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KICKOFF
• The Central Missouri Mules return home to host the Truman State Bulldogs in the CBS Sports Network/NCAA Division II Game of the Week on Thursday night. The Mules are coming off a 35-28 win at Lindenwood on Saturday night, while the Bulldogs are coming off a 63-21 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State.

QUICK HITS
• The Mules look to win their third straight game this season and their sixth straight over Truman when they host the Bulldogs on Thursday night.
• Based on rankings, the Mules played the toughest first two weeks of any team in NCAA-II facing Missouri Western, who was ranked 18th at the time, and Northwest Missouri (No. 3).
• This will be 96th and possibly final meeting between Central Missouri and Truman. The Bulldogs are leaving the MIAA after this season to join the GLVC.
• Central Missouri is 2-1 overall for the third straight year and 2-1 in MIAA play for the second consecutive season.
• The Mules have not lost back-to-back games in the Jim Svoboda era and have not lost consecutive games since 2008.
• The Mules will play a 10-game schedule in the new-look MIAA this season. UCM will play five home games and five road games, this is the third straight year that the Mules have just five home games on their schedule in the regular season.
• The Mules were 8-4 a season ago and received a bid to play in the Kanza Bowl. The Lions were 8-3 playing as an independent before joining the MIAA this season.
• The Mules hired assistant coach Kyle Westphal in the offseason. Westphal coaches the UCM special teams as well as defensive backs.

SERIES HISTORY
• Central Missouri and Truman State have met 95 times on the gridiron with the Bulldogs holding a 52-38-5 advantage in the series.
• The Mules beat Truman State 54-30 last year in Warrensburg and have won five straight games in the series.
• The Mules average margin of victory during the five-game winning streak is 21.2 points per game.
• UCM is averaging 37.6 points per game during the current winning streak and giving up 16.4 points per contest.
• UCM has won six straight games in Warrensburg dating back to 1999.

LAST TIME VS TRUMAN STATE
• The Mules raced out to a 21-3 first quarter lead and never looked back on their way to a 54-30 win over Truman State on September 24, 2011 at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• UCM led 35-13 at halftime and 47-16 late in the third quarter.
• UCM had 34 first downs to 21 for the Bulldogs.
• The Mules out-gained TSU 571-400, rushing for 218 yards and passing for 353.
• Tommy Corwin finished the day 32-of-41 for 360 yards and four touchdowns.
• Patrick Lewis led the defense with 12 tackles as the defense racked up five tackles for loss and three sacks.
• LaVance Taylor ran for 110 yards on eight carries, including a 77-yard touchdown run to put UCM up 47-16 in the third.
• The Mules were 5-for-5 in the redzone and converted 7-of-13 third down attempts.

ABOUT TRUMAN STATE
• The Bulldogs enter the game at 3-0 overall and 2-0 in MIAA play after a 63-21 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday night.
• The 63 points were the most scored in over a decade for Truman.
• The Bulldogs are 3-0 for the first time since 1994.
• TSU is third in the MIAA in scoring offense (43.0 ppg) and scoring defense (15.7 ppg).
• The Bulldogs are led by quarterback Conrad Schottel (226.3 yards/gm) and running back Garrett White (82.3 yards per game and four touchdowns).
• Twelve different Truman receivers have caught passes, led by Dallas Grier's 18 catches for 313 yards and two scores. Chico Orlando had nine catches and three touchdowns.
• Richie Schumacher leads the team in tackles with 20, while the unit has registered 29 tackles for loss, 12 sakcs and four interceptions.
• Michael Elliott leads the defense with three INTs.

LAST TIME OUT
• The Mules scored a late touchdown to hold off the Lindenwood Lions 35-28 on Saturday night in St. Charles.
• The Lions scored first converting a field goal on their opening drive of the game to lead 3-0. The Mules responded with 14 straight points to grab a 14-3 lead before leading 14-13 at halftime.
• LaVance Taylor had three rushing touchdowns to lead the Mules including the game-winner, a 21-yard scamper around right end with 3:01 left in the game.
• Taylor racked up 275 all-purpose yards (96 rush, 17 rec, 162 KR), the fourth highest single-game total in school history.
• Colter Smith was 26-of-41 for 285 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He also ran seven times for 35 yards and a touchdown.
• Latavious Davis led the defense with nine tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles and a pass break-up.

MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 16-5 in MIAA play under Jim Svoboda and 2-1 this season after a 35-28 win at Lindenwood last week.
• The Mules' 14 combined conference wins in 2010 and 2011 are the most by a UCM head coach in their first two seasons.
• UCM was 6-3 in MIAA play last season.

THE MULES AT HOME
• Central Missouri is 9-3 at home under Jim Svoboda, including 1-0 this year after a 31-21 win over No. 3 Northwest Missouri in the home opener.
• The Mules are 214-177-13 in their 82nd season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• The Mules are 12-4 in road games under Jim Svoboda and 1-1 this year after a 35-28 win at Lindenwood on Saturday night.
• UCM was 5-1 on the road last season.
• The Mules averaged 43 points per game in their five road wins last year and 36.8 points per game on the road overall.

THE MULES VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
• The Mules are 5-5 against ranked opponents during the Jim Svoboda era and 1-1 this season after a 31-21 win over No. 3 Northwest Missouri on Sept. 8.
• The Mules were 1-2 against ranked opponents last season.
• UCM's last win over a top 5-ranked opponent was a 31-21 win over No. 3 Northwest Missouri last Saturday.

21 AND UP
• The Mules improved to 21-2 under Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points with the 35-28 win over Lindenwood on Saturday night.
• Central Missouri is 2-1 this season when scoring 21 or more points.
• UCM was 8-0 last season when scoring at least 21 points.

TOUGH COMPETITION
• The Mules played the toughest opening two games of any team in NCAA-II. UCM opened the season with then-No. 18 Missouri Western before taking on No. 3-ranked Northwest Missouri.
• The Mules first three opponents have a combined record of 7-2 through the first three weeks of the season.
• If you take away the game that those three teams played against the Mules, they have a combined record of 6-0.

ALL-PURPOSE BACK
• LaVance Taylor racked up 275 all-purpose yards in the 35-28 win at Lindenwood on Saturday night.
• The 275 all-purpose yards is the fourth highest single-game total in school history.
• He had 96 rushing yards, 17 receiving yards and 162 kick return yards in addition to scoring three rushing touchdowns.
• Taylor is averaging 190.3 all-purpose yards per game in addition to averaging 5.7 yards per carry. His 190.3 all-purpose yards per game ranks 10th in NCAA-II.
• In 15 career games, Taylor is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and 96.7 all-purpose yards per game.

KICKING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS
• Senior placekicker Aaron Jamieson is just seven points shy of becoming the all-time leading scorer among kickers at Central Missouri. He has 247 career points (160 PATs, 29 FGs) and trails only Shane Meyer (254 points).
• Additionally, Jamieson is fourth on the all-time scoring list among all players at UCM.

LATAVIOUS DAVIS NAMED MIAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Latavious Davis was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the 35-28 win over Lindenwood.
• The senior defensive end from Blakely, Ga. recorded nine tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He forced three fumbles and had a pass break-up.
• Davis is 13th in NCAA-II averaging 1.33 sacks per game and 18th with 2.17 tackles for loss per game.
• This is the first player of the week award for Davis and the fourth this season for UCM.

A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Give the Mules a 3-1 overall and MIAA record and move them ahead of Truman and no more than one game behind the league leaders.
• Give the Mules six straight wins over the Bulldogs
• Give UCM an 9-2 record under Jim Svoboda in September games and a 7-3 record in night games.

A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• Drop the Mules to 2-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play.
• Snap UCM's five-game winning streak against Truman and snap the Mules' six-game winning streak over TSU in Warrensburg.
• Be the first loss to the Bulldogs in the Jim Svoboda era.

MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 117th season of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 516-491-51 (.512) record in 1,058 total games.
• The Mules have won 10 or more games three times in the history of the program and have posted 11 seasons of eight or more wins.
• UCM won a school-record 11 games in Jim Svoboda's first season.
• UCM has won or shared eight MIAA championships in school history with the last coming in 2003.
• The Mules have qualified for the postseason seven times in their history, including two trips to the NCAA-II Playoffs, the last coming 2010.

