CORSICANA, Texas (December 7, 2024) – A pick six on the second play from scrimmage set the tempo as the Falcons took a 28-14 lead into the fourth quarter, but The University of Texas Permian Basin football team was unable to hold off the No. 25 nationally-ranked team in the country in the University of Central Missouri and ultimately fell 39-37 to the Mules in double overtime at the 2024 Heritage Bowl Powered by Riot on a wet Saturday, December 7, day at Community National Bank & Trust Stadium.

Playing against the reigning Harlon Hill award winner in Zach Zebrowski, the Falcons' defense knew it would have its hands full.

As Zebrowski went deep looking for a big play on just the second play of the game, sophomore safety Jamarion Ravenell undercut the throw, pointed out his blocks and returned it 55 yards for an opening pick six.

On fourth-and-12 from the UTPB 24-yard line, Zebrowski got the Mules onto the scoreboard with a touchdown pass with 1:12 on the clock in the first quarter.

UTPB answered Central Missouri's eight-play, 76-yard touchdown drive with a 14-play, 95-yard touchdown drive. That drive featured a 41-yard pass from Issac Mooring, who maintained his composure in a crowded pocket and got the ball out to his running back Kory Harris, who got loose down the sideline and nearly took it all the way to the house. Two plays later, Harris would bounce around a defender and punch it in from three yards out, breaking the Falcons' single-season record for rushing touchdowns in the process.

Jalon Rocquemore intercepted Zebrowski on the ensuing drive, but Zebrowski would bounce back with a five-yard rushing touchdown to cap a 10-play, 88-yard drive to tie the game in the final four minutes of the first half.

UTPB would again answer the UCM scoring drive, going on a 10-play drive of its own for 76 yards and scoring with just 25 seconds left in the first half on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Mooring to Deon Cook on third-and-11. Unfortunately, after having a 41-yard field goal blocked in the first quarter, Angel Diaz's extra point attempt was again blocked as the missed points would definitely come back to haunt the Falcons.

After throwing just nine interceptions during the regular season, the third interception of the game by Zebrowski, this time into the hands of Dante Heaggans, set up a UTPB scoring drive that would give the Falcons a two-touchdown lead.

It was a seven-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown rush by Harris, who went in untouched for his second touchdown of the game. Gunnar Abseck then ran in a creative two-point conversion attempt to make it 28-14 Falcons with 35 seconds left in the third quarter.

However, after Mooring came up short on a one-yard run on fourth-and-five from the UCM 22-yard line on the Falcons' first drive of the fourth quarter, that opened the door for Zebrowski and the Mules, who went down the field for 79 yards in nine plays. On third-and-goal from the two-yard line, Zebrowski did not come up short and instead finished with his second rushing touchdown of the game to make it a one-score game (28-21) with 6:46 left to play in regulation.

After a three-and-out by the Falcons on the next drive, Zebrowski led the Mules on their game-tying drive that lasted for 14 plays, 94 yards and over five minutes of game time and got the game clock all the way down to 35 seconds. The drive would end as Zebrowski bought time in the backfield and fired a 13-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Rose, who had his second touchdown catch but was not done breaking the hearts of Falcons' fans on this day.

UCM would get the ball first in overtime and got it down to the UTPB six-yard line before a timely sack by Yemi Oyesanya forced a field goal from 28 yards out. Unfortunately, UTPB was unable to do anything with its first possession in overtime and instead went backwards before Diaz redeemed himself with a pressure-packed 43-yard field goal to force another overtime period.

A pass interference call on the Mules' defense on the first play of the second overtime got the Falcons down to the UCM 12-yard line, and after a timely fumble recovery by offensive lineman Ramon Diaz to keep UTPB's chances alive after a sack fumble against Mooring, Mooring bounced back and found Cook in the corner of the endzone for his second touchdown catch of the game just one play later.

In one of the most pivotal calls of the game, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Falcons backed them up from the three-yard line to the 18-yard line for their required two-point conversion attempt, which saw an interception from Mooring looking for Jeremiah Cooley.

Similarly to the previous Falcons' drive, a pass interference call got the Mules into the redzone. From there, Zebrowski took matters into his own hands, actually his feet, as he took it for 11 yards to get it down to the UTPB one-yard line. After Zebrowski was stuffed on back-to-back rushes from the one-yard line, he finally pushed it in on third down for his third and final rushing touchdown of the game.

Then on the game-winning two-point conversion, Zebrowski found Rose for the backbreaker in the back of the endzone.

Both quarterbacks had their fair share of attempts with Mooring finishing 27-of-51 for 337 yards and two touchdowns and Zebrowski going 20-for-47 for 262 yards and two touchdowns as well. The difference was Zebrowski's effort on the ground as he ran 29 times for a career-high 138 yards and three scores, including what proved to be the game-winner. For his efforts, Zebrowski was named the Heritage Bowl Most Outstanding Player.

For UTPB, Harris ran it 19 times for 52 yards and two scores. With 13 rushing touchdowns this season, Harris breaks the previous school record of 11 touchdowns set by Nemier Herod just last season.

Cooley led the UTPB receivers with nine catches for 125 yards while Cook put on a show and hauled in seven receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns. For UCM, Rose was up for the challenge and finished with six catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns as well, all in addition to his game-winning two-point conversion catch.

UCM outgained UTPB by just seven yards overall (438-431).

In addition to its three interceptions on defense, UTPB finished with eight tackles for loss and five sacks. Rocquemore led the way with nine tackles and was followed by Tristan Exline with eight total tackles and two sacks. Frank Mulipola added six tackles and a sack, Ravenell had five tackles to go along with his opening interception of the game, and Oyesanya finished with four tackles.

UTPB finished its 2024 season with an overall record of 7-5.