ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Missouri Western football team (3-6, 2-6 MIAA) dropped an overtime heart-breaker in a back-and-forth battle with the thirteenth-ranked Bronchos (8-1, 6-1 MIAA) on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Spratt Stadium.
 
Central Oklahoma's Nick Quevedo drilled a 47-yard field goal on a fourth and 15 in overtime to propel the Bronchos to the victory. UCO used a six-play, 60-yard drive following a turnover on downs to force overtime.
 
Saturday's contest favored the Bronchos in the first half, as they jumped out to an early 14-0 lead with a 2-yard run from Andrew Carney in the first quarter and a 37-yard pass from Jett Huff to Terrell Davis in the second. However, Western wouldn't go away easily, as they cut the deficit to seven with a 9-yard rushing score from quarterback Branden Berwald with under two minutes remaining in the half.
 
After the Bronchos capitalized on a Griffon interception to take a 20-7 lead, the momentum shifted significantly in favor of Missouri Western, who closed the gap to 10 with a field goal before a lightning delay interrupted the game.
 
Once the two teams returned to the field from the 30-minute stoppage in action, the Griffons found another gear, beginning with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Berwald to senior Jake Berrey with 1:13 left in the third to cut the Bronchos' lead to just three.
 
In the fourth quarter, MWSU tied the game with a 40-yard field goal by Watson before taking the lead for the first time with a 15-yard touchdown run by Marrell Fountain - his second rushing touchdown of the season.
 
During Central Oklahoma's next drive, Cameron Powell energized the home crowd by returning an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, marking his first interception since the season opener against Northeastern State and extending the Griffons' lead to 34-20.
 
UCO showcased late-game heroics, beginning with a 92-yard punt return TD by Kobey Stephens with 2:54 on the clock. They then made a vital stop and drove down the field with backup quarterback Dawson Herl, who tied the game with a 1-yard touchdown run with just 13 seconds left. They ultimately won with a field goal in overtime.
 
Berwald had another solid outing for Western at QB, completing 15-of-34 for 171 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Berwald also ran for a game-leading 116 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts. Jonas Bennett was again a top target, collecting six passes for 74 yards. Berrey finished second with 29 yards and his third touchdown of the 2024 campaign.
 
Defensively, Kienen Gaskin led the team with nine tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. TreVon Holmes and Powell added fireworks to the defensive backfield with a pick each, while Marvin Gant added a sack.
 
Missouri Western State University (MWSU) will host its rival, Northwest Missouri State University, in the 'Battle for Highway 71' next Saturday. Kickoff for this MIAA regular-season finale is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Fans can watch the game on the MIAA Network and listen to it on the Varsity Network App or by visiting GoGriffons.com/listen