SVOBODA LEADING THE WAY
• Central Missouri head coach Jim Svoboda has a career record of 21-8 (.724) in his third season leading the Mules.
• Svoboda's .724 winning percentage is the third highest for a UCM coach.
• UCM has posted the second most wins in a two-year span in school history under Svoboda.
• The Mules have appeared in the postseason in each of Svoboda's first two seasons. UCM made the NCAA-II Playoffs in year one under Svoboda and earned a bid to the Kanza Bowl in his second season. It is just the second time in school history that Mules Football has made back-to-back postseason appearances.
• UCM hosted the first ever playoff game in school history and won the school's first two playoff games in Svoboda's first season in 2010.
• The Mules have set or tied 63 school offensive records in Svoboda's first two seasons and 20 conference offensive records.
• The Mules became the first team in NCAA-II history to have a 5,000-yard passer (Eric Czerniewski) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Anthony Stewart) in the same season when they accomplished that feat in 2010.

MULES IN THE PROS
• There is one former Mules currently on an NFL roster. Tight end Delanie Walker is in his seventh season in the league with the San Francisco 49ers. Last season, Walker had one of his best years to date. He started seven games, hauling in 19 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning TD in San Francisco's 25-19 win at Detroit in week six. For his career, Walker has 102 catches for 1,121 yards and five scores. Another former UCM tight end DeMarco Cosby signed a free agent contract with the Green Bay Packers prior to the start of 2012 training camp.
• Former Central Missouri All-American running back Anthony Stewart is continuing his football career north of the border. Stewart is currently a member of the BC Lions practice sqaud in the Canadian Football League.

JAMIESON NAMED TO WATCH LIST
• Senior placekicker Aaron Jamieson has been named to the Fred Mitchell Outstanding Placekicker Award watchlist for the second straight season. Jamieson was a semifinalist for the award last season. The award is given annually to the nation's top collegiate placekicker among FCS, DII, DIII, NAIA and NJCAA.

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE ATHLETIC ARENA
• Central Missouri has won a combined 190 MIAA regular-season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured seven MIAA regular season and three tournament championships.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 136 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won five national championships since 1980 (men's and women's basketball in 1984, baseball in 1994 and 2003, and women's bowling in 2003) and seven national championships overall.

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
• The 500+ Central Missouri student-athletes received 245 Academic Awards from the MIAA office for the 2011-12 academic year.
• 195 UCM student-athletes were named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
• 32 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Scholar Athletes with at least a 3.5 GPA and having earned all-MIAA honors in their respective sport.
• 18 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had 10 student-athletes earn Academic All-America honors, including Shawn Boss being named the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for Track & Field.

MULES FOOTBALL ON THE AIR
• Central Missouri football is broadcast live on 1450 KOKO/98.5 “The Bar”, 90.9 The Bridge and on the internet at warrensburgradio.com. 90.9 The Bridge will pick up the broadcasts at kickoff. The broadcast team of Shawn Jones (play-by-play), Bill Turnage (color commentary) and Greg Hassler (sideline) will have all the UCM action. The Mules Tailgate show begins 80 minutes prior to kickoff.
• The Jim Svoboda Mules Football Radio Show, presented by Bob Showers of Ameritas Investment Corp. airs on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. on 98.5 The Bar and 1450 KOKO as well as online at warrensburgradio.com. Remaining show dates are September 26; October 3, 10, 17, 24 and Tuesday, Oct. 30.
• The Central Missouri Sportspage is your weekly one-hour look at UCM athletics each Thursday night at 7 p.m. on KMOS-TV. Senior Associate Athletic Director Shawn Jones will sit down with Mules head coach Jim Svoboda to discuss the previous week's game as well as weekly spotlights of Mules football players.

LIVE VIDEO STREAMING
• Live video coverage for all Central Missouri home and away MIAA games will be available through the America One Sports Network on a pay-per-view basis. The cost is $8 per game, $30 for a 30-day pass or $69.95 for an all-season pass for UCM football. Fans can access webcasts through the America One Sports link on the UCM Athletics homepage or by going to AmericaOneSports.com.

UPCOMING
• The Mules continue their short home stand hosting Missouri Southern next Saturday, Sept. 29 at 1:30 p.m. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.