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UCO BACK HOME:  Central Oklahoma returns home to continue Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association play Saturday when the Bronchos host Emporia State.

Kickoff at 10,000-seat Wantland Stadium is 2 p.m.

UCO is 0-2 on the season and in the league, while the Hornets from Emporia, Kan. are 2-0 and 2-0.

UCO AT HOME:  The Bronchos have a 161-92-5 record in their 51st season in Wantland Stadium.

UCO lost its home opener on Sept. 3, falling to Fort Hays State 30-29.

Wantland Stadium has received massive upgrades over the last decade, capped by of a new video board last year that ranks as the second-biggest in NCAA Division II.

ABOUT THE SERIES:  UCO has a 10-5-1 lead in a series that started in 1928 with a 23-6 Emporia State victory.

The two teams met in 1936 and '37 and every year from 1956-63, but then didn't play again until 1999 (28-25 UCO win).

The next game was a 17-7 ESU win in 2007 and this will be the fourth straight year the teams have played as MIAA rivals.

LAST MEETING:  Cornerback Levonte Douglas scored on a school-record 100-yard fumble return and UCO's defense forced four turnovers in a 24-14 win over the Hornets last year in Emporia, Kan.  

ESU scored on a 69-yard punt return to take an early 7-0 lead, but the Bronchos came back with a 50-yard touchdown run by running back Jake Gandara, a 20-yard field goal by Seth Hiddink and Douglas' long return to take a 17-7 halftime lead.

Quarterback Chas Stallard tossed a 35-yard TD pass to wide receiver Josh Crockett early in the fourth quarter to make it 24-7, with the Hornets scoring their lone offensive touchdown of the game in the final minutes.

ABOUT LAST WEEK:  UCO fell to Missouri Western 26-16 last Saturday in its first road game of the season.  The Bronchos threw three interceptions, including one in the end zone and one at the MWSU one-yard-line, and couldn't recover after falling behind 26-0 early in the third period.

Linebacker Ben Jones scored on a 15-yard fumble return, tight end Darrack Harger caught a three-yard TD pass from Stallard and Hiddink hit a 43-yard field goal to account for UCO's points. 

THE COACH:  UCO alum Nick Bobeck has an 12-22 record in his fourth year at the helm.

A four-year standout at fullback for UCO from 1999-02, Bobeck served as a graduate assistant for the Bronchos for three years (2003-05).

He was an assistant coach one year each at Texas A&M and Navarro (Texas) before taking over at Navarro in 2008, going 42-5 in four years there and leading the Bulldogs to the 2010 junior college national title.

Bobeck returned to his alma mater in January 2012 and UCO went 2-8 each of his first two seasons before improving to 8-4 last year.

ON THE AIR:  All UCO games are broadcast live on 99.7 Hank FM

Veteran broadcaster David Garrett calls the action, with former UCO All-American John Fitzgerald adding color commentary.

RUN TO WIN:  The Bronchos have won 36 straight games dating back to 1993 when rushing for 250-plus yards.

UCO eclipsed that figure three times last year, running for at least 250 yards against Lindenwood (263), Missouri Southern (303) and Washburn (338).

TURNOVERS PROVE COSTLY:  UCO has committed seven turnovers (four fumbles, three interceptions) in its 0-2 start after turning the ball over just 13 times (eight interceptions, five fumbles) in 12 games last year while putting together an 8-4 record.

The Bronchos lost four fumbles in a season-opening 30-29 loss to Fort Hays State and threw three interceptions in last week's 26-16 setback at Missouri Western.

Four of UCO's turnovers have been inside the opponents' three-yard-line, with lost fumbles at the one and three and interceptions at the one and in the end zone. 

ABOUT THE OFFENSE:  UCO ran off 85 plays in last week's loss to Missouri Western, but managed only 350 yards (4.1/play) with 228 yards passing and 122 rushing.

The Bronchos completed 25-of-53 passes with three interceptions.  Eight different receivers caught at least two passes.

UCO ranks fifth in the conference in total offense, averaging 430.0 yards a game (254.5 passing, 175.5 rushing).

STALLARD AMONG LEADERS:  Sophomore quarterback Chas Stallard is among the MIAA leaders in total offense and passing.

Stallard completed 20-of-41 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown last week while adding 38 yards on eight rushes.

He's third in the league in total offense with 301.0 yards a game (489 passing, 113 rushing) and is fourth in passing with 244.5 yards a game, having hit 49-of-80 attempts (61.2 percent).

Stallard finished second in the conference in total offense last year with 2,855 yards (2,108 passing, 747 rushing), which ranked third on UCO's single-season list.

LUPER MAKES HIS MARK:  Junior wide receiver J.T. Luper racked up 221 all-purpose yards against Missouri Western.

