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Football Chris Brannick

UCO Visits Tahlequah To Battle For President's Cup

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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The University of Central Oklahoma football team is set to take on Northeastern State Saturday at Doc Wadley Stadium in a Week 10 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association matchup.
 
"This is always a fun game because so many of the kids know each other," UCO head football coach Nick Bobeck said. "There's the rivalry between the schools and the President's Cup. It's a fun game to coach in. There will be a lot of emotion running high on Saturday."
 
The game is played for the President's Cup, as the two intrastate rivals have played for the trophy annually since 1998. The all-time series between the only Oklahoma schools in the MIAA dates back to 1915. Central owns a 48-27-2 all-time advantage in the series and has won 11 of 20 since playing for the cup including each of the last four. UCO won each of the first nine meetings in the series as well and handed their counterparts a shutout in each of those games.
 
Speaking of shutouts, Central Oklahoma has shutout each of the past two opponents this season. The Bronchos beat Washburn 34-0 in Edmond two weeks ago and beat Missouri Southern 31-0 last week in Joplin. It's the first time since 1979 that Central has recorded back-to-back shutouts. That year, the eventual NAIA national runners-up shutout each of its first three opponents.
 
UCO's defense has turned a page this season, becoming one of the toughest to score against in the passing game. Central has allowed only six passing touchdowns in eight games and a meager three passing TDs in eight of its nine games. It's been a over a month since the Bronchos last gave up a score through the air - Sept. 29 against Northwest Missouri. Central's 181 passing yards allowed per game ranks second in the MIAA and 33rd in Division II.
 
Colton Lindsey leads the Central defense from the middle linebacker position with 70 tackles this season. He had a team-high 100 tackles last year as a junior. The Norman, Okla. native also has two interceptions, a fumble forced and a fumble recovered. He knocked a ball loose last Saturday against Missouri Southern that teammate O'Shay Harris scooped up and ran 70 yards for a touchdown. Harris is the team's second leading tackler at 56 stops. He also has an interception, five pass breakups, a fumble forced and a fumble recovered.
 
Clay McKenzie yard-by-yard continues to add up the milestones at Central Oklahoma. The sixth-year senior running back from Callisburg, Texas now has 3,115 career rushing yards, eighth all-time at Central. He also has 41 career rushing touchdowns, third-most in school history. McKenzie crossed the 3,000-yard mark on his third carry in a 34-0 win over Washburn. He scored the game's second touchdown to reach his 40th TD. McKenzie also ranks fourth in career all-purpose yards (3,874) and fourth in career scoring (255 points).
 
Northeastern State comes into this week's game averaging 12.3 points per game. The Riverhawks average 242 yards per game, 76 on the ground and 166 in the pass game.
 
Craig Davis has a team-high 379 rushing yards this season, 4.6 per carry, and has three of the team's five rushing touchdowns. Boo McKnight, 39 carries for 115 yards, has the other two scores in the ground game.
 
Jake Pruitt has a team-high 795 passing yards and two TDs. Cade Yeager (488 yards) and Jay Baker (209 yards) also each have two passing touchdowns. Ryheem Brummitt is the team leader with 559 yards receiving on 36 catches. He has three touchdown grabs.
 
Jean Bazlie (74 tackles) and Courtland Clark (72) are the team leaders on the defense. NSU had picked off seven passes this season with Ja'len Evans and Jordan Prince each having two.
 
Central Oklahoma wraps up the 2018 regular season next weekend in Edmond with a showdown against rival-in-the-making Emporia State. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Central won 53-52 last season in Edmond, storming back from down 15 points in the final three minutes of the game to win on a 2-point conversion in the final minute.
 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

O

#14 O'Shay Harris

DB
6' 1"
Junior
Colton Lindsey

#27 Colton Lindsey

LB
6' 4"
Senior
Clay McKenzie

#23 Clay McKenzie

RB
5' 11"
Senior

Players Mentioned

O

#14 O'Shay Harris

6' 1"
Junior
DB
Colton Lindsey

#27 Colton Lindsey

6' 4"
Senior
LB
Clay McKenzie

#23 Clay McKenzie

5' 11"
Senior
RB
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