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The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Team
6
Neb.-Kearney UNK 1-8 , 1-6
31
Winner Central Okla. UCO 4-5 , 3-4
Neb.-Kearney UNK
1-8 , 1-6
6
Final
31
Central Okla. UCO
4-5 , 3-4
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
UNK Neb.-Kearney 3 0 3 0 6
UCO Central Okla. 10 21 0 0 31

Game Recap: Football | | Chris Brannick

Bronchos Dominate Kearney

Central Oklahoma Wins 31-6 In Hall of Fame Game

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma used a big first half to get a comfortable lead and held on for a 31-6 victory over Nebraska Kearney Saturday at Chad Richison Stadium.
 
The Bronchos improved to 4-5 on the season overall and is now 3-4 in the MIAA.
 
"Really proud of the guys for today," UCO interim head football coach Cody Swanson said. "The conditions weren't ideal but they didn't let that bother them. We played really hard and found a way to get it done.
 
"It was a great response after last week's setback too," Swanson continued. "It was really important for us to pick our heads up and come out today and play well and we did that."
 
Central Oklahoma started redshirt freshman quarterback Owen Jones on Saturday. In his first career start and just the second time he's played for the Bronchos, the QB from Jenks, Oklahoma shined for Central.
 
Jones went 16-for-30 on the day with 222 yards and three touchdown passes. Most importantly, he wasn't sacked in the game and didn't throw an interception. A handful of his incomplete passes were drops in the game that saw showers for most of the contest.
 
UCO got the first to start the game and went right down the field, 77 yards on 10 plays, before freshman Bradley Thao connected on a 22-yard field goal to give the Bronchos a 3-0 lead. A 5-play, 43-yard scoring drive soon followed and Makel Paiva's 5-yard touchdown catch made it 10-0.
 
Kearney got on the board with a field goal to make it 10-3, and UCO went three & out to follow, but the Broncho defense was big all game and got another stop. Central answered back with an 11-play, 95-yard scoring drive that ended with Ja'Daniel Nettles punching the ball in from two yards out to make it 17-3 with 10:37 to play in the second quarter.
 
Jones struck again later in the second. He connected with Tahkari Bethel for a 59-yard touchdown pass to put the Bronchos up 24-3. The score was the longest play from scrimmage this season for UCO.
 
Bethel caught a second touchdown pass with 1:55 to go before halftime to make it 31-3. The 22-yard score capped a 6-play, 60-yard scoring drive.
 
The Bronchos didn't score in the second half but didn't need to. The defense allowed a 30-yard field goal in the third quarter but that scoring drive was just nine yards.
 
UCO recorded eight sacks in the game for a combined 45 yards. Kearney totaled 259 yards in the game, 183 rushing and just 76 yards passing.
 
Reese Roller had nine tackles and a half-sack. Naithen Spaulding had a career-high eight tackles and 2.5 sacks. David Williams, Zacary Stilwell, and Hank Puckett had five tackles each. Stillwell had a half-sack along with Roller.
 
Cameron Done, who finished with four tackles, had 3.5 sacks in the game. Ethan Stites also had four tackles and one sack. Trip Roberts had three tackles and one sack. Cannon Wood got in on the party too. He had three tackles and one sack.
 
Bethel finished the game with 112 yards receiving on five receptions and the two touchdowns. Andrew Carney caught four passes for 25 yards. C.J. Williams had two catches for 36 yards.
 
Nettles led the rushing attack with 18 carries for 90 yards and one touchdown.
 
UCO had 408 yards of total offense, 222 passing and 186 rushing.
 
Central Oklahoma plays at Missouri Southern in Week 10 and will wrap up the 2026 season Nov. 14 against Missouri Western at Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond.
 
 
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