He topped the team in both receptions (seven) and yards (87) while also returning one punt for 24 yards and five kickoffs for 110 yards.

Luper has 16 catches for 158 yards through two games, leading the MIAA in receptions per game (8.0) and ranking seventh in yards per game (79.0).

He's fourth in the league in all-purpose yardage with 149.0 yards a contest.

CONVERTED QB CATCHES ON:  Junior tight end/H-back Darrack Harger caught the first two passes of his college career last week, making a three-yard touchdown grab and seven-yard catch in the fourth quarter against Missouri Western.

Harger was a back-up quarterback at league rival Pittsburg State for two years before transferring to UCO and redshirting last season.  He battled for the starting quarterback job this summer before switching positions just before the season opened.

LOCKE COMES THROUGH:  Senior wide receiver Caden Locke had another strong outing last week against Missouri Western with five catches for 41 yards.

Locke is second on the team in both receptions (10) and yards (114) through two games after entering the season with eight career catches for 100 yards.

ABOUT THE DEFENSE:  UCO allowed 453 total yards (252 passing, 201 rushing) in last week's loss to Missouri Western, with most of that damage coming in five snaps.

The Bronchos gave up 263 yards on five plays (passes of 38, 76 and 76 and runs of 35 and 38), with the Griffons managing just 190 yards on their other 64 plays.

UCO yielded 326 first-half yards and MWSU hit a 76-yard TD pass on its first play of the third quarter in taking a 26-0 lead.

The Bronchos clamped down after that, holding the Griffons to a mere 51 total yards in 29 plays over the final two quarters as UCO rallied to get back in the game.

The defense recorded four sacks in the game, with three coming during the second-half surge.

The Bronchos are allowing 469.0 yards a game (261.5 rushing, 207.5 passing).

JONES PROVIDES SPARK:  Junior linebacker Ben Jones came up with several big plays last Saturday against Missouri Western.

He scored UCO's first touchdown midway through fourth quarter with a 15-yard fumble return and added nine tackles, including two sacks for minus-29 yards and another tackle for loss.

Jones, a junior college transfer in his first year with the Bronchos, has 12 tackles on the season with a team-high 4.0 for loss.

HOWARD TOPS IN TACKLES:  Senior linebacker Malcolm Howard tied a career high with a team-leading 13 tackles against Missouri Western last week, including one for loss.

It was the fourth double-digit tackle outing in 14 career games at UCO for Howard, who tops the team with 19 tackles on the season.

DOUGLAS GETS A PICK:  Senior cornerback Levonte Douglas made UCO's first interception of the season late in the first half of last week's game at Missouri Western.

It was the fourth career interception for Douglas, who added five tackles in the game.

HIDDINK CLOSING IN:  Junior place-kicker Seth Hiddink made a field goal and extra point last week as he gets closer to moving into UCO's all-time top-10 list for points.

Hiddink just missed a 49-yard field goal try in the first half before making a 43-yarder in the third quarter for his sixth career field goal of 40-plus yards. 

He now has 159 career points, needing 27 to break into the top 10.  Hiddink has made 75-of-81 PATs and 28-of-39 field goals.

ABOUT THE SPECIAL TEAMS:  Junior punter Christian Fullham had another solid outing last week, averaging 38.7 yards on six punts with a long of 47.  He had three kicks downed inside the Missouri Western 20-yard-line and the Griffons were unable to make a return.

Fullham is averaging 39.1 yards on nine punts for the season with four inside the 20.  Opponents have made five fair catches and have yet to return a punt.

Junior J.T. Luper saw his first action on kickoff returns and netted 110 yards in five tries (22.0/return) while also picking up 24 yards on his lone punt return of the contest.

ABOUT ESU:  The Hornets rolled up 605 total yards and ended a 13-game losing streak to Central Missouri last week with a 45-34 home win.

ESU quarterback Brent Wilson completed 35-of-45 passes for 446 yards and five touchdowns in the game to earn MIAA Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Justin Brown (7-130) and Kavaski Ervin (7-100) both had 100-yard receiving days.

The Hornets top the conference in scoring (41.5 points/game) and total offense (545.5 yards/game).

Wilson is 60-of-81 passing for 776 yards and eight TDs through two games.  Brown (12-191), Ervin (11-146) and Mitchell Foote (11-144) lead the receivers and running back Antonio Brown has added 168 yards and two TDs on 38 rushes.

Defensively, ESU is giving up 463.0 yards an outing (254.0 passing, 209.0 rushing).

Linebacker Jason Tetuan (17 tackles, two sacks), safety J.P. Lohrentz (16 tackles) and linebacker Josh Monteagudo (15 tackles, one interception) lead the defense.