Box Score (WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – The 19th-ranked Central Missouri Mules fell to the seventh-ranked Northwest Missouri Bearcats 38-20 in front of an MIAA on-campus record crowd of 14,377 on Homecoming. NWMSU outscored the Mules 24-0 over the final quarter and a half to claim the victory.
            The Mules (4-2, 3-2 MIAA) took the opening kickoff and drove right down the field to grab an early 7-0 lead. Tommy Corwin hit Taylor Dyer with a 47 yard pitch and catch to cap a seven-play, 80-yard drive and put the Mules in front.
            The Bearcats (5-1, 4-1 MIAA) answered right back with an eight-play drive, all running plays, capped off by a James Franklin two-yard plunge to tie the score at 7-7.
            The Mules next drive stalled near midfield and a beautiful punt by Matt Jordan pinned the Bearcats deep at their own two. NWMSU was able to drive out of the shadow of their own end zone to the 33, but back-to-back personal foul penalties pushed the Bearcats back to their own 12. Three plays later Marlon Douglas intercepted a Trevor Adams on the NWMSU side of the 50 to put the Mules in great field position.
            UCM drove to the Bearcat 13 yard line, but the drive stalled and Aaron Jamieson trotted on for a 35 yard field goal attempt. The attempt was blocked and the game remained tied at 7-all.
            The Bearcats took advantage of the blocked field goal to take the lead on the ensuing possession. Franklin capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run to put NWMSU up 14-7 with 12:30 to play in the half.
            The Mules responded taking their next possession 61 yards in 15 plays capped by a Jamieson 30-yard field goal to pull to within four at 14-10 with 6:13 to play in the half.
            The Mules stopped Northwest on fourth down on the next possession and drove to the Bearcat 36, but the drive stalled and the Mules came up well short of the end zone on the final play of the half. UCM went into the intermission trailing 14-10.
            Central Missouri held NWMSU to a pair of three and outs on the first two drives of the second half. The Mules took over for the second time in the half at their own 20-yard line. A 52-yard completion to Dyer gave UCM the ball at the Northwest 15. Three plays later Corwin hit David Cannon for an eight yard strike to put the Mules back in front 17-14 with 9:15 to play in the third quarter.
            The Bearcats drove into UCM territory on the ensuing possession, but freshman Zach Leinbaugh picked off Adams at the UCM 34 and returned it all the way to the Northwest 34 yard line. A 16-yard completion to LaVance Taylor and a personal foul penalty on NWMSU on the first play of the drive gave UCM a first and goal at the Bearcat 9-yard line, but the Mules couldn't punch it into the end zone and had to settle for a 22-yard Jamieson field goal to extend the lead to 20-14 with 6:10 to play in the third quarter. The Mules would not score again.
            Northwest Missouri took the ensuing kickoff and marched 69 yards in six plays to regain the lead 21-20 on a Bryant Hummel one-yard touchdown plunge. UCM fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Bearcats turned it into three points on a 46-yard field goal by Todd Adolf to extend the lead to 24-20.
            The Mules' next drive stalled and they were forced to punt turning it back over to the Bearcats. NWMSU methodically drove down the field and following a holding penalty and a negative rush were faced with a 3^rd and 17 from the UCM 39. Adams hit Jordan Simmons for a 39-yard touchdown and the Bearcats led 31-20 with 9:43 to play in the game.
            Down 11, the Mules drove into Bearcat territory at the 49, after an incomplete pass on third down UCM was faced with a fourth down and four from the NWMS 43. Corwin found Jamar Howard streaking down the middle of the field, but the pass glanced off his outstretched finger tips and the Mules turned the ball over on downs.
            After taking over on downs, Northwest Missouri put the game away on Franklin's third rushing touchdown of the day, this one from a yard out, to cap an eight-play, 57-yard drive making it 38-20 Bearcats.
            The Mules finished with 434 yards of total offense compared to 501 for the Bearcats. Corwin was 29-of-54 for 360 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Dyer finished with five catches for a career-high 143 yards. Cannon had six catches for 55 yards and a touchdown.
            The Bearcats ran for 308 yards as a team, including 143 and 136 yards from Franklin and Simmons, respectively.
            Patrick Lewis led the Mules with 14 tackles, including one tackle for loss and a forced fumble. Brett Ginn had 10 tackles and one tackle for loss.
            The 14,377 fans in attendance set a new MIAA on-campus record. The old record of 13,096 was set by these same two teams in the regular season finale last season in Warrensburg.
            The Mules return to action next Saturday at Fort Hays State at 6 p.m. The game will be televised by the MIAA Television Network.