Season Update

Three weeks into the sports year and here's what we've learned from last time!

* For once I was right about something. There was no way the UCO soccer team was going to continue to play like it did in getting out of the gate 0-3 and that's exactly what happened. Since that tough start the Bronchos have reeled off four straight wins, including a huge 2-0 road upset of No. 2-ranked St. Edward's Sunday. Mike Cook's crew has started to play lock-down defense -- having given up just two goals with two shutouts in the current streak -- and the offense has started to find its rhythm. And speaking of Coach Cook . . . congats to to the veteran skipper for picking up his 200th career win with the Bronchos back on Sept. 10 in UCO's 4-0 blanking of Southwest Baptist. Quite an accomplishment for quite a coach.

* The football team seems to have regressed. I saw a lot of encouraging signs during UCO's season-opening 31-10 road loss to what is now the No. 2-ranked Division II team in the country in North Alabama, a talent-laden squad that features 30-plus Division I transfers, but the Bronchos seem to have taken a step back the last couple of weeks. Defensively, UCO played real solid in last week's 20-0 setback at Angelo State and could have easily given up a lot more points with the field position the Rams enjoyed throughout the second half. Offensively, the Bronchos never got untracked last week and that was surprising given some of the skill position people we appear to have. At any rate, Saturday's game at Southwestern Oklahoma looms large for UCO. It will be the 87th meeting between the two old rivals and it could also be the last one as moves by both schools to different conferences will prevent future meetings, at least for the foreseable future.

* UCO's volleyball squad is up-and-down. That shouldn't be too surprising given the amount of newcomers who are playing key roles for Jeff Boyland's Bronchos, who will undoubtedly get more consistent as the season progresses. This team can play at an extremely high level one match and then really struggle the next, but you have to like the make-up of the squad and I think the future is really bright.

* This may be the best cross country team UCO's had since the 2000 club won the Lone Star Conference championship. It may be too early to say that since the Bronchos have had only one meet, with last week's race at Missouri Southern cancelled by lightning, but it's hard not to be excited about this bunch. I know Coach J.D. Martin likes what he sees and that man's been around cross country/track long enough to know. Freshman Brooke Klimek had an amazing collegiate debut in running away with the individual title at the season-opening UCO Land Run on Sept. 10 and you need to keep an eye on this team.

* The UCO men's golf team is good. Real good. National championship-type good. Okay, I'm not going out on a limb much with that statement given the Bronchos returned four starters and several other key players from last year's team that was ranked No. 1 for much of the spring and was fifth in the first Division II national poll of the fall, but still. Two tournaments this fall, two tournament titles. The latest one, which wrapped up Tuesday, was a 26-shot romp over a runner-up team ranked No. 3 in the country. Yep, they're good all right.

And We're Off!

A week into the new sports year and here's what we know.

• UCO's volleyball team is resilient. The Bronchos, relying heavily on a sophomore transfer at setter and several true freshmen at key positions, have bounced back from a season-opening loss to win four straight. And two of those have been down-to-the-wire five-set marathons, winning one of those 20-18 and the other 16-14. Rookies Jordan Jacobs and Juliette Smith have shined.

• UCO's football team has some impressive young talent. The Bronchos played 14 freshmen -- seven true and seven redshirt -- in last week's 31-10 road loss to No. 6 North Alabama and four of those really stood out. Wide receivers Christian Hood and Steve Caldwell were fearless in catching a combined 17 passes against a mean UNA defense, while defensive lineman Tyler Newton and linebacker Terry Williamson both made a series of big plays.

• UCO's soccer team is struggling. The Bronchos have scored just one goal in losing their first three games of the season for just the second time in school history and were completely whipped in Wednesday's home-opening loss to Abilene Christian. But something else I also know . . . there's too much talent on this team and Mike Cook is too good a coach for that trend to continue.

• UCO's cross country squad is ready to get started. Coach J.D. Martin's crew finally opens its season Saturday when the Bronchos host the UCO Land Run at Mitch Park in Edmond. Four runners are back from last year, an injury-plagued senior is ready to go and a pair of newcomers look to make an impact.

• Two of our sports that basically have two seasons -- fall and spring -- are also eager to get going. The men's and women's golf teams will open their fall campaigns next Monday and Tuesday, with new coach Pat Bates taking a loaded men's team to a tournament in Abilene, Texas while women's skipper Michael Bond and his youthful squad travel to Dallas.