EDMOND, Okla. – Griffon Football (3-8, 2-7 MIAA) battled throughout, but fell 30-24 in overtime at Central Oklahoma on Saturday at Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond.
MoWest, who ends the season on a five-game slide, got down 14-0 with 2:57 left in the second quarter, but got on the board exactly one minute later with an 84-yard touchdown bomb from
Isaiah Tate to
Victor Taylor Jr. to make it 14-7 at the two-minute warning.
UCO added a field goal to end the first half, leading 17-7 at the break.
The second half was a back-and-forth slugfest. MoWest cut the deficit to 17-14 with 3:25 left in the third quarter on a two-yard TD run by Tate, but UCO re-extended the lead to 24-14 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
UCO, up by 10, had the ball at the Griffon 43-yard line with 13:05 to go, but an interception by
Zaidun Edwards with 11:33 left gave the Griffs new life, and MoWest drove 67 yards on nine plays, scoring on a two-yard TD throw from Tate to
Crew Myers.
UCO then lost a fumble on the ensuing drive, which was recovered by Jackson Vikander at the UCO 36-yard-line. The Griffs converted that turnover into a game-tying, 33-yard field goal by
Latrell Armstrong, knotting the game at 24-24 with 4:25 to go in regulation.
The Bronchos missed a go-ahead FG with 42 seconds left, and then Tate's Hail Mary to the end zone at the end of regulation was picked off, forcing OT.
MoWest won the toss in OT and went on defense. UCO scored a TD on seven plays, but the ensuing PAT was missed, making it 30-24.
The Griffs, on the ensuing series in OT, moved only 4 yards on four snaps, and Tate was sacked on a fourth down, sealing the win for UCO.
MoWest was outgained in total offense, 353-294, and in total rushing yards 147-25. The UCO defense came up with eight sacks and three turnovers.
Tate, who was in and out of the game Saturday battling a knee injury, was 19-of-36 for 261 yards passing and two scores to go with two picks. He was sacked six times, ending with 14 net rushing yards and a rushing TD.
Tate broke two single-season MWSU records in 2026 – most passing yards in a single season (3062) and most total offensive yards in a single season (3221). He accounted for 23 passing TD (8
th most in an MWSU season) and 27 all-purpose TD (t-8
th most in an MWSU season).
Crew Myers finished with 10 catches for 94 yards and a TD. He set the new single-season MWSU record for most catches (75). He also finishes with 1101 receiving yards – second most in a single season at MWSU.
Taylor Jr. finished with 90 yards receiving and a score.
John Pargo Jr. led the team with 10 total tackles.
Zaidun Edwards snagged his third INT.
Ken Pierre-Charles had three pass breakups.
MoWest heads into the offseason, finishing with three wins or fewer in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1986-87. The Griffons open the 2027 season at home on Thursday, August 26 against McKendree.
The full 2027 Griffon Football schedule will be released in February 2027.
