an eight-yard TD pass to up the lead to 24-3 at the break.

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