KICKOFF• The Mules wrap up their quick two-game home stand hosting No. 22 Central Oklahoma on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field for the annual Homecoming Game.
• The Mules are coming off a 44-0 rout of Washburn last Saturday at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field. UCM led 13-0 at halftime, but scored 31 second half points to blow the game open.
• The Bronchos come into the game at 5-1 overall and 5-1 in MIAA play and ranked No. 22 by D2Football.com after a 43-41 triple overtime win over Missouri Southern on Saturday in Edmond. UCO's lone loss this season was a 36-13 defeat to No. 1 Northwest Missouri.
• With Saturdays' game being Homecoming, the gates to Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field will open at 11:30 a.m. and halftime will be 25 minutes in length instead of 20. Saturday's Homecoming Parade will start at 9 a.m.
ON THE AIR• The game will be broadcast on the 44,000-watt 98.5 The Bar and 1450 KOKO with Greg Hassler and Bill Turnage calling the action. With Saturday's game kicking off at 1:30 p.m. the Mules Tailgate Show will begin at 12:20 p.m.
• The game will also be webcast online through Stretch Internet. Fans can access the pay-per-view webcast at
portal.stretchinternet.com/ucmo/
QUICK HITS• The win over Washburn gave the Mules three straight wins for the first time this season. It's the longest winning streak since UCM ended last year on a four-game winning streak.
• A win over Central Oklahoma on Saturday would give the Mules their first four-game winning streak of the season and the fourth such streak of the
Jim Svoboda era.
• The Mules, and the rest of the MIAA, will be playing an 11-game schedule in 2014 with all 11 games against conference competition.
• The Mules will play six of their 11 games at home this season. It is the first time in five years that the Mules have more than five games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Central Missouri went 6-4 last season finishing in seventh place in the MIAA standings. It was the seventh straight winning season for Mules Football and the 15th in the last 16 seasons.
SERIES HISTORY• This will be just the third meeting all-time between Central Missouri and Washburn. The Mules have won the first two meetings in the series, both have come since UCO joined the MIAA.
• The Mules won last year's meeting 48-16 in Edmond.
• The Mules won the first ever meeting between the two schools, 47-17 in Warrensburg in 2012. That game was also UCM's homecoming game. The game kicked off at 1:30 on Saturday, but wasn't finished until Sunday afternoon after the game was suspended at the end of the first quarter due to lightning.
• The Mules are 2-0 against Central Oklahoma under
Jim Svoboda, while the Bronchos are 0-2 against UCM under head coach Nick Bobeck.
LAST MEETING WITH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA• The Mules racked up 602 yards of total offense in the 48-16 win over Central Oklahoma on Oct. 19, 2013 in Edmond. It was the most yards of total offense for UCM since they had 613 against Fort Hays State back on October 15, 2011
•
Hayden Hawk was 23 of 26 for 321 yards and three touchdowns
•
Ronrei Lloyd recorded his sixth straight 100-yard receiving game with eight catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns. He moved into a tie for sixth place all-time at UCM with 16 receiving touchdowns, sixth all-time with 1,856 receiving yards and ninth in receptions with 112
•
LaVance Taylor finished with a career-high 153 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries
•
Ricky Spratley led the defense with 13 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Ryan Berry finished with seven tackles
• The UCM defense registered eight tackles for loss and two sacks.
ABOUT THE BRONCHOS• Central Oklahoma comes into the game at 5-1 overall and in league play and ranked 22nd in this week's D2Football.com poll. UCO is the top team receiving votes in this week's AFCA poll. The Bronchos are coming off a 43-41 triple overtime win over Missouri Southern last Saturday at home.
• UCO has the MIAA's sixth best scoring offense at 30.2 points per game and the No. 5 scoring defense at 19.2.
• They average 365.5 yards per game offensively, 177.2 on the ground and 188.3 through the air. They give up 378.7 yards per contest. They rank third in the league in pass defense at 148.2 yards per game, but last in rushing defense, giving up 230.5 yards per outing.
