Football 11/1/2022 2:18:00 PM Chris Brannick

UCO To Make Final Road Trip

Central Oklahoma Takes On Nebraska Kearney In Week 10 MIAA Football

KEARNEY, Neb. – Central Oklahoma visits Nebraska Kearney in Week 10 in what will be the final road game for the Bronchos in 2022.

UCO takes a 5-4 record to Kearney and is looking to snap a two-game slide. Following a four-game win streak, Central has dropped its last two at Washburn and at home to Pitt State. UNK is 6-3 on the season and is also coming off a Homecoming loss. The Lopers were upended by Northwest Missouri State last week.

Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m.

Central Oklahoma leads the all-time series against Nebraska Kearney 6-4, while Kearney did win the most recent meeting, 37-22, last season in Edmond. The Bronchos won at Kearney in 1979 in an NAIA playoff game. The teams split meetings in 1993-94. Since both schools became MIAA members, Central Oklahoma has a 4-3 lead in the series.

Central Oklahoma is averaging 24.0 points per game through nine games played this season, and the Bronchos concede 23.2 points per game. UCO averages 344.1 yards of total offense per game, with a 201.7 - 142.4 split passing to rushing. On defense, the Bronchos allow 344.1 yards per game, splitting that same number 204.3 (passing) to 139.8 (rushing). Central Oklahoma has gained and given up 3,097 yards in nine games.

Defensively, UCO allows 344.1 yards per game and 23.2 points per game, but the Bronchos rank among the best in the MIAA in a few spots. Central Oklahoma leads the MIAA in interceptions (12), turnovers gained (17) and defensive fourth-down conversion percent (63.4). UCO has the No. 5 total defense, run defense and pass defense in the league.

Dylan Buchheit leads UCO with 54 tackles this season. Central Oklahoma has four linebackers that regularly rotate among the leaders in stopping the ball. Blake Barron is second on the team with 48 tackles, Connor Johnson has 45 stops, and Chase Faber (39) and Noah West (32) are almost always in on a play. West also has eight tackles for a loss this season and a team-high 4.5 sacks, as well as two interceptions. Robert Fuentes, who has 26 tackles, has a team-high nine in the backfield with 3.5 sacks.

Central Oklahoma's secondary has also been big this season, leading the MIAA with 12 interceptions through nine games. UCO's 17 takeaways are also a league high. Kobey Stephens, West, and Emmonte Davis all have two picks each, while Faber, Tre'Vaughn Craig, Aaron Hamilton, Tavius McDonald, Johnson, and Johnathan Mosley all have one interception. UCO also has 31 passes broken up in nine games.

Stephon Brown leads the Central offense. The 6-foot-5 quarterback, who earned MIAA co-Offensive Player of the Week honors for Week 7, has 1,492 yards passing and 309 yards rushing in nine games while accounting for 16 touchdowns. Brown is 138-for-207 passing the ball this season. His 66.7 percent completion rate ranks eighth in NCAA Division II. Brown threw for a career-high 281 yards in Week 6 and followed that with a new career-high 381 yards and three touchdowns in Week 7.

Central Oklahoma has lost a few running backs over the last couple of weeks, but the Bronchos still have options alongside Brown in the backfield. Brown is the leading rusher with 309 yards, but Jaylen Cottrell is a close second with 304 yards rushing through nine games. Cottrell has 49 carries for 304 yards, a 6.2 yards per carry rate that ranks third in the MIAA. Nasir Kemper (45-187) and Andrew Carney (19-65) are also contributors in the backfield. Brown has a team-high five rushing touchdowns, Cottrell has three, and Kemper and Carney both have two scores.

17 players have caught a pass for the Bronchos this season and eight of those have at least 10 catches. Oscar Hammond has a team-high 25 receptions through nine games with 327 yards and one touchdown - and 80-yard score against Fort Hays State. Jacob Delso has a team-high 332 yards on 24 receptions and he has four touchdowns, including a 53-yard TD catch. Nasir Kemper has also been active in the pass game from his running back position with 18 receptions for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Dominique Dunn has 10 for 140 yards and one touchdown. Daunte McGee (18-150) also has a touchdown catch.

In special teams, Nicky Quevedo and David Vargas have been solid for the Broncho kicking game. Quevedo is 10-for-12 on field-goal attempts this season, missing only a 53-yarder that had the distance but drifted wide left, and 42-yarder that did the same. He also 24-for-26 on extra points and leads the team with 54 points this season. On kickoffs, Quevedo is averaging 61.0 yards per kick on 46 attempts, with 22 touchbacks. Vargas is averaging 41.1 yards per punt this season. He has pinned the opponents inside the 20-yard line 14 times and has 10 punts over 50 yards, including a season-high of 59 yards.

Central Oklahoma has just two weeks left in the 2022 regular season. After this weekend's visit to Nebraska Kearney, the Bronchos are scheduled to host Central Missouri in Week 11. The UCM game in Edmond will celebrate both the Senior Class for the Bronchos and is Military Appreciation Day at Central.

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