Football 9/2/2019 8:43:00 AM Chris Brannick

UCO Opens 2019 Season Thursday

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma football team opens the 2019 season Thursday with a 7 p.m. matchup against Pittsburg State. Gates at Wantland Stadium open at 5:30 p.m.

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Central Oklahoma opens a new season – the 113th football season in school history – coming off back-to-back 8-4 seasons and back-to-back bowl victories. UCO also went 8-4 in 2014 and 7-5 in 2015, winning a bowl game in the latter of those two seasons. The Bronchos are the fourth-winningest program in Division II history with 635 all-time wins.

"We're excited to get started," eighth-year head football coach Nick Bobeck said. "We're ready to see how the guys do in a live situation. We've had a really good camp and we know we have a team that's a little bit bigger and a little bit more athletic, so now we're ready to see them perform when it counts."

Bobeck brings a 38-41 career record into the 2019 season. After a pair of 2-8 seasons in 2012 and 2013, he quickly turned the tide with back-to-back winning seasons and bowl game appearances. Despite a 3-8 mark in 2016, he did the same the previous two years. Bobeck has also developed a reputation of a high-octane, record setting offense and that should be no different in 2019.

UCO returned over 30 letter winners from last year's squad and nearly every offensive starter. Will Collins, Keats Calhoon, and Chandler Garrett all won games at quarterback last season and all three are back this season. The trio accounted over 3,000 yards of passing and 25 touchdowns while also piling up almost 700 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Collins will get the nod in Week 1 but it won't be a surprise to see more than one look from the Bronchos.

The targets this season include a handful of familiar faces. Dustin Basks and Mekail Hall earned All-MIAA honors last season combining for 104 receptions and 1,607 yards. Basks (67-909) hauled in a team-high seven touchdowns while Hall (37-698) had three scores. Johnny Bizzell IV (8-128) and Daunte McGee (7-108) also return. Amonte Phillips and Josh Moore are a pair of newcomers at wide receiver that will factor in this week.

The running backs will also have a new look. T.J. Roberts is a junior college transfer who tallied over 2,000 yards and scored 20 touchdowns there. He'll be the No. 1 guy in the Broncho backfield this week. Taj Griffin, an Oregon transfer, will also see time. And Saboor Daniels, Tucker Pawley, and Payton Scott will also be in the mix in a deep backfield.

Central scored over 30 points per game last season for the second year in a row and also averaged over 400 yards on offense. UCO was 7-0 when scoring at least 30. The Bronchos put up numbers as high as 62 points (a 62-0 win over Northeastern in the President's Cup), racking up 581 yards in the same game.

Defensively, Central looks to continue an upward trend. The Bronchos allowed 20.1 points per game last season and 356 yards of offense. But there were four games that stand out for UCO.

Despite the loss in Week 5, Central held MIAA champ Fort Hays State out of the endzone, and the Bronchos also earned shutout wins over Washburn (34-0), Missouri Southern (31-0), and Northeastern State (62-0).

UCO also had a stretch of six consecutive games without allowing a passing touchdown. Beginning with the Hays game in Week 5 (UCO lost 15-0 after holding FHSU to five field goals), a pair of wins over Missouri Western (17-16) and Central Missouri (33-26) preceded three consecutive shutouts. The UCO defense didn't give up a passing touchdown from Sept. 22 – Nov. 10.

Central has 21 players back that recorded a tackle a season ago. O'Shay Harris leads the bunch having received All-American honors from three different outlets in 2018. He has over 150 career tackles, 16 passes defended, and three interceptions to go with a pair of fumbles forced and a pair of fumbles recovered.

UCO also has a dozen newcomers that will play a role on defense this season. A bigger, faster, and much deeper roster gives the Bronchos plenty to look forward to on that side of the ball.

Pittsburg State returns 13 players that started at least six games last season. The Gorillas – who beat UCO 21-7 in the 2018 season opener – finished 8-3 and one spot ahead of the Bronchos in the MIAA standings. PSU also averaged 30 points per game last season, but just under 400 yards of offense. Pittsburg leads the all-time series against UCO 11-4-1.

Central Oklahoma will play six home games in 2019. After heading to Nebraska in Week 2, the Bronchos return to Wantland Stadium for a Week 3 matchup against Lincoln (Mo.) on Sept. 21.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Dustin Basks: WR; 5' 9"; Senior

#87 Johnny Bizzell IV: WR; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#18 Keats Calhoon: QB; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#7 Will Collins: QB; 6' 2"; Junior

#4 Saboor Daniels: RB; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#16 Chandler Garrett: QB; 6' 4"; Junior

#17 Mekail Hall: WR; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#14 O'Shay Harris: DB; 6' 1"; Senior

#85 Daunte McGee: HB; 6' 4"; Sophomore

#31 Tucker Pawley: RB; 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

#5 Dustin Basks
: 5' 9"; Senior
: WR

#87 Johnny Bizzell IV
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: WR

#18 Keats Calhoon
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: QB

#7 Will Collins
: 6' 2"; Junior
: QB

#4 Saboor Daniels
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: RB

#16 Chandler Garrett
: 6' 4"; Junior
: QB

#17 Mekail Hall
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: WR

#14 O'Shay Harris
: 6' 1"; Senior
: DB

#85 Daunte McGee
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: HB

#31 Tucker Pawley
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman
: RB