Game Statistics
EDMOND (Nov. 3) – Central Oklahoma may be the least penalized team in the 15-team Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, but it was a slew of key infractions that proved costly Saturday in a frustrating 26-14 Homecoming loss to Southwest Baptist Saturday afternoon at Wantland Stadium.
The Bronchos were flagged 10 times for 106 yards in the contest, with a personal foul call negating a second-half fumble UCO recovered and two penalties – one for kick catching interference, the other for unnecessary roughness – aiding a late drive that led to SBU's clinching score.
The Bearcats wrapped up the win on a nine-yard touchdown pass off a fake field goal with 1:14 left to play, dropping UCO to 2-7 on the year and in league play. SBU improved to 2-8 overall and 2-8 in the conference.
“We made too many mistakes to win the football game,” UCO coach Nick Bobeck said. “There were times that we made some big plays on both sides of the ball, but we had some big penalties that really hurt us and we didn't do enough right to make up for all the mistakes.”
The Bronchos used 96- and 98-yard touchdown drives to overcome a 10-0 second-quarter deficit and take a 14-10 lead into the final period, but SBU scored 16 unanswered points in the final 12 minutes to earn the win.
A 22-yard field goal with 11:24 left to play pulled the Bearcats within 14-13 and Via Via Manuma put SBU on top 20-14 with a tackle-breaking 74-yard TD dash at the 7:18 mark.
UCO went three-and-out on its next possession and then was penalized 15 yards on the punt to set the Bearcats up at their own 47. The drive appeared to stall at the UCO 24-yard line when a third-and-nine pass fell incomplete, but the Bronchos were called for unnecessary roughness to give SBU a first down at the 12.
Three running plays netted three yards and place-kicker John Colliver came on to try what would have been a 29-yard field goal, but the Bearcats went for the fake and found a wide-open Brad Sundstrom for the clinching TD.
SBU led 10-0 before the Bronchos got their offense untracked late in the first half with a 98-yard scoring drive.
Joshua Birmingham lost a yard on first down before breaking loose for a 17-yard run out to the 18 and UCO scored on the next play when Christian Hood hauled in Adrian Nelson's long-distance heave at the SBU 30 and outran a defender the rest of the way.
The 82-yard score was the eighth-longest TD pass in school history and Chris Robbs' extra point to make it 10-7 with just 1:07 left in the half.
UCO's defense came up big early in the third quarter after a long punt return had the Bearcats in business at the Broncho 14, but Antonio Jenkins and Tyler Newton stopped a quarterback scramble on third down to force a short field goal and Herbert Byrd blocked the kick.
The Bronchos responded with a 10-play, 96-yard drive to take the lead.
Birmingham had an 18-yard run and Nelson an 18-yard pass to Derrick Ingram on a third-and-15 play to key the drive before Birmingham ended it with a 38-yard scoring scamper down the right sideline.
Robbs added the PAT for a 14-10 lead with 5:23 left in the quarter and it stayed that way until SBU's late surge.
Birmingham had another big day to lead the UCO offense, rushing for 171 yards and one TD on a career-high 29 carries as the Bronchos rushed for 230 of their 410 total yards. Nelson was 13-of-28 passing for 180 yards, with Hood catching five passes for 110 yards.
Drake Ballew topped the defense with a career-high 13 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, while Devoris Dozier added 10 stops.
UCO ends the season next Saturday, hosting Northeastern State in the annual President's Cup game at 1 p.m.