• Jake Gandara leads the UCO ground game with 116.4 yards per game, ranking third in the MIAA. He's averaging 5.8 yards per carry and has scored seven touchdowns with a long run of 70 yards this season.
• Gandara's 153.0 all-purpose yards per game are second best in the MIAA behind
LaVance Taylor's 190.0.
• Quarterback Chas Stallard averages 5.1 yards per carry and 63.8 yards per game rushing. He's completing 65 percent of his passes for 186.8 yards per game. He's tossed five touchdowns and only one interception this year.
• Twelve different UCO receivers have caught passes this year, led by Christian Hood's 21 receptions for 279 yards. All-American Marquez Clark has 17 catches for 179 yards. Clark is averaging 32.7 yards per kickoff return.
• Defensively, the Bronchos lead the MIAA in turnover margin, having forced 18 turnovers (nine interceptions, nine fumbles) and only committed four of their own.
• Cody Jones leads the team with four interceptions and has returned two for touchdowns.
• Chass Glaspie leads the team in tackles with 63, including 31 solo stops. He also has two tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble.
• Matt Pruitt has 46 tackles and five passes defended.
• The UCO defense as a unit has registered 30 tackles for loss with seven sacks.
LAST TIME OUT• The Mules recorded their second shutout of the
Jim Svoboda era in the 44-0 win over Washburn on Saturday afternoon at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• The Mules held the Ichabods to 183 yards in total offense and forced three interceptions, including one for a touchdown.
•
Hayden Hawk was 18-of-32 passing for 194 yards and he also rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown.
•
Sam Smith led the defense with nine tackles and a tackle for loss in his first collegiate start.
•
J.R. Alexander,
Connor Smith and
Travion Vaughn all recorded interceptions, Vaughn returned his 33 yards for a touchdown.
• The win gave the Mules three straight wins for the first time this season.
MULES IN MIAA PLAY• The Mules are 4-2 in MIAA play this season after the 44-0 rout of Washburn on Saturday afternoon at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• UCM is 29-14 in conference action under
Jim Svoboda. The Mules were 5-4 in league play a season ago and finished in seventh place in the MIAA standings.
• The Mules are 21-13 in MIAA play since 2011.
THE MULES AT HOME• Central Missouri is 18-6 at home under
Jim Svoboda after the win over Washburn last Saturday.
• The Mules are averaging 46.3 points per game at home this season and giving up 19.7 points per contest.
• The Mules are 223-180-13 in their 84th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
THE MULES ON THE ROAD• Central Missouri is 1-2 on the road in 2014 after the win at Missouri Southern on Saturday.
• The Mules went 3-2 on the road in 2013 and are 16-10 in road games during the
Jim Svoboda era.
• UCM is 5-5 in the last 10 road games.
THE MULES VS. RANKED OPPONENTS• The Mules are 1-2 this season and 6-11 overall against ranked competition during the
Jim Svoboda era after the loss at No. 1 Northwest Missouri on Sept. 20
• Central Missouri is 2-7 against ranked opponents over the past three seasons.
• UCM's last win over a top 5-ranked opponent was a 31-21 win over No. 3 Northwest Missouri on Sept. 8, 2012.
• The Mules have never beaten a No. 1 ranked team.
LEADING THE PACK• Senior running back
LaVance Taylor currently leads the MIAA in rushing at 129.0 yards per game and in scoring with 11 touchdowns in 2014.
• Taylor has gone over the 100 yard mark in four of Central Missouri's six games, including a school-record 288 yards on 23 carries in the win over Emporia State.
• His 190.0 all-purpose yards per game average also leads the conference.
 TACKLING MACHINES• Junior linebacker
Ricky Spratley is currently fifth in the MIAA in tackles, averaging 10.2 stops per game. His 61 total tackles leads the team, as do his 28 solo stops. His linebacking mate
Alex Perlin is sixth in the league in tackles at 10.0 per contest. He has 50 total tackles on the season in five games.
