Football Falls to UCO, 41-23
October 17, 2009
EDMOND, Okla. - Southwestern Oklahoma State University fashioned its best football game of the season giving rival Central Oklahoma a stern challenge before falling 41-23 Saturday in Edmond.
The Bulldogs had plenty of positives in a game that featured a number of highlights and great plays on both sides of the football. The Bulldogs now 0-8 on the year and 0-3 in the Lone Star Conference North Division have hopes to carry that same spark against winless East Central University Saturday in Weatherford in a Homecoming matchup. UCO improved to 2-7 and 2-4 by winning for the third straight time in the lengthy series.
SWOSU engineered a season-best 318 yards of total offense and had the Bronchos on the ropes early with its energetic and inspired play. The Bulldogs got the game's first break when Jaron Burgess recovered a UCO fumble at the Bronchos own 16-yard line.
Quarterback Steve Day then delivered a strong throw to wide receiver Johnathan Haggerty on a 21-yard scoring strike and SWOSU was up 7-0 with just seconds gone off the game clock. Day ended the game completing 25-of-44 passes for a season-best 255 yards and two touchdowns. Haggerty was his top target with six catches for 82 yards and one touchdown.
The Bulldogs built on their lead minutes later when Day marched his squad 66 yards on 11 plays. Bruce Hatton did the scoring honors with a four-yard run to put SWOSU ahead 14-0 with 3:04 to play in the first quarter.
Hatton also had a memorable game catching six passes for 72 yards and adding another 61 on three kickoff returns. He finished the game with 153 all-purpose yards on the night, the most by any SWOSU player this year.
UCO got back in the game behind the running and throwing of quarterback Brandon Noohi. Noohi finished with 416 yards of total offense and accounted for five touchdowns. Noohi passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another 146 yards on 15 carries. His offensive output was nearly 70 percent of the entire team's 576 yards.
Noohi had touchdown runs of 35 and 10 yards and had the Bronchos even at 14 with his 10-yard run with 4:46 to play in the second quarter.
UCO continued to press the attack in the second half taking their first lead at 21-14 when Noohi connected on a 10-yard pass to Brandon Morrell with 10:26 to play in the third quarter.
SWOSU quickly responded on its next possession chewing up more than eight minutes of the third quarter clock by moving 67 yards on 17 plays. The drive stalled at the Bronchos 10-yard line and Chad McIntosh came on to boot a 27-yard field goal with 14:56 to play in the fourth.
UCO then put the game away in the fourth. Noohi scored on a five-yard run to put UCO up 28-17 with 13:59 to play. He then connected on a 23-yard pass to Ryan Gallimore to move the Bronchos margin to 34-17 with 5:56 to play.
UCO's last points came when Ben Birmingham scored from six yards out to put the Bronchos up 41-17 with 1:59 to play.
SWOSU ended the game's scoring on a five-play, 59-yard drive that was highlighted by a spectacular 33-yard touchdown pass reception by Hatton off a perfectly thrown pass by Day.
Defensively, SWOSU had three players in double figure tackles led by Shane Scott who finished with a season high 15. Burgess and Fred Leak were next with 13 apiece.