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KICKOFF
• The Central Missouri Mules kickoff the 2013 season hosting sixth-ranked Missouri Western on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7:07 p.m. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• The game is being broadcast on the MIAA Television Network as the MIAA Game of the Week. Neil Harwell will provide the play-by-play broadcast with Rich Baldinger providing the color-commentary. KMOS TV will replay the game on Sunday night, Sept. 8 at 10 p.m.

QUICK HITS
• The Mules kickoff the 2013 season facing the sixth-ranked and defending MIAA Champion Missouri Western Griffons. This is the second straight year that these two teams face each other in the season-opener.
• UCM looks to start a new streak of season-opening wins after having their four-game winning streak snapped by the Griffons in last year's season-opener in St. Joseph.
• Central Missouri went 6-4 last season finishing in seventh place in the MIAA standings. It was the sixth straight winning season for Mules Football and the 14th in the last 15 seasons.
• The Griffons went 12-2 last season, winning the first MIAA championship in school history. MWSU advanced to the NCAA-II Quarterfinals before falling to Minnesota State 17-10.
• This is the first of five home games for the Mules in 2013. UCM will play a 10-game schedule again in 2013, but only nine conference games. This is the fourth straight season that the Mules only have five regular season home games.
• The Central Missouri offense was third in the MIAA in passing last season averaging 291.3 yards per game. They were seventh in scoring offense at 28.8 points per contest.
• The Mule defense was second in the league in scoring defense allowing 22.1 points per game and third in turnover margin. UCM also led the league in net punting at 39.2 yards per kick.

SERIES HISTORY
• This is the 30th meeting all-time between Central Missouri and Missouri Western with the Griffons holding a 15-13-1 advantage.
• The Griffons have won two straight in the series and nine of the last 10 meetings after a 38-26 win in St. Joseph in the season-opener a year ago.
• UCM is 1-2 at Missouri Western during the Jim Svoboda era, while the Griffons are 11-5 against UCM under head coach Jerry Partridge.
• The average score of the last three meetings is 27.3-25 in favor of Missouri Western.

LAST TIME VS MISSOURI WESTERN
• The Griffons jumped out to a 28-0 first half lead before the Mules forged a furious late-game rally that ultimately came up short.
• UCM out-gained MWSU 432-342, but UCM threw three interceptions and turned the ball over on downs three times.
• Colter Smith finished the game 20-of-28 for 250 yards and two touchdowns. LaVance Taylor gained 109 yards on 12 carries for a 9.1 yards per carry average. Ronrei Lloyd and Cullen Rosine each scored their first career touchdowns.
• Michael Hill rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns and Travis Partridge was 14-of-20 for 126 yards and three touchdowns to lead Missouri Western.
• It was just the second loss for UCM under Jim Svoboda when scoring 21 or more points.
• It was the second straight loss to MWSU and the ninth loss in the last 10 meetings.
• The loss was the first in a season-opener for the Mules since 2007 and their sixth straight defeat to the Griffons in St. Joseph.

ABOUT MISSOURI WESTERN
• The Griffons enter the 2013 season ranked No. 6 in the AFCA Top 25 Preseason Poll and fifth in the D2Football.com poll.
• Missouri Western was 12-2 a season ago and captured the first MIAA Football Championship in school history with a 9-1 league mark. MWSU advanced to the NCAA-II Quarterfinals before falling to Minnesota State.
• The Griffons are 124-64 during head coach Jerry Partridge's 16 seasons, including an 11-5 mark against the Mules.
• MWSU returns 38 letterman and 12 starters from the 2012 squad, including first team All-MIAA quarterback Travis Partridge.

MULES IN SEASON OPENERS
• The Mules are 2-1 in season-openers under Jim Svoboda.
• UCM lost at No. 18 Missouri Western 38-26 to open last season.
• The Mules had won four straight season-openers before last year's defeat in St. Joseph.
• The Mules are averaging 42.7 points per game in their three season-openers under Jim Svoboda.

MULES IN HOME OPENERS
• The Mules are 3-0 in home openers under Jim Svoboda and have won eight straight home openers dating back to 2004.
• UCM is averaging 34.7 points per game in the previous three home openers under Svoboda. The defense has given up 19.3 points per game in the three wins.
• The Mules' last loss in a home opener was a 38-20 defeat to Northwest Missouri in week three of the 2004 season.

MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 20-8 in MIAA play under Jim Svoboda after going 6-4 in conference action a season ago.
• The Mules' 14 combined conference wins in 2010 and 2011 were the most by a UCM head coach in their first two seasons.

MULES IN MIAA OPENERS
• The Mules are 2-1 in conference openers under Jim Svoboda.
• UCM lost at Missouri Western 38-26 in last year's season and MIAA opener.
• Central Missouri had won five straight conference openers dating back to 2006 before falling to the Griffons last year.

THE MULES AT HOME
• Central Missouri is 12-4 at home under Jim Svoboda, after going 4-1 at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field last season.
• The Mules averaged 33.8 points per game at home last year and gave up just 17.8 per outing.
• The Mules are 217-178-13 as they begin their 83rd season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• The Mules are 13-6 in road games during the Jim Svoboda era after going  2-3 on the road last season.
• UCM averaged 23.8 points per game on the road last year, while giving up 26.4 points per contest.

THE MULES VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
• The Mules are 5-6 against ranked competition during the Jim Svoboda era. UCM went 1-2 against ranked opponents last season, including a 38-26 loss at No. 18 Missouri Western in the season opener.
• This is the second consecutive season that UCM will open the year against a ranked opponent and the third time in the modern era of Mules Football. The Mules are 1-1 in their first two season-openers against ranked opponents.
• UCM's last win over a top 5-ranked opponent was a 31-21 win over No. 3 Northwest Missouri on Sept. 8.
• UCM's last win over a top 10-ranked opponent was a 39-21 win at No. 6 Washburn to close out the 2011 regular season.

LEADING AT THE HALF
• In Jim Svoboda's first three years the Mules are 22-2 when leading at halftime.
• UCM was 6-2 when leading at halftime last year.
• On the flip side, the Mules are just 2-9 under Svoboda when trailing at halftime.

21 AND UP
• UCM is 24-4 under Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• Central Missouri was 5-3 last season when scoring 21 or more points after going 8-0 during the 2011 season when scoring 21 or more.

A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Give the Mules a 1-0 overall and MIAA record on the year.
• Snap a two-game losing streak to the Griffons.
• Give the Mules a 2-2 record against Missouri Western during the Jim Svoboda era.

A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• Give the Mules season-opening losses in back to back years for the first time since the 1991 and 1992 seasons.
• Be the third straight to the Griffons and the 10th in the last 11 meetings
• Give the Mules a 1-3 record against Missouri Western under Svoboda.

MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Entering the 118th season of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 520-494-51 (.512) record in 1,065 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 in 2010.
• 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 in 2010.

SVOBODA LEADING THE WAY
• Central Missouri head coach Jim Svoboda has a career record of 25-11 (.694) in his fourth season leading the Mules.
• Svoboda's .694 winning percentage is the fourth highest for a UCM coach.
• UCM posted the second most wins in a two-year span in school history in Svoboda's first two seasons.
• The Mules 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 three seasons and 20 MIAA 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 Mule currently on an NFL roster. Tight end Delanie Walker is in his eighth season in the league and his first with the Tennessee Titans. Walker signed a four-year deal with the Titans in the offseason after playing in Super Bowl XLVII last season with San Francisco. In his career, Walker has 123 catches for 1,465 yards with eight touchdowns.

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
• Central Missouri has won a combined 193 MIAA regular-season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured three MIAA regular season titles and one tournament championship.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 139 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 550 Central Missouri student-athletes received 375 Academic Awards from the MIAA office for the 2012-13 academic year.
• 305 UCM student-athletes were named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
• 37 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.
• 33 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had eight student-athletes earn Academic All-America honors in their respective sports, including Brent Vogel being named the Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year for Men's Track & Field.

MULES FOOTBALL ON THE AIR
• Central Missouri football is broadcast live on 1450 KOKO/98.5 “The Bar”, and on the internet at warrensburgradio.com. 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 Bob Showers of Ameritas Investment Corp. Jim Svoboda Mules Football Radio Show, Live from Traditions Restaurant airs on Monday nights at 6:30 p.m. on 98.5 The Bar and 1450 KOKO as well as online at warrensburgradio.com. The show is broadcast live on the patio at Traditions Restaurant at the Audrey J. Walton Clubhouse at Keth Memorial Golf Course.
• 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.

UP NEXT
• The Mules hit the road next week to take on another top 10-ranked opponent. UCM travels to Maryville, Mo. to take on fourth-ranked Northwest Missouri on Saturday night at 6 p.m. at Bearcat Stadium.