• Spratley set a new career-high with 19 tackles in the win at Missouri Southern.
VENCKUS CONTROLLING THE LINE• Junior defensive end
Jason Venckus currently leads the MIAA in tackles for loss with 8.0 on the year.
• He had a career-high three tackles for loss in the win over Nebraska-Kearney and followed that up with two more against Missouri Southern.
NO FLY ZONE• Sophomore cornerback
Diaron Rhodes is tied for the MIAA lead with nine passes defended on the season and is averaging 1.5 passes defended per game.
LEADING AT THE HALF• The Mules are 27-5 during the
Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime, including a 1-1 mark this season after beating Washburn on Oct. 11.
• The Mules are 6-12 under Svoboda when trailing at halftime. UCM was trailing 14-7 at halftime to Nebraska-Kearney and 24-13 at Missouri Southern.
21 AND UP• UCM is 34-7 under
Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM 34-1 during the Svoboda era and 21-1 when scoring 40 or more points.
• The only loss when scoring 30 or more points was a 55-54 defeat to Division I FCS Illinois State in 2010.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES• With
Will Mondragon's 23-yard field goal against Washburn, Central Missouri has scored in 255 consecutive games - the longest streak in MIAA history.
A UCM WIN WOULD...• Give the Mules a 5-2 overall and MIAA record and give the Mules four straight wins for the first time this season and fourth time in the
Jim Svoboda era.
• Give the Mules wins in all three meetings against Central Oklahoma.
• Give UCM a 3-0 start to the month of October for the first time since 2010
A UCM LOSS WOULD...• Drop the Mules to 4-3 overall and in conference play for the first time in the
Jim Svoboda era.
• Snap UCM's two-game streak in the series with Central Oklahoma and the three-game winning streak overall.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY• In the 119th season of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 530-500-51 (.514) record in 1,081 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 12 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 AT THE HELM• Central Missouri head coach
Jim Svoboda has a record of 35-17 (.673) in his fifth season leading the Mules.
• He is fifth place on Central Missouri's career wins list with 35.
• Svoboda's .674 winning percentage entering the 2014 season was 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 68 school offensive records and 20 MIAA offensive records during Svoboda's tenure.
• 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 ninth season in the league and his second with the Tennessee Titans. Walker signed a four-year deal with the Titans last season after playing in Super Bowl XLVII with San Francisco. He caught three passes for 57 yards in Tennessee's win over Jacksonville on Sunday. Walker has 212 catches for 2,457 yards with 17 touchdowns in his career.
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS• Central Missouri has won a combined 200 MIAA regular-season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured seven MIAA regular season titles, the most of any school in league history and the second time Central Missouri accomplished the feat.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director
Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 146 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won six national championships since 1980 (men's and women's basketball in 1984, baseball in 1994 and 2003, women's bowling in 2003 and men's basketball in 2014) and eight national championships overall.
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM• Central Missouri had 220 student-athletes named to the 2013-14 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 41 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.
• 17 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had 12 student-athletes earn Academic All-Region awards in their respective sports with seven of those earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
MULES FOOTBALL ON THE AIR• The Bob Showers of Ameritas Investment Corp.
Jim Svoboda Mules Football Radio Show, Live from Traditions Restaurant airs on Monday nights at 6 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 and re-airs on Saturdays at 5 p.m.
LIVE VIDEO STREAMING• Live video coverage for all Central Missouri home and away MIAA games will be available through Stretch Internet on a pay-per-view basis. The cost is $9.95 for a day pass or $69.95 for an all-season pass for UCM football. With a day pass, fans can access any MIAA game being broadcast that day. Fans can access webcasts through the GameCentral by Stretch Internet link on the UCM Athletics homepage or through the "Video" links on the Mules Football schedule page. Fans can also go directly to portal.stretchinternet.com/ucmo/
UP NEXT• The Mules head back out on the road to take on Northeastern State on Saturday, Oct. 25 in Tahlequah, Okla. Kickoff at Doc Wadley Stadium is set for 1 p.m.
