Published: November 09, 2009 09:26 pm      

Bronchos down NSU 47-38 in season finale

It was a record-setting day for the pass-catch duo of Brandon Noohi and Ryan Gallimore Saturday afternoon at Wantland Stadium as Central Oklahoma ended the season with a 47-38 Lone Star Conference North Division triumph over rival Northeastern State.

Noohi rolled up 446 yards total offense and threw for a school-record six touchdowns, while Gallimore set UCO marks for single-game (four) and single-season (11) TD receptions in leading the Bronchos to the President’s Cup victory.

UCO racked up 517 yards total offense and used a 21-point outburst to overcome a 21-14 second-quarter deficit en route to winning its second straight game to finish the season 4-7 overall and 3-2 in the North Division.

“It was a great way to end the season,” UCO coach Tracy Holland said. “We had a lot of adversity this year with injuries and everything, but I’m proud of the way this team hung in there and battled every week. It was important to come out and get a win today to finish strong and gain some momentum for the off-season.”

Noohi and Gallimore made sure of that.

Noohi hit 20-of-33 passes for 306 yards with scoring tosses of nine, 20, 21, 28, 32 and 35 yards and added 140 yards and a TD rushing in finishing with the second-best total offense game in school history and ending the season with a school-record 3,301 yards total offense.

Gallimore caught eight passes for a season-high 143 yards, hauling in TDs of nine and 35 yards in the first half and 28 and 32 yards in the fourth quarter to turn back an NSU rally.

The Bronchos got plenty of help from the defense.

Linebacker Terry Hardeman made 12 tackles and intercepted a pass to set up a touchdown, linebacker Terrence Hill had 11 tackles while forcing and recovering a fumble that led to a score and end Freddie Harris had two sacks and a forced fumble among his nine tackles.

NSU took a 7-0 lead on its opening possession of the game and the Bronchos answered right back with a 75-yard scoring drive that Noohi capped with a nine-yard TD strike to Gallimore.

Hill’s fumble recovery at the NSU 41 led to a 35-yard Noohi-to-Gallimore scoring combination on a fourth-and-four play to put UCO on top 14-7, but the RiverHawks reponded with back-to-back TD drives to grab a 21-14 lead with 5:23 left in the half.

The Bronchos scored twice the rest of the way to move in front to stay by intermission.

Noohi had a 38-yard run in an 80-yard drive that he ended with a 21-yard TD pass to tight end Bryce Davis that tied the game at 14 with 2:34 left and Hardeman gave UCO the ball right back with his interception and 16-yard return to the NSU 31.

It took the Bronchos four plays to score, with Jason Palmer’s 15-yard run on third-and-14 the key play. Noohi got the score on the next play, hitting Daniel Morrell with a 20-yard scoring pass to give UCO a 28-21 lead with 42 seconds left in the half.

Noohi had a 41-yard scramper on the first play of the third quarter to ignite an 80-yard TD drive that he ended with a one-yard keeper to push the lead to 35-21, but NSU rallied with nine unanswered points to pull within 35-30 early in the final stanza.

UCO gained breathing room on Noohi’s 28-yard TD toss to Gallimore with 11:09 left to play that made it 41-30 after the RiverHawks blocked the extra point and the Bronchos were in business again moments later when NSU failed on a fourth-and-10 play from its own 34-yard line.

Noohi threw his sixth TD pass three plays later, finding Gallimore again to push the lead to 47-30 with 6:53 remaining.

NSU got a consolation score with 44 seconds left to arrange the final score.