KICKOFF• The Mules close out the regular season hosting Fort Hays State on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field. Saturday is Senior Day with the Mules' seniors being honored in a pre-game ceremony.
• The Mules are coming off a heartbreaking 38-31 loss at No. 6 Pittsburg State on Saturday. the Mules led 31-28 in the fourth quarter, but the Gorillas scored the final 10 points of the game to grab the win.
• Fort Hays State is coming off of a wild 49-41 win over Missouri Southern on Saturday in Hays, Kansas.
• This is the regular season finale for both teams.
ON THE AIR• The game will be broadcast on the 44,000-watt 98.5 The Bar and 1450 KOKO with Greg Hassler 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 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.
• The Mules have secured their eighth straight winning season and the 16th in the last 17 seasons.
• This is the second straight season that UCM will face Fort Hays State on Senior Day.
SERIES HISTORY• This will be the 11th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Fort Hays State with the Mules holding an 8-2 lead in the series.
• The Mules won last year's meeting 48-34 in the regular season finale in Warrensburg. Fort Hays State led 27-0 in the second quarter, but the Mules scored 41 straight points to grab the lead and go on to the victory.
• The Mules have won eight straight games in the series and have won every meeting since the Tigers joined the MIAA.
• UCM is averaging 33.4 points per game during the current eight-game streak, while FHSU is averaging 15.1 points per game.
• In the three meetings under the current head coaches, UCM leads 3-0 and the Mules are averaging 32.3 points per game, while Fort Hays State is averaging 17.7 points per outing.
LAST MEETING WITH FORT HAYS STATE• The Mules rallied from a 27-point first half deficit to beat Fort Hays State 48-34 on Senior Day at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field on Nov. 9, 2013.
• The Mules close the season on a four-game winning streak for the first time since 1988.
• UCM finished with 504 yards of total offense, the fourth straight game with 500 or more yards.
•
Hayden Hawk was 27-of-35 for 330 yards and four touchdowns, while
Ronrei Lloyd had five catches for 111 yards and a touchdown.
• Lloyd finished his UCM career second in school history with 2,192 receiving yards, fourth with 19 receiving touchdowns and tied for fifth with 131 career catches.
• The two teams combined for 465 kick return yards on 13 returns.
LaVance Taylor returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown.
ABOUT THE TIGERS• Fort Hays State comes into the game at 6-4 overall and in MIAA play after back-to-back wins at Nebraska-Kearney and at home against Missouri Southern.
• The Tigers are averaging 22.0 points per game and giving up 21.3 points per game.
• Fort Hays State averages 304.8 yards per offensively and is giving up 383 yards per contest. FHSU averages 144.7 yards on the ground and 160.1 through the air.
• The Tigers have turned the ball over 21 times this season (12 interceptions, nine lost fumbles) and forced 19 turnovers (nine interceptions, 10 fumbles).
• Edward Smith leads the rushing attack averaging 52.3 yards per game on the ground. Kenneth Iheme averages 49.2 yards rushing and quarterback Treveon Albert pitches in 40.6 per outing.
• Albert has completed nearly 54 percent of his passes for 1,474 yards and 10 touchdowns with eight interceptions.
• Ed Williams leads the Tigers in receiving with 49 receptions, twice as many as the next receiver. His 49 catches have resulted in 902 yards, an 18.4 yards per catch average, and five touchdowns.
• Justin McPhail leads the FHSU defense with 99 total tackles and 52 solo stops. He has nine tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions.
• Alex Schmidtberger and Nathan Lindsey are tied for the team lead with three interceptions apiece.
• The Tigers' defense has accumulated 59 tackles for loss on the season with 23 quarterback sacks. FHSU and the Mules are tied for fifth in the league in sacks.
LAST TIME OUT• The Mules led No. 6 Pittsburg State 31-28 early in the fourth quarter, but the Gorillas scored the final 10 points of the game to come away with the 38-31 victory last Saturday in Pittsburg, Kansas.
• The loss snapped UCM's six-game winning streak.
•
LaVance Taylor finished with 190 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries against the league's second best rush defense.
•
Josh Powell recorded his first career interception and touchdown when he returned an INT 20 yards for a score in the second quarter.
• The UCM defense forced three Gorilla interceptions in the game.
• Pittsburg State out-gained the Mules 611-329, including 428-119 in the passing game. Anthony Abenoja was 26-of-42 for 428 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
• Marquise Cushon led PSU with nine catches for 221 yards and two touchdowns.
• The Mules gave up five sacks for 34 yards, including sacks on the final three plays of the game.
MULES IN MIAA PLAY• The Mules are 7-3 in MIAA play this season after the 38-31 loss at No. 6 Pittsburg State last Saturday afternoon.
• UCM is 32-15 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 24-14 in MIAA play since 2011.
THE MULES AT HOME• The Mules are 5-0 at home this season and 20-6 under
Jim Svoboda after the win over Lindenwood on Saturday, Nov. 1.
• The current seven-game home winning streak is the longest since UCM won 10 straight home games between the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
• The Mules are averaging 43.6 points per game at home this season and giving up 21.2 points per contest.
• The Mules are 225-180-13 in their 84th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
THE MULES ON THE ROAD• Central Missouri is 2-3 on the road in 2014 after the 38-31 loss at sixth-ranked Pittsburg State.
• The Mules went 3-2 on the road in 2013 and are 18-11 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 2-3 this season and 7-12 overall against ranked competition during the
Jim Svoboda era after the loss to No. 6 Pittsburg State on Nov. 8.
• Central Missouri is 3-8 against ranked opponents over the past three seasons.
• UCM's last win over a top 10-ranked opponent was a 31-21 win over No. 3 Northwest Missouri on Sept. 8, 2012.
LEADER OF THE PACK• Senior running back
LaVance Taylor currently leads the MIAA and is fifth in NCAA-II in rushing at 150.5 yards per game and in scoring with 16 touchdowns. His 1,505 rushing yards are over 500 yards more than the next closest player in the league and are the fifth most in the nation.
• He is 87 yards shy of breaking Central Missouri's single-season rushing record of 1,591 yards set by Elliott Eley in 1987.
• Taylor has gone over the 100 yard mark in eight of Central Missouri's 10 games and has gone over the 200-yard mark twice, including a school-record 288 yards on 23 carries in the win over Emporia State.
• His 209.2 all-purpose yards per game average also leads the conference and is second in the nation.
• Taylor is 195 all-purpose yards shy of tying Anthony Stewart for the most in a single-season in program history and he is 234 yards shy of tying Kegan Coleman for the most in a career in UCM history.
VENCKUS CONTROLLING THE LINE• Junior defensive end
Jason Venckus continues to lead the MIAA in tackles for loss with 13.5 on the year. He is also tied for seventh in the league with 4.5 sacks.
• He had a career-high three tackles for loss in the win over Nebraska-Kearney.
• He is 3.5 tackles for loss shy (17) of cracking UCM's single-season top 10 list.
DEFENSIVE PLAYMAKERS• The Mules lead the MIAA in interceptions this season with 22.
• Sophomore cornerback
Diaron Rhodes has broken the UCM single-season record for passes defended, he now has 15 passes defended on the season. He leads the MIAA and is tied for 17th in the nation averaging 1.5 passes defended per game.
• Senior
Connor Smith is tied for the conference lead with four interceptions after coming up with two in the win over Lindenwood. Sophomore
Travion Vaughn is tied for seventh along with freshman
Monteze Latimore with three interceptions each.
WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF• The Mules are 30-6 during the
Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime, including a 4-2 mark this season after falling at No. 6 Pittsburg State last Saturday.
• The Mules are 6-12 under Svoboda when trailing at halftime, but 2-1 this season. UCM was trailing 14-7 at halftime to Nebraska-Kearney and 24-13 at Missouri Southern.
21 AND UP• UCM is 37-8 under
Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM 37-2 during the Svoboda era and 23-1 when scoring 40 or more points.
• The loss to Pittsburg State was the first loss when scoring 30 or more points since a 55-54 defeat to Division I FCS Illinois State in 2010.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES• With
Hayden Hawk's 12-yard touchdown run against Pittsburg State, Central Missouri has scored in 259 consecutive games - the longest streak in MIAA history.
A UCM WIN WOULD...• Give the Mules an 8-3 regular season and MIAA record.
• Give the Mules nine straight victories over Fort Hays State and give UCM a 9-2 lead in the all-time series.
• Be the eighth consecutive win at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field, the longest streak since UCM won 10 straight home games between the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
• Keep UCM in the hunt for a possible Mineral Water Bowl bid.
A UCM LOSS WOULD...• Drop the Mules to 7-4 overall and in conference play and give UCM two consecutive losses to end the season.
• Snap Central Missouri's eight-game winning streak against Fort Hays State and snap the Mules' seven-game home winning streak.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY• In the 119th season of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 533-501-51 (.515) record in 1,085 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 38-18 (.679) in his fifth season leading the Mules.
• He is in fifth place on Central Missouri's career wins list.
• 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 37 yards in Tennessee's loss to Baltimore on Sunday. Walker has 221 catches for 2,548 yards with 18 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 will have to wait to find out their postseason fate and a possible bid to the Mineral Water Bowl.
