13th-ranked Mules close out regular season with big game at Fort Hays State

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KICKOFF
• The 20th/13th-ranked Mules close out the regular season on the road at Fort Hays State in the MIAA TV Game of the Week. Kickoff on Saturday is scheduled for 2:37 p.m. with the game being aired on the MIAA Television Network, KSMO Channel 62.
• The Mules are coming off a 34-6 win over Pittsburg State last Saturday and have won seven straight games.
• Fort Hays State has won back-to-back games and three of their last four after beating Missouri Southern 42-31 in Joplin last weekend.

ON THE AIR
• The game will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler calling the action. With Saturday's game kicking off at 2 p.m., The Spin Pizza - Bob Showers of Ameritas Financial Tailgate Show will begin at 12:50 p.m. on the UCM Sports Network.
• The game will also be webcast online through Central Missouri's Stretch Internet portal at
UCMathletics.com/gamecentral. It is a pay-per-view webcast.



STORY LINES
• Both UCM and Fort Hays State are fighting for possible postseason berths. The Mules are eighth in this week's regional rankings and need to get to No. 7 to earn a spot in the NCAA-II Playoffs. FHSU was not ranked in the regional poll, but both clubs are still very much alive for possible bowl berths.
• The win over Pittsburg State gave UCM a 45-4 record when scoring 30 or more points under Jim Svoboda.
• The Mules finished the month of October 5-0 and are 20-7 during the month under Jim Svoboda. UCM is 9-4 during the month of November and 1-0 this year.
• The Mules rank first in the MIAA in total offense and third in the league total defense. Fort Hays State is fifth in the conference in total offense and ninth in total defense.
• The Mules will play six of their 11 regular season games on the road this season. It is the fifth time in six seasons under Jim Svoboda that UCM will play more road games than home games.
• The Mules went 8-4 overall last season and finished in a tie for fourth place in the MIAA standings with a 7-4 conference mark.
• The Mules have secured their ninth straight winning season this year. It is the 17th winning season in the last 18 years for UCM.

RANKINGS
• The Mules moved up four spots to No. 20 in the AFCA Top 25 Poll this week. The Mules also moved up two more spots to No. 13 in this week's D2Football.com Poll. Fort Hays State is unranked.
• The Mules stayed put at No. 8 in this week's NCAA-II Super Region 3 rankings. The top seven teams in the final poll on Sunday, Nov. 15 will receive bids to the NCAA-II Playoffs.

SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the 12th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Fort Hays State with the Mules holding an 8-3 lead.
• The Tigers won last year's meeting 45-17 in Warrensburg to snap UCM's eight-game winning streak in the series.
• The Mules are 4-1 against Fort Hays State under Jim Svoboda, while the Tigers are 1-3 against UCM under Chris Brown.
• In the four meetings under the current head coach UCM is averaging 28.5 points per game, while the Tigers are averaging 24.5.

LAST MEETING WITH FORT HAYS STATE
• The Tigers led from start to finish in a 45-17 rout on Senior Day at Walton Stadium.
• Fort Hays State out-gained UCM 384-314, including 289 yards on the ground.
• LaVance Taylor rushed for 149 yards on 22 carries to set a new UCM single-season rushing record with 1,654 yards. His 2,267 all-purpose yards also were a school single-season record.
• Hayden Hawk finished the day 20-of-38 for 172 yards. Justus McMullen had five catches for 35 yards.
• Ricky Spratley led the UCM defense with 11 tackles and a sack. Travion Vaughn had eight stops, while J.R. Alexander and Ramond Hunter had seven tackles apiece.

ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Fort Hays State enters the regular season finale at 7-3 after a 42-31 win at Missouri Southern last Saturday.
• The Tigers are led by fifth-year head coach Chris Brown, who has compiled a 29-25 record during his tenure in Hays.
• FHSU boasts the MIAA's top rushing offense (258.4 ypg) and the league's top rusher in Shaquill Cooper (124.8 ypg). Quarterback Treveon Albert is third in the conference in rushing (107.2 ypg) as well. Cooper has nine rushing touchdowns with Albert chipping in six. Derek Kendall-Campbell is third on the team with 28.6 ypg and five rushing scores.
• Albert has completed 51.5 percent of his passes for 1,559 yards and 14 touchdowns, but has thrown 10 interceptions on the season.
• Cooper is also the team's leading receiver with 31 catches for 289 yards and five TDs. Andrew Flory has 28 grabs for 379 yards and three touchdowns, but has not played since week six.
• Defensively, FHSU ranks ninth in the league in total defense (408.8 ypg), they are seventh against the run (163.5 ypg) and 10th against the pass (245.3 ypg).
• Brock Long leads the team with 145 tackles, third in the MIAA, and he leads the league with 20.5 tackles for loss. He also has nine sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
• Three players on the defense (Long, Daniel Lindsey and Sie Doe) have at least 10 tackles for loss.
• As a unit, the Tigers have 67 tackles for loss, 22 sacks, 11 interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries.
• Fort Hays State is plus-eight in turnover margin.

LAST TIME OUT
• The Mules out-scored Pittsburg State 24-0 in the second half to break open a close game and roll to a 34-6 win on Senior Day at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• It was the seventh straight win for UCM.
• Ian Toalson scored the game's first touchdown with a 70-yard run on a fake punt.
• The Mules added a 79-yard Andrew Bakker touchdown reception, a 33-yard Josh Powell fumble return for a TD and a Markel Smith two-yard TD run in addition to two Billy Greco field goals.
• Smith finished the day with 108 yards on 21 carries, his fourth 100-yard rushing performance of the season.
• With his 16 receiving yards, Jaylen Zachery moved in to 10th place on UCM's single-season receiving yards list with 893.
• Greco is now second on UCM's single-season made field goals list with 17 and his 92 points are tied for third most in a season by a kicker.
• Alex Lackey led the UCM defense with 12 tackles and a sack, while Austin Miller registered 11 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack and two pass breakups.

THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 8-2 in MIAA play this season and 40-18 in conference games under Jim Svoboda.
• They went 7-4 in MIAA play last season and finished in a tie for fourth place in the conference standings.

THE MULES AT HOME
• The Mules are 4-1 at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field this season and 24-8 in their sixth season under Jim Svoboda.
• The Mules are 229-182-13 in their 85th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 4-1 on the road this season and the Mules are 22-12 in road games during the Jim Svoboda era.
• UCM is 6-4 in the last 10 road games.

CONVERTING ON THIRD DOWN
• Since the UNK game, the Mules are 46-of-112 (41.1) on third downs and have held the opposition to 26-of-109 (23.9) combined on third downs.
• UCM is eighth in the league in converting third downs (35.0 percent) and third in opponent third down conversions (30.8).
• Fort Hays State is fifth in the league in third down conversions (38.0), and 11th in opponent third down conversions (41.8).

MIAA LEADERS
• Wide receiver Jaylen Zachery leads the MIAA averaging 89.3 yards per game receiving. He has 49 catches (T-4th in MIAA) for 893 yards (1st in MIAA) and four touchdowns (T-11th in MIAA).
• Ian Toalson is third in the conference with seven