SWOSU Shows Spark, Fall to UCO 37-20
October 1, 2005
Edmond, OK - Southwestern Oklahoma State sputtered early but found enough gas to push Central Oklahoma before falling 37-20 in a Lone Star Conference football matchup Saturday in Edmond.
The Bulldogs, now 1-5 on the year, spotted the Bronchos two early touchdowns before switching gears and playing them even for the game’s remainder. UCO, the defending LSC North champ, broke a three-game losing streak and improved to 2-4 on the year.
Backup quarterback Beau Dodson picked up the Bulldogs appearing midway through the second quarter and leading his squad to a lengthy scoring drive. Dodson finished the game with 189 yards passing and one touchdown in just over two full quarters of action.
Wide receiver Danny Howard also posted impressive offensive numbers catching six passes for 145 yards and one touchdown. Both season-high numbers by a Bulldog receiver.
As effective as the Bulldogs were threw the air the rushing game proved troublesome. SWOSU finished with just 14 yards on 24 carries and had no rush for more than nine yards. SWOSU did finish with a season-best 285 yards while scoring three TD’s for the first time this year.
UCO ended the game with 494 yards of total offense and ran 19 more plays and had the ball 10 minutes longer than SWOSU. UCO distributed their offense evenly with 247 yards on the ground and 247 yards in the air.
“Offensively, we did much better,” coach Ryan Held said. “We just aren’t able to put together a complete game. It seems if our defense plays well, our offense doesn’t. Today, offensively we put ourselves in position to score and that is something that we hadn’t been doing enough.”
Dodson’s entrance came with SWOSU down 14-0 midway through the second quarter. He guided the ‘Dawgs on an eight-play, 68-yard drive that featured a nifty 33-yard pass-and-catch to Chase Pratt at the UCO 35-yard line. Dodson then found a wide-open Derek Wall on a 27-yard TD pass to cut UCO’s lead to 14-7 with 3:28 to play in the second quarter.
UCO then had perhaps the game’s biggest play just before half when quarterback Justin Allgood found receiver Fred Shaw on a 53-yard hail mary with just two seconds remaining. Kicker Jason Dixon then hustled on to the field where he booted a 34-yard field goal to put the Bronchos back ahead, 17-7.
UCO added to its margin on their first offensive play in the second half when Kevin McKenzie sprinted 57 yards to put UCO 24-7 with 13:48 to play in the third quarter.
SWOSU regrouped and got going again behind Dodson as he repeatedly found Howard on a big play after big play and moved the Bulldogs to the Broncho’s two-yard line. Dodson sneaked in for the final yard to cut UCO’s lead to 24-14 with 9:10 remaining.
SWOSU gambled late in the game, going for two fourth-and-long plays deep in their own territory which were stopped by UCO. The Bronchos used the gifted field possession and turned it into points when Dixon kicked field goals of 37 and 28 yards to put UCO back ahead 37-14.
SWOSU dusted itself off and moved 86 yards on four plays in just 40 seconds behind starting quarterback Steve Day who re-entered the game in the final moments. Day hit Howard on a 25-yard pass with :31 seconds to play to make the final UCO 37, SWOSU 20.
SWOSU continues its divisional play next week when they host East Central. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Milam Stadium.