Football 10/14/2026 10:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

Central Visits Emporia In Week 7

Bronchos Take On Eighth-Ranked Hornets Saturday Afternoon

EMPORIA, Kan. – Central Oklahoma visits No. 8 Emporia State Saturday afternoon for a Week 7 MIAA matchup at Welch Stadium.

UCO is 3-3 overall on the season and 2-2 in the MIAA. Emporia State is 6-0 overall with a 4-0 mark in league play. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

"This is going to be a tough matchup," UCO interim head football coach Cody Swanson said. "Halfway through the year they've shown they're a really good football team and it's going to take a big effort for all four quarters to get a win. They're going to have a great crowd and it's hard to win on the road. We just need to focus on ourselves, doing what we do best, taking care of the football. If we do those things we can have a chance."

The Bronchos head to Emporia, Kansas averaging 28.3 points per game on 356.7 yards of offense per game. UCO splits its offensive production between 261.6 passing yards and 95.0 rushing yards per game.

Defensively, Central concedes 22.8 points per game on 354.3 total yards per game. Opponents average 181.8 passing yards per game and 172.5 rushing yards per game against the Bronchos. UCO has the No. 1 pass defense in the MIAA and also ranks No. 1 in the league in third-down defense, holding opponents to a 33.3 percent conversion rate.

Reese Roller leads the defensive efforts for Central Oklahoma. The senior linebacker has 59 tackles in six games, with 8.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Roller has two QB hurries and one sack. He has three passes broken up, two interceptions, to fumbles recovered, and one fumble forced. Last week, Roller recovered a fumble and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown.

Chris Fitzpatrick is also leading the way from his linebacker position. The senior has 33 tackles, five in the backfield, and a team-high three sacks. Fitzpatrick has forced two fumbles and has one pass breakup.

A group of defensive backs combine for more than 100 tackles. Christian Cooper (26), Bryant Coley, Antwan Gilbreath, and David Williams, 23 each, and Marcus Works (21), have all been key on defense. Coley has two interceptions, Williams and Works have one each. Gilbreath has a team-high four pass breakups this season.

Cameron Done and Nasir Hudson have a team-high three QB hurries on the defensive line.

While Central's offensive numbers aren't league leading, senior quarterback Jett Huff does have the No. 1 completion percentage in the MIAA. Huff is 132-for-207 this season, a 63.7 percent rate. He's second in the league in completions per game, 22.0.

Huff has 1,436 passing yards this season with eight touchdowns. He continues to approach the UCO all-time passing record of 7,411 yards set by Chas Stallard from 2014-18. Huff has 7, 244 yards entering this week, 167 shy of the record. His 60 career touchdown passes are already a UCO record.

Receivers Tahkari Bethel and Makel Paiva are leading the way in the pass game. Bethel has a team-high 446 yards on 28 receptions and two touchdowns. Pavia has a team-high 40 receptions with 414 yards and three touchdowns. Zayden Martinez (13-168), Andrew Carney (12-127), and C.J. Williams (11-127) all have one touchdown reception.

Ja'Daniel Nettles and Dev Mathews spearhead the rushing attack for the Bronchos. Nettles leads the way with 232 yards on 52 carries, 4.5 yards per carry. Mathews has 216 yards on 41 carries, 5.3 yards per carry, and has three rushing touchdowns. Carney and Clayton Creasey have two rushing touchdowns and Huff has one.

Freshman Bradley Thao leads the UCO kicking game. He's 20-for-20 on PATs this fall and 10-for-12 on field goals. He hit a long of 46 yards against Northwest Missouri. Thao ranks 11th nationally in field goal percentage (83.3) and fifth nationally in field goals per game (1.67). He has twice been named MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week.

Thao also handles kickoff duties and averages 60.8 yards per kickoff on 32 kicks. He has 12 touchbacks. Cade Dowd handles punting duties and averages 41.3 yards per punt on 24 attempts this season. He has a long of 54 yards and nine punts have landed inside the 20-yard line.

Central Oklahoma owns a 14-11-1 advantage in the all-time series against Emporia State. The Bronchos have won the last two meetings, both in Edmond. Emporia's last win came in 2023 in Emporia, Kansas. UCO is looking for its first win there since 2014. ESU has won the last four at home.

Emporia State welcomes the Bronchos to Emporia, Kansas averaging 29.8 points per game on 411.5 yards of total offense per game. The Hornets split their production between 267.8 passing yards and 143.7 rushing yards per game. Defensively, Emporia State allows just 18.6 points per game. ESU gives up 374.8 total yards, 210.3 passing and 164.5 rushing.

Central Oklahoma has played 4 of 6 games this season on the road and will play the next two away from Edmond as well. Following the Bronchos's trip to Emporia, Kansas this Saturday, Central plays at Pittsburg State next Saturday. UCO's next home game is Oct. 31 against Nebraska Kearney.

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Players Mentioned

#18 Andrew Carney: TE; 6' 1"; Senior

#5 Bryant Coley: DB; 6' 1"; Senior

#10 Clayton Creasey: QB; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#0 Cameron Done: DL; 6' 5"; Senior

#40 Chris Fitzpatrick: LB; 6' 0"; Senior

#14 Antwan Gilbreath: DB; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#3 Jett Huff: QB; 5' 8"; Senior

#7 Zayden Martinez: WR; 6' 4"; Sophomore

#6 Dev Mathews: RB; 6' 0"; Junior

#33 Reese Roller: LB; 5' 11"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#18 Andrew Carney
: 6' 1"; Senior
: TE

#5 Bryant Coley
: 6' 1"; Senior
: DB

#10 Clayton Creasey
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: QB

#0 Cameron Done
: 6' 5"; Senior
: DL

#40 Chris Fitzpatrick
: 6' 0"; Senior
: LB

#14 Antwan Gilbreath
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: DB

#3 Jett Huff
: 5' 8"; Senior
: QB

#7 Zayden Martinez
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: WR

#6 Dev Mathews
: 6' 0"; Junior
: RB

#33 Reese Roller
: 5' 11"; Senior
: LB