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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Stephon Brown
23
Fort Hays St. FHS 1-6 , 1-6
35
Winner Central Okla. UCO 5-2 , 5-2
Fort Hays St. FHS
1-6 , 1-6
23
Final
35
Central Okla. UCO
5-2 , 5-2
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
FHS Fort Hays St. 10 0 7 6 23
UCO Central Okla. 0 16 6 13 35

Game Recap: Football | | Chris Brannick

Bronchos Run Away From Tigers, Win Fourth Straight

UCO Beats Fort Hays State 35-23 In Edmond

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma used a second-half surge to pull away from Fort Hays State Saturday afternoon, earning head coach Adam Dorrel his 100th career victory with a 35-23 win at Chad Richison Stadium.
 
Central Oklahoma is now 5-2 on the season following its fourth consecutive win. The Bronchos improved to 4-0 at home this Fall as well.
 
"We didn't like the way we started and the guys did a good job of correcting some things," Dorrel said. "That's something you like to see. It's not always perfect, but if you can make those corrections and come away with a win, that goes a long way."
 
Dorrel won 76 games at Northwest Missouri from 2011-16 before moving to Abilene Christian, where he won 19 from 2017-21. His five this season at Central Oklahoma bring his career coaching record to 100-42.
 
Saturday, Central Oklahoma got off to a slow start, trailing 10-0 in the first quarter. Fort Hays State got the opening kickoff and drove 60 yards on 10 plays before settling for a field goal. The Tigers then got the ball back on an interception before a 3-yard, 34-yard touchdown scoring drive.
 
But the Bronchos responded after that. A 15-play, 66-yard drive that spanned the final seven minutes of the first quarter and two plays into the second quarter ended with a 25-yard field goal from Nicky Quevedo to put UCO on the board, 10-3.
 
UCO's defense forced a punt on the next possession and then worked a little play-calling magic.
 
On 1st & 10 from its own 20-yard line, Stephon Brown threw a deep pass over the middle of the field to a wide open streaking Oscar Hammond, who hauled it in and trotted into the end zone for the 80-yard score.
 
UCO forced another Hays punt, then produced another big drive. This one took more time, nine plays, but the 72-yard scoring drive also ended with a touchdown and UCO took a 16-10 lead.
 
Brown had passes to Nasir Kemper (17 yards), Madison Ridgeway (18) and Terrill Davis (28). The latter put UCO on the Hays 3-yard line and Kemper ran it in for the score on the next play.
 
UCO got the ball to start the second half and took it 46 yards before settling for a 43-yard field goal from Quevedo.
 
Quevedo hit another 38-yard field later in the quarter. Fort Hays State added its second touchdown of the game late in the frame.
 
The teams went to the fourth quarter 22-17 before a late UCO pullaway.
 
Ridgeway scored on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Brown with 11:14 to play. That capped a 6-play, 48-yard scoring drive and put UCO ahead 28-17.
 
Dominique Dunn then caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Brown with 8:44 to play to give UCO a 35-17 lead.
 
Hays added one late score, with 1:32 to play, to pull it to the final, 35-23.
 
Brown finished with a career night. The Kernersville, N.C. native was 26-for-33 passing for 381 yards and three touchdowns. Brown's 381 yards passing is tied for 12th on Central's single game passing list and the most of any Broncho since 2017.
 
Brown connected with 10 different receivers on Saturday.
 
Hammond was the big target with catches of 80 and 62. He finished with five catches for 148 yards and one touchdown. Davis also had five catches for 38 yards. Ridgeway finished with three for 68 and one score.
 
UCO had 114 rushing yards as a team, led by Kemper's 57 on 13 carries.
 
Defensively, Connor Johnson and Jason Harris both led the Bronchos with seven tackles each. Johnson added one sack for a 10-yard loss.
 
Kobey Stephens, who had one interception and a pass breakup, had six tackles, as did Johnathan Mosley.
 
Robert Fuentes had two sacks in the game and finished with two tackles. Noah West, who made one stop, also had a 34-yard interception return. The pick was returned 72 yards for a touchdown but was brought back due to a penalty.
 
UCO had four turnovers forced on Saturday. Stephens and West had interceptions and Emmonte Davis did too. Payton Hunt also recovered a fumble on a punt return.
 
Central Oklahoma's four-game win streak is the longest since 2018 when the Bronchos won five in a row.
 
UCO hits the road in Week 8 to take on Washburn in Topeka, Kan. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. The Bronchos are back home in Week 9, hosting Pittsburg State at 2 p.m. for Homecoming at Chad Richison Stadium.
 
 
 
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