Griffons Run Past UCO

10/5/2013 11:02:00 PM

Antonio Jenkins

Game Statistics
Photo Gallery

EDMOND (Oct. 5) – More than 500 yards total offense and a record-setting return outing by Marquez Clark wasn't enough for Central Oklahoma against No. 6-ranked Missouri Western Saturday night at Wantland Stadium.

The winless Bronchos stunned the defending Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association champions early with a game-opening touchdown drive, but the unbeaten Griffons scored on six of eight first-half possessions to open up a 35-17 halftime lead and went on to claim a 63-30 victory.

UCO finished with 516 total yards and the electrifying Clark amassed 365 all-purpose yards, the second-highest total in school history. The junior wide receiver caught nine passes for 139 yards, returned three punts for a single-game school-record 127 yards – including a 60-yard touchdown – and had five kickoff returns for 99 yards.

Adrian Nelson completed 11-of-15 passes for 187 yards and ran for two first-quarter touchdowns before sitting out the second half because of injury and redshirt freshman T.J. Eckert was 8-of-22 passing for 124 yards while adding 37 yards rushing.

All that wasn't enough against MWSU, which ran for 319 of its 522 total yards in improving to 5-0 on the year and 4-0 in the league.

Running back Raphael Spencer gouged the Bronchos for 221 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries and quarterback Travis Partridge ran for four short TDs in addition to passing for 203 yards and a score.

"We got off to a great start, but we had a couple of turnovers in the first half that hurt us and we dug ourselves too big a hole," UCO coach Nick Bobeck said. "Missouri Western has a great football team and we made too many mistakes in every area."

The Bronchos started the game with a bang as Nelson rolled out and threw a 56-yard bomb to Christian Hood on the first play following the kickoff to get UCO to the MWSU 19-yard-line. Nelson ended the quick-strike drive five plays later with a one-yard scoring plunge and Seth Hiddink's extra point had the Bronchos on top 7-0 after just two minutes of play.

The Griffons scored the next 14 points, the second of those two touchdowns set up by an interception at the UCO 34, but Central came back to tie it on Nelson's seven-yard keeper that capped a 66-yard drive keyed by Jake Gandara's 38-yard gallop.

Missouri Western ended a wild first quarter on Spencer's 11-yard scoring run to go ahead 21-14 and the Griffons sandwiched two second-period TDs around Hiddink's 21-yard field goal to take a 35-17 advantage into intermission.

UCO lost a fumble at the MWSU 21 late in that quarter and Partridge's seven-yard pass with just 10 seconds remaining ended a 79-yard drive that gave the Griffons their big halftime cushion.

An MWSU touchdown drive to open the second half made it 42-17, but field goals of 33 and 34 yards by Hiddink – one after an 80-yard punt return score by Clark was wiped out by penalty -- pulled UCO within 42-23 nine seconds into the final period.

The Griffons responded with a long kickoff return that led to a short scoring drive and a 49-23 lead, which Clark cut to 49-30 with 8:56 left to play when he scored UCO's first punt return TD since 2003 with a 60-yard runback.

But any hopes of a miracle comeback ended when MWSU scored on its next possession and the Griffons added a long punt return TD of their own to complete the scoring.

The Bronchos, now 0-5 on the year and in conference play, travel to No. 3-ranked Northwest Missouri next Saturday before returning home Oct. 19 to host Central Missouri.

Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Related Stories