Bronchos trott to President’s Cup Win

After a slow start, the University of Central Oklahoma scored 55 straight points in a 62-0 win over Northeastern State University to retain the President’s Cup.

This marks the first time since 1979 the Bronchos have posted three straight shutouts and only the second time since 1942.  The win is the second largest win in the series behind the Bronchos 83-0 win in their first-ever meeting in 1915.

“I know they take a lot of pride in keeping the President’s Cup here in Edmond,” said head coach Nick Bobeck. “They understand the importance of that game and what it means to alums and the university.”

The defense held the Riverhawks to 159 yards of offense on 60 plays and forced four turnovers. Defensive backs Kolby Underwood and O’Shay Harris both had interceptions, while linebacker Colton Lindsey had an interception and a fumble recovery.

“They are playing well together,” Bobeck said. “We had a couple of kids out and they were still able to play well and turnovers were a huge part of that.”

Offensively, the Bronchos totaled 581 yards and 25 first downs. The run game was a big part of the offense, as three running backs combined for 303 rushing yards.

Despite only playing in the second half, Justin Curry led with 157 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. Clay McKenzie finished with 86 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries, all of which came in the first half. Saboor Daniels had 37 yards on 10 carries before leaving with an injury.

“Both of them (Curry and Daniels) are talented kids and have the ability to be really good,” Bobeck said. “They are starting to take some of the load off Clay and are being extremely productive.”

When the Bronchos went to the air, quarterback Will Collins connected with wide receiver Mekail Hall six times for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Collins finished 12-of-21 for 278 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Freshman H-back Izaiah Jackson had the other receiving touchdown the first of his career.

“Mekail is a talented kid and we were able to get some man coverage and he took advantage of it,” Bobeck said. “He doesn’t have a clue how talented he is and when he figures it out, he could be really special.”

The Collins to Hall connection started early as they connected on a 66-yard touchdown pass just four plays into the game to give the Bronchos an early 7-0 lead. That would be the only points of the quarter.

The drought ended midway through the second quarter when Collins found Jackson for a 5-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 14. McKenzie would punch it in from one and four yards out on the next two drives to give the Bronchos a 28-0 halftime lead.

The second half started just like the first when Collins hit Hall for a 65-yard touchdown. Eleven seconds later, Lindsey returned his interception 24 yards for a touchdown, quickly making it 42-0 only 1:30 into the third quarter. Curry scored the last two touchdowns of the quarter on a three and two-yard runs before capping the scoring off with a 46-yard touchdown to start the fourth quarter.

The Bronchos, winners of five straight, take on Emporia State University on Saturday at Wantland Stadium for senior day. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.