Gallant Effort Comes Up Short

10/8/2011 9:53:00 PM

Game Statistics

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (Oct. 8) – Central Oklahoma put a mighty scare into Cal Poly here tonight before the Football Championship Subdivision-member Mustangs scored the last 20 points of the game to hand the Bronchos a 44-25 setback in a game that was much closer than the final score indicates.

UCO silenced the crowd at Alex G. Spanos Stadium by grabbing a 19-10 halftime lead and the Bronchos overcame two third-quarter Cal Poly scores to go back on top 25-24 early in the final period, but everything fell apart in the final 12 minutes.

The Mustangs took the lead for good with a touchdown on a 52-yard interception return and then put the game away with two scores in the final six minutes -- the final one coming with just 25 seconds left to play – to hand UCO its 10th consecutive road loss and drop the Bronchos to 1-5 on the year.

“I couldn't be more proud of our effort tonight,” said head coach Tracy Holland, whose team goes to Division II No. 5-ranked Washburn next Saturday. “Nobody gave us a chance, but we came out here with the intention of winning the game and we were right there until the end. We did a lot of good things on both sides of the ball and we can take a lot of positives out of this game.”

UCO racked up 221 first-half yards in taking its nine-point lead, but the Bronchos were limited to 71 yards in the final two quarters and the Mustangs used the long interception return and their run-dominated offense to roar back for the win.

Cal Poly scored on two of its first three possessions of the third quarter to take a 24-19 lead before UCO went back on top when Matt Jackson made a spectacular grab on a 21-yard TD pass from Ethan Sharp with 12:53 left to play. The two-point conversion failed, leaving the Bronchos with a 25-24 lead.

UCO got the ball back moments later when Terry Williamson recovered a fumble at the Broncho 43-yard-line, but Asa Jackson picked off a Sharp pass three plays later and ran it back 52 yards for the go-ahead score that sparked Cal Poly's game-winning surge.

The Mustangs stopped UCO on downs and went 55 yards for another touchdown at the 5:54 mark to make it 37-25 and then capped their fourth-quarter onslaught with the final last-second score.

Sharp finished 30-of-50 passing for 290 yards and two TDs. Running back Joshua Birmingham was limited to 24 yards rushing on 11 carries, but he caught six passes for 57 yards and a score while also completing his first career touchdown pass.

Cal Poly finished with 437 total yards, including 304 rushing. Safety Keno Meadows had 11 tackles and linebacker Drake Ballew 10 to lead the defense.

UCO started the game in impressive fashion, taking the opening kickoff and driving 62 yards to take the early lead on a 35-yard Chris Robbs field goal. Sharp's 38-yard pass to Andy Mensah was the big play and the Bronchos reached a first-and 10 at the CP 20 before stalling and sending Robbs on for the go-ahead kick.

The Mustangs came right back with a 76-yard touchdown drive on their first possession to go ahead 7-3 and then followed a quick UCO three-and-out with a short drive that led to a 49-yard field goal to make it 10-3.

But the Bronchos answered back, marching 77 yards in nine plays the next time they got the ball to pull even at 10-10. Sharp had passes of 17 yards to Bryce Davis and 25 to Steve Caldwell to move UCO inside the Cal Poly 10 and on third-and-goal from the seven he found Birmingham with a swing pass for the score that tied it up with 53 seconds left in the opening period.

The Bronchos went back in front at the 5:40 mark of the second quarter when an errant snap sailed over the head of Cal Poly's punter and was downed in the end zone for a safety and UCO took the ensuing free kick 68 yards in 10 plays to open up a 19-10 lead.

Sharp keyed that drive with swing passes of 21 and 22 yards to Birmingham, which helped get the Bronchos to the Cal Poly 16. On third-and-one from there, Birmingham followed blocking back Andy Navarro up the middle for eight yards and a first down and he carried two more times to get UCO to the two.

Birmingham then got the score when he took a direct snap out of the Wildcat formation and leaped up to toss a touchdown pass to a wide-open Davis. Robbs' PAT made it 19-10 with just 2:03 left in the half and that's the lead UCO took into intermission.

The Mustangs scored on their opening possession of the third period to pull within 19-17 and added a 70-yard scoring drive late in the quarter to take a 24-19 lead into the final stanza, with Tucker Cason blocking a short field goal try to keep the Bronchos within a touchdown.

UCO went back in front early in the fourth quarter after Davis recovered a fumbled punt at the CP 42. A second-down holding penalty pushed the Bronchos back to a third-and-12 at the 44, but Sharp found Davis over the middle for 23 yards and then hit Jackson with the go-ahead score on the next play from 21 yards out.

That gave the Bronchos a 25-24 lead with 12:53 remaining after the two-point conversion failed, but it was all Cal Poly after that.

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