'Remarkable season': UCO football making history with first home playoff in decades
EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR) — The University of Central Oklahoma's Bronchos will make history when they take the field for their first home football playoff game since their 1998 season Saturday.
Saturday's match up will see Central Oklahoma take on Ouachita Baptist at 1 p.m. inside Chad Richison Stadium.
The Bronchos have been on a hot streak this season with a 10-1 record. Last weekend, they won their first league title since joining the MIAA league 12 years prior.
"I think when you have success in football it just lifts the spirits on campus," said UCO Vice President of Athletics, Stan Wagnon. "What I've noticed as the season has gone on, you know, we started the season with it by returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown and really kind of set the tone for an exciting season."
Central Oklahoma's Head Football Coach Adam Dorrel and his players were too focused on practice to weigh in with their thoughts Friday, but Wagnon said Dorrel has been an integral part in driving positive momentum with his team. He especially praised how quickly of a turnaround the team has seen, with Dorrel only assuming the role back in 2022.
"This has been a remarkable season and we're so proud of Coach Dorrel and the guys for reinvigorating our program," said Wagnon.
The hype and positivity is reflected not just within the athletics department, but across campus, which Central Oklahoma President, Todd Lamb, explained in a Friday interview with News 4.
"You can see energy on campus," said Lamb. "The fan base grows. Our games are well attended. A great atmosphere and it just provides a more and more little bump in the pulse on our campus."
Lamb also argued Friday, and during the weekend game that won the Bronchos the MIAA championship that the university, the third largest in Oklahoma, has the best football team in the state.
"That's not a jab at anybody else," said Lamb. "That's just statistically factually accurate. We're the best football team in Oklahoma, and simply put, why? Because we're winning. We're winning ten and one."
Win or lose Saturday's playoff game, their biggest supporters say they have made their mark, and are hoping it continues in the program's future.
"When you say Central Oklahoma, there's a lot of history and tradition," said Wagnon. "We're really just trying to get this program back on track with with what the expectations are."