MIAA Preview: Central Oklahoma

JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
Central Oklahoma quarterback Jett Huff loads up to throw against Northwest Missouri State on October 12, 2024, in Edmond, Okla.

EMPORIA, Kan. — Central Oklahoma made the jump to the MIAA in 2012 and started off with a pair of two win seasons, but since then its been a roller coaster with five winning seasons and four losing ones.

After going 11-11 over his first two seasons in Edmond, Adam Dorrel’s squad broke out last season with a 11-2 overall record and the program’s first MIAA championship. Now Dorrel’s team looks to replicate that success and develop consistency.

“The focus that I’ve seen from our guys — it is not a complacency, it is not a ‘hey, we’ve arrived,’ it is ‘we’ve got more that we want to do and that we want to accomplish,’” Dorrel said.

The rest of the MIAA is on board with that as the coaches picked Central Oklahoma to repeat as MIAA champions with seven of the 10 first-place votes in the preseason poll. The Bronchos were picked second in the media poll despite having 18 first-place votes compared to 13 for Pittsburg State — meaning some voters had them significantly lower on the ballot, resulting in the Gorillas jumping them.

“We aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this year, it is just not going to happen,” Dorrel said.

Last season, it looked like sophomore Jett Huff was going to go yard-for-yard with Harlon Hill winner Zach Zebrowski. He had 27 touchdowns and six interceptions through eight games and with five 300-yard games and two games over 450 yards.

But after a 12-for-28 game with 129 yards, two interceptions and one touchdown against Missouri Western, followed by 195 yards against Washburn where senior Dawson Herl came in and went 7-for-8 for 73 yards and two touchdowns. Herl then played the full game against Emporia State and threw for 368 yards and two touchdowns as the Bronchos stacked up 55 points.

It looked like Huff, the University of Houston transfer, might be relegated to the bench for the postseason. But it was quite the opposite as Huff lit up Ouchita Baptist in the opening round of the playoffs for 58 points on 36-for-58 passing for 371 yards and three touchdowns.

Now with Herl gone, the job is undoubtedly Huff’s and with a team likely to be ranked in the top-3 nationally preseason, the pieces are in place for a junior big season.

“We have a really driven group of guys on offense,” Huff said.

Lining up beside Huff is one of the MIAA’s most explosive weapons with Jaylen Cottrell back off a First Team All-MIAA running back performance. Cottrell ran for 1,332 yards and 13 touchdowns last season on 7.3 yards per carry.

Receiver is the biggest question mark on the team with Terrill Davis transferring to Oklahoma State after a 1.600-yard season, but the Bronchos return MIAA Freshman of the Year Ashton Schumann coming off a 62-catch, 749-yard, 7-touchdown first year.

“I think our guys took it as motivation to have a role in the offense because there was so much production that left just in one guy,” Huff said. “That is going to be split between more guys this year.”

The offensive line is unsurprisingly a strength for the Bronchos, anchored by MIAA Offensive Lineman of the Year Montriel Lee.

Defense is the big question going into the season, as it was for last season’s MIAA favorites Central Missouri, who despite the nation’s best quarterback and an elite offense, missed the playoffs.

Central Oklahoma’s defense was better than the Mules’ throughout last season, only giving up more than 24 points once in a 6-0 start, but surrendering at least 27 in 7-straight games to end the season including a 78-17 playoff loss to eventual national champion Ferris State.

“The way the season ended is probably what motivates us the most,” Huff said. “Seeing where we were at compared to the national champion. We had to get better if we wanted to get back there again. Once you have a little bit of success, it makes you want it that much more.”

The defense does return a lot of key pieces led by linebackers Jack Puckett and Connor Johnson. Puckett, an All-MIAA First Teamer, had 102 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and seven sacks last season. Johnson had 77 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.

“The linebacking core is still strong with Connor and myself returning,” Puckett said. “We have a great level of competition going on within our room, but also within our entire defense.”

The defensive line is the newest group this season, which is led by Johnny Wilson who had 29 tackles.

The secondary also has some new faces, but David Williams is the leader of the backend after 66 tackles and two interceptions last season.

“Coach Dorrel preaches it all the time — complimentary football is going to win you games,” Puckett said. “When you have a tempo offense like we have, typically, they are going to play within 20 minutes of a game. Your defense may be out there for 30 or 40 minutes of a game and that is quite a lot of football for us to be playing. … Finding ways that we can play complimentary football has been a big key this offseason.”