Sports Column: You have to be quick to forget; History is ahead of you

As the saying goes, winning cures everything. Despite several things that are just flat out going wrong for the Bronchos, they’re finding ways to win. There’s certainly a lot to be said about that. It’s a resilient group that doesn’t lay down in the face of adversity. They all play for each other, pulling the same direction for a common goal. That’s great. It’s exactly what you want from your team if you coach. That being said, UCO has had some major flaws in the past few weeks. 

In weeks 1-7, UCO averaged 54 points per game. Weeks 8-10? Only 28 points. In weeks 1-7, the UCO defense only gave up 26 points per game. Weeks 8-10? They’re giving up 32 points per game. I understand nationally contending Pittsburg State has been a part of the last three weeks, but the other two games were 3-win Missouri Western and 2-win Washburn. For whatever reason, UCO has played down to their competition recently. Why is that? I have two ideas.

Number one, Pitt State may have cracked the code on the Broncho offense. At least a little bit. UCO only scored 21 points in that game, the lowest this season, and the offense has looked completely rattled ever since. To me, it looks like a great team figured out a gameplan that works against UCO, and the next two lesser teams copied that gameplan but didn’t have enough in the tank to secure a win. If I’m right and this continues, UCO will have their hands full this week against Emporia State, because they will certainly have enough in the tank to steal the win. That cannot happen in what is unequivocally the biggest week of Broncho football in the last two decades.

Number two, I think they were looking over the past two weeks of competition. That’s not saying they didn’t do the preparation on the coaching side or loafed practice on the player side. I just think, mentally, they took their opponents too lightly altogether. That being said, how could you not? Following your first loss, hungover from it, they just had to take care of business against a 3-win team. They barely win, dodge a bullet, then find out Pittsburg State and Emporia State both lost, leaving them with sole possession for the MIAA crown and a win against Emporia locks that up. Okay great. We just have this 2-win team to take care of first and boom it happened again. Twice they’ve gotten away with it. 

Now there’s nobody to look over. The only thing between UCO and outright history is one win against a good team. They cannot continue to play down to their competition because a team like Emporia would make you pay for it in a second.  With a loss, they split the title with Pittsburg State, but with a win, history. A crowning achievement on an unprecedented season. Don’t let the moment outshine you. When your number gets called, don’t blink. If UCO wins and looks good doing it, we will all forget about the last three weeks. If not, we’ll look at it being the pseudo-collapse of a great team that just didn’t quite have enough gas in the tank.

If you’re UCO, the last three games of subpar play are behind you. Your destiny as a team is still in your own hands and everything is still in front of you. You have to put the hangover and the panic aside and just do your job. Get back to pulling on the rope. You have to be quick to forget; there’s history ahead of you.