Bronchos Fall To No. 6 North Alabama

9/1/2011 10:57:00 PM

Tucker Cason

Game Statistics

FLORENCE, Ala. (Sept. 1) -- Turnover-prone Central Oklahoma hung tough with No. 6-ranked North Alabama for most of the game before dropping a 31-10 season-opening decision here Thursday night before 11,072 Braly Stadium fans.

UCO trailed just 14-3 at halftime despite losing three fumbles -- equaling the number it had in 11 games last season.-- and then threw an interception on the second play of the third quarter to set up a short UNA field goal drive.

The Lions broke a long touchdown run on their next possession to make it 24-3, but the Bronchos hung tough and pulled within 24-10 after three periods. UNA finally put the game away on a short TD run with just over four minutes remaining.

“We fought hard and did a lot of positive things against an excellent football team,” head coach Tracy Holland said. “Obviously we made a lot of mistakes, especially putting the ball on the ground like we did the first half, but I was encouraged with what I saw from our guys tonight.”

UCO finished with 388 yards, getting 351 passing and 37 rushing. The Lions ended with 418 yards (232 rushing, 186 passing).

Quarterback Ethan Sharp set school records for completions and attempts in going 41-of-71 for 351 yards -- the seventh-best yardage game at UCO -- and a touchdown. Freshmen wide receivers Christian Hood (9 catches, 74 yards) and Steve Caldwell (8-84) had impressive collegiate debuts, while running back Joshua Birmingham was 12-for-44 rushing and 8-for-55 receiving.

Safety Keno Meadows (13 tackles, 1.5 for loss), linebacker Tucker Cason (12 tackles, two for loss) and safety Devoris Dozier (seven tackles, two interceptions) led UCO's defense.

The Bronchos actually led 3-0 on a Chris Robbs field goal late in the opening quarter, with UCO missing an excellent chance to get more points there after taking over at the UNA 17-yard-line on Devoris Davis' interception and short return.

Sharp threw three straight incomplete passes -- the third one going off the fingertips of Bryce Davis inside the five -- before Robbs connected from 34 yards out with 4:25 left in the period.

Robbs had earlier missed a 36-yard try, thwarting a 57-yard drive from the UCO 24 to the UNA 19 that included a 26-yard pass from Sharp to Caldwell and a 19-yard burst up the middle by Birmingham.

The Lions took a 14-3 lead early in the second period with back-to-back touchdown drives and had a chance to add to that in the final minute after recovering UCO's third lost fumble at the Broncho 46.

UNA drove to the UCO 12, but Dozier came up with his second interception of the half in the back of the end zone with 23 seconds left as Keith Sampson applied heavy pressure up the middle.

The Lions appeared poised to blow the game open early in the third quarter, turning the quick interception into a short field goal and then breaking a 69-yard scoring run on their next possession to go up 24-3 barely four minutes into the second half.

But the Bronchos wouldn't go away easily, keeping UNA at bay and then recovering a fumbled punt at the Lion 17 to set up a one-play TD drive.

Sharp broke the single-game pass attempt record on the score, with Tucker Holland making a nice over-the-shoulder grab in the end zone to trim the Lions' lead to 24-10 with 2:04 left in the third stanza.

It stayed that way until the UNA finally put the stubborn Bronchos away with a 59-yard scoring drive that ended on a six-yard run with 4:24 remaining.

UCO goes on the road again next week, traveling to Durant to take on Southeastern Oklahoma at 6 p.m. on Sept. 10.

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