Central Oklahoma makes its first post-season appearance since 2003 Saturday when the Bronchos travel to Excelsior Springs, Mo. to take on No. 16-ranked Sioux Falls in the 49th Annual Mineral Water Bowl.
Kickoff at Excelsior Spring High School's Tiger Stadium is 12:00 p.m.
UCO is 8-3 on the season and finished third in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association after being picked 10th and 11th in the two pre-season polls. The Cougars are 10-1 and came in third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
The Mineral Water Bowl pits the highest-finishing teams from the MIAA and NSIC that didn't qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Pittsburg State and Northwest Missouri of the MIAA along with Minnesota State-Mankato and Minnesota-Duluth of the NSIC made the 24-team Division II playoff field.
BACK ON TRACK:Â UCO has equaled its victory total of the previous four seasons combined (eight) in reaching the eight-win mark for the first time since the 2004 squad finished 8-2.
The Bronchos haven't won more than eight games since going 13-0 in 1998 (12-1 before a forfeit win).
UCO IN THE POST-SEASON:Â The Bronchos have made 10 previous post-season appearances, qualifing for the NAIA playoffs six times and the Division II playoffs four times.
UCO is 10-8 in the post-season, 11-7 with a forfeit victory.
The Bronchos went to the NAIA playoffs in 1962, '72, '79, '82, '83 and '85.
UCO won the national championship in 1962 with a 28-13 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne in what was called the Camellia Bowl in Sacramento, Calif. and lost to Texas A&M-Kingsville 20-14 in the 1979 Palm Bowl that decided the NAIA national title.
The Bronchos also claimed the 1982 national crown with a 14-11 win over Colorado Mesa.
Central advanced to the Division II playoffs in 1996, '98, '99 and '03, making the quarterfinals in both 1998 and '03.
ABOUT THE MWB: The Mineral Water Bowl started in 1948 and featured local high school teams the first four years before taking a two-year break. The game resumed in 1954 and pitted small-college teams from around the region for the next 22 years.
The bowl was cancelled in 1975, but returned in 1992 as a junior college post-season game and stayed that way until 2000 when the current arrangement started between the MIAA and NSIC.
MIAA teams have a 10-4 lead over the NSIC in the game, with Missouri Western owning four of those wins and Pittsburg State three.
The Escelsior Springs Quarterback Club sponsors the event.
