Game Statistics
EDMOND (Oct. 11) – One streak is over and another is started.
Central Oklahoma ended a frustrating six-game losing skid to Southeastern Oklahoma Saturday night at Wantland Stadium, spotting the Savage Storm an early touchdown before roaring back with 41 unanswered points in claiming a 41-7 Lone Star Conference North Division rout.
It was the third straight win after an 0-4 start for the Bronchos, who dominated both offensively and defensively in improving to 3-4 on the year, 2-3 in the overall league standings and 2-0 in the LSC North.
Quarterback Brandon Noohi completed 26-of-36 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns – both to Ryan Gallimore -- while also running for three scores to lead an offensive unit that cranked out 27 first downs and rolled up 477 total yards.
Tackle Jermelle Cudjo had 4.5 tackles for loss to spearhead a defense that allowed just 136 yards, including a mere 22 rushing in 33 attempts.
“We played well in all phases of the game and came out with a great win,” said first-year UCO coach Tracy Holland. “We mixed things up and did what we wanted on offense and the defense played lights-out once again.”
Noohi had the seventh-best passing game in school history with his 346-yard outing, one week after passing for 359 yards in a 43-40 win over Southwest Baptist. The junior signal caller, who transferred to UCO last spring after spending the past two seasons as a part-time starter at SOSU, had TD passes of 19 and 47 yards while scoring on runs of one, nine and 10 yards.
Gallimore was his favorite target once again as he hauled in seven passes for 139 yards and both TDs. Five other players caught at least two passes, with Marqus Stutson hauling in six for 58 yards.
UCO had 11 tackles for loss in the contest, including five sacks. Cudjo and linebackers Terry Hardeman and Terrence Hill had nine tackles apiece for the Bronchos.
SOSU took the early lead, going up 7-0 with 6:24 left in the opening quarter after recovering a fumble and driving 56 yards. It was all UCO after that.
The Bronchos started their onslaught with a six-play, 58-yard drive that started late in the first quarter and ended early in the second. Noohi's 42-yard pass to Gallimore that carried to the SOSU one-yard-line was the big play, with Noohi scoring on a sneak from there.
UCO went up 14-7 on its next possession, this time going 76 yards in seven plays. A 23-yard pass from Noohi to Stutson was the long gainer of the drive and Noohi ended it when he swept around the right side and scooted in for the score from nine yards out.
The Bronchos pushed the advantage to 21-7 with 2:30 left in the half on Noohi's 19-yard bullet to Gallimore and it became a 28-7 cushion seconds later when defensive end Freddie Harris intercepted a pass and maneuvered his way through traffic 25 yards for the touchdown.
UCO didn't take long to add to its lead in the second half, with sacks by Cudjo and Hardeman pinning the Savage Storm deep and forcing a short punt that Kendall Hendricks returned 11 yards to the SOSU 37.
Hendricks then used a pair of nifty spin moves to motor 22 yards around the left side on a reverse and Noohi scored two plays later on a 10-yard sprint. Chad Susman's extra point made it 34-7 just three minutes into the third quarter.
UCO completed the scoring with its most impressive drive of the night, going 99 yards in 13 plays late in the third period.
A 12-yard pass from Noohi to Bryce Davis on second-and-10 from the one kick-started the drive and Noohi ended it when he scrambled away from trouble on a second-and-10 play from the SOSU 47 and found Gallimore wide open for the touchdown.
UCO continues its LSC North schedule next week, going to Weatherford to take on Southwestern Oklahoma in a 2 p.m. contest.
