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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Jayce Gardner
29
Winner Washburn WSH 6-2 , 6-2
17
Central Okla. UCO 4-4 , 4-4
Winner
Washburn WSH
6-2 , 6-2
29
Final
17
Central Okla. UCO
4-4 , 4-4
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
WSH Washburn 0 9 7 13 29
UCO Central Okla. 7 0 0 10 17

Game Recap: Football | | Chris Brannick

UCO Loses Wild Homecoming Affair

EDMOND – The University of Central Oklahoma football team lost a wild homecoming affair against Washburn, 29-17, Saturday afternoon at Chad Richison Stadium.
 
"That just came down to a failure to execute," UCO head football coach Nick Bobeck said. "We had our chances but we didn't execute when we needed too. We had mistakes early but we made up for it, and we had a chance late but we just didn't execute tonight."
 
Central Oklahoma took a 17-16 lead on a 5-yard touchdown run by Jayce Gardner with 3:24 to play in the game. But Washburn returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to go back in front 22-17 (the Ichabods of Topeka, Kansas missed the two-point try).
 
Central drove back down the field and had 1st & 10 at the Washburn 19 with under a minute to play. But the Bronchos soon had 4th & 11 from the 20 and on the de facto last play of the game, Keats Calhoon was sacked and fumbled the ball. Washburn returned that fumble 75 yards for another touchdown to earn a 29-17 lead with nine seconds left in the game.
 
UCO only had one pass left as time expired.
 
"There were several key plays that we would like to have back," Bobeck said. "We snapped the ball over our head a couple of times, the blocked punt, there were too many little mistakes that hurt us."
 
Central Oklahoma had 386 total yards of offense Saturday. The Bronchos had 279 yards passing, with Calhoon throwing for 274 of them. The senior lefty was 22-for-34 with one touchdown. He completed a pass to six different receivers and completed at least five passes to four different receivers.
 
His 56-yard long came on the first drive of the game for the Bronchos. After forcing a turnover on downs on the game's first possession, Calhoon hit Markiese King for a 56-yard touchdown that gave the Bronchos a 7-0 lead. The deep bomb capped off a 3-play, 78-yard scoring drive.  
 
King led the Bronchos with six catches for 106 yards and the one touchdown.
 
Washburn tied the game, 7-7, in the second quarter. A blocked punt spurred the scoring drive with the Ichabods only needing 31 yards of offense to get in the end zone.
 
Later in the first half, Central made a huge stop on 4th & goal at its own 1-yard line. But, two plays into the next drive, the Bronchos were stopped for a safety and Washburn took a 9-7 lead into halftime.
 
Washburn made it 16-7 in the third quarter. A 65-yard touchdown pass capped off an 80-yard scoring drive just five minutes into the second half.
 
Then the wild finish came.  
 
Central Oklahoma cut into the lead. Alex Quevedo hit a 23-yard field goal with 6:08 to play to make it 16-10.
 
Washburn then ran five plays for 16 yards and had to punt it back to the Bronchos, but Sherrod Davis, a freshman receiver that towers above most, blocked the punt and set up Central for a huge opportunity, and the Bronchos took advantage.
 
Gardner followed with a huge 20-yard scamper, bulldozing over opponents down to the Washburn 5-yard line. He scored on the next play to give Central a 17-16 lead with 3:24 to play.
 
That's when Washburn returned the kickoff 90 yards for a score. Central went 11 plays for 40 yards before Calhoon fumbled and Washburn tacked on the final tally.
 
Gardner finished with 71 yards on 14 carries to go with one touchdown. Calhoon also had nine carries for 39 yards.
 
Defensively, Derrick Shaw, Darius Hawkins, Lamontre Huval, Michael Slater, Dylan Buchheit and Elijah Wright all had six tackles. Slater added one sack and had two and a half tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Rae'Quan Wicks added one interception on a busted pass play as the first half time expired.
 
Central Oklahoma will hit the road for two of the final three games of the 2021 regular season. The Bronchos play at Pittsburg State in Week 9 before hosting Nebraska Kearney Nov. 6 in the home finale. UCO closes out the regular season at Central Missouri on Nov. 13.
 
 
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