The Broncho Football Team Rallies in Rankings After Bye Week
Jalik Lewis
A chaotic week in college football left the University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos in the national spotlight after a dramatic 27-24 win over Pittsburg State, a victory that propelled them into the top 10.
This week UCO had their bye week, but the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) conference was still going. Nonetheless, the Pitt State Gorillas defeated Grand Valley State 17-14, widening the chaos as rankings shuffled and re-ordered in surprising fashion. After all of the chaos, UCO was given a new ranking and they fell to no. 8 while Pitt state now sits in the no. 10 spot.
“We’re not chasing rankings, we’re chasing consistency,’’ said head coach Adam Dorrel, after the dramatic swing in national placement. “If we keep executing and improving, the polls will follow.”
The Bronchos have had a busy week of preparation coming off the bye week. “The bye is a week of recovery and rest for us. We knew the game would come down to who was more physical. Taking things away from the bye week, we were able to get guys back on the defensive side of the ball and get everyone back healthy. We are reaching a point where it is important to play complimentary football so it is important that we have all 22 guys ready at any time,” said All-American linebacker Jack Puckett.
The Washburn Ichabods are next up for the Bronchos. The Ichabods are unranked nationally but have shown depth and discipline across the field. UCO will look to capitalize on rest and momentum, aiming for a conference win to extend their conference lead and solidify their national standing.
Washburns new head football coach Zach Watkins has been with Washburn since 2014. He was previously the defensive coordinator and was also a linebacker for the Ichabods from 2006-2009.
The MIAA football conference remains unpredictable as it is still early in the season. As of right now Fort Hays State sits at the No.1 spot with a record of 2-1 but 1-0 in conference play. Northwest Missouri sits behind them at No. 2, and UCO falls in at No. 3 in the conference.
The Bronchos will host the Washburn Ichabods tomorrow evening at Chad Richison Stadium, with kickoff at 7 pm.