Mules head to Joplin for Saturday showdown with Missouri Southern

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KICKOFF
• The Mules look to get above .500 for the first time this season when they travel to Joplin, Missouri on Saturday afternoon to take on Missouri Southern. Kickoff at Fred G. Hughes Stadium is set for 2 p.m.
• The Mules are coming off a 45-28 win over Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday afternoon at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field. The Mules trailed 14-7 at halftime, but outscored the Lopers 38-14 in the second half.
• The Lions come into the game at 2-2 overall after a 42-21 win over Washburn on Saturday night in Joplin. Missouri Southern trailed 7-0 early in the first quarter, but outscored the Ichabods 42-14 the rest of the way to even their overall and MIAA record at 2-2.

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 2 p.m. the Mules Tailgate Show will begin at 12:50 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 are 2-0 this season when coming off a loss.
• The combined record of the Mules' first three opponents this season (Missouri Western, Emporia State and Northwest Missouri) was 32-5 last season.
• 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 the 36th meeting all-time between Central Missouri and Missouri Southern. The Mules lead the all-time series 18-15-2
• The Lions won last year's meeting 21-14 in Joplin to snap Central Missouri's six-game winning streak in the series.
• Central Missouri is 7-8-1 in the series in games played in Joplin, including 1-1 under Jim Svoboda.
• The Mules are 3-1 against MSSU under Jim Svoboda, while the Lions are 1-1 against UCM under third-year head coach Daryl Daye.

LAST MEETING WITH MISSOURI SOUTHERN
• The Mules were outgained 496-200, including 427-26 on the ground as they fell at Missouri Southern 21-14 on Oct. 5, 2013.
• The loss snapped a six-game winning streak against the Lions and dropped the Mules to 1-3 in conference play
• Ricky Spratley led the defense with 14 tackles, including two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery
• Ronrei Lloyd had seven catches for 108 yards, while Ray Harris caught three passes for 21 yards and a touchdown
• Sean Gorman scored a touchdown for the second straight game when he pulled in a six-yard scoring strike on fourth down
• The Mules were just 2 of 12 on third downs and 1 of 2 on fourth down conversion attempts

ABOUT THE LIONS
• Missouri Southern comes in to their homecoming game at 2-2 overall and in the MIAA. The Lions are coming off a 42-21 win over Washburn at home on Saturday night.
• The Lions are averaging 29.5 points per game offensively while giving up 32.8 per contest. They average 335.5 yards per game including a league-best 259.8 yards per game on the ground.
• The MSSU defense gives up 412.0 yards per game, 167.8 on the ground and 244.2 through the air.
• Michael Nelson is the leading rusher for Missouri Southern's triple-option attack at 63.0 yards per game. Giresse Forchu averages 47.8 per game and has scored a team-leading five touchdowns. Shannon Saunders is averaging 50.0 yards per contest and quarterback Scott Lathrop averages 44.0.
• As a unit, the MSSU quarterbacks have completed 11-of-32 passes for 303 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
• Anthony Cannon leads the MSSU receivers with six catches for 136 yards and a touchdown.
• Defensively, safety Gaige Washington leads the team in tackles with 38, including 22 solo stops. Dalvin Taylor has 32 tackles and both players have 2.5 tackles for loss.
• As a group, the MSSU defense has registered 29 tackles for loss and eight quarterback sacks this season. They've intercepted five passes and forced four fumbles.

LAST TIME OUT
• The Mules trailed Nebraska-Kearney 14-7, but outscored the Lopers 38-14 in the second half to run away with a 45-28 win on Family Weekend last Saturday.
• The Mules totaled 499 yards of offense, including 347 through the air and 152 on the ground.
• Hayden Hawk finished the day 18-of-29 passing for 347 yards with three touchdowns, including two to Kyle Echols. He finished with three catches for 145 yards.
• LaVance Taylor rushed 19 times for 157 yards and three scores, he also added one pass reception for 23 yards.
• Defensively, the Mules racked up 13 tackles for loss and six sacks. Alex Perlin led the defense with 11 total tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
• Connor Smith had 10 tackles and a tackle for loss.

MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 2-2 in MIAA play this season after the 45-28 win over Nebraska-Kearney last Saturday.
• UCM is 27-14 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 19-13 in MIAA play since 2011.

THE MULES AT HOME
• Central Missouri is 17-6 at home under Jim Svoboda after the win over Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday, Sept. 27.
• The Mules are averaging 47.5 points per game at home this season and giving up 29.5 points per contest.
• The Mules are 222-180-13 in their 84th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 0-2 on the road in 2014 after the loss at Northwest Missouri on Sept. 20.
• The Mules went 3-2 on the road in 2013 and are 16-10 in road games during the Jim Svoboda era.
• UCM is 4-6 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 to No. 1 Northwest Missouri.
• 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.

THE MULES FOLLOWING A LOSS
• The Mules are 12-3 following a loss during the Jim Svoboda era after beating Nebraska-Kearney 45-28 on Sept. 27.
• UCM has lost back to back games just two times during Svoboda's tenure, both happened last season.
• The Mules are averaging 37.3 points per game in the games immediately following a loss.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
• Seniors LaVance Taylor and Will Mondragon were named the MIAA Offensive and Special Teams Players of the Week, respectively, after UCM's 45-28 win over Nebraska-Kearney.
• Taylor rushed for 157 yards and three TDs, while Mondragon was 6-of-6 on PAT attempts and 1-for-1 on field goals.

LEADING THE PACK
• Senior running back LaVance Taylor currently leads the MIAA in rushing at 142.8 yards per game and in scoring with 10 touchdowns so far in 2014.
• Taylor has gone over the 100 yard mark in three of Central Missouri's four games, including a school-record 288 yards on 23 carries in the win over Emporia State.
• His 198.8 all-purpose yards per game average also leads the conference.

 TACKLING MACHINE
• Junior linebacker Ricky Spratley is currently fifth in the MIAA in tackles, averaging 10.2 stops per game. His 41 total tackles leads the team, as do his 20 solo stops.
• Spratley was Central Missouri's leading tackler last season with 84.

LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mules are 26-5 during the Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime, but 0-1 this season after falling to Missouri Western. The Mules led 6-0 at halftime, but fell 10-9 in the season-opener.
• The Mules are just 5-12 under Svoboda when trailing at halftime. UCM was trailing 14-7 at halftime to Nebraska-Kearney last Saturday.

21 AND UP
• UCM is 32-7 under Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM 32-1 during the Svoboda era and 20-1 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 Cullen Rosine's 13-yard touchdown reception against Nebraska-Kearney, Central Missouri has scored in 253 consecutive games - the longest streak in MIAA history.

A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Give the Mules a 3-2 overall and MIAA record and put the Mules above .500 for the first time this season.
• Give the Mules seven wins in the last eight meetings with Missouri Southern.
• Give UCM two wins in three tries in Joplin during the Jim Svoboda era.

A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• Drop the Mules to 2-3 overall for the second straight season.
• Give the Mules back-to-back losses to Missouri Southern for the first time since 1995-96 and back-to-back losses in Joplin for the first time since losses in 1994 and 1996.

MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 119th season of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 528-500-51 (.513) record in 1,079 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 LEADING THE WAY
• Central Missouri head coach Jim Svoboda has a record of 33-17 (.660) in his fifth season leading the Mules.
• He is in sixth place on Central Missouri's career wins list with 33.
• Svoboda's .674 winning percentage entering the 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 five passes for 84 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee's loss at the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Walker has 205 catches for 2,353 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 return home next weekend for the first of two straight games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field. UCM will host Washburn on Saturday, Oct. 11 before welcoming Central Oklahoma to Warrensburg for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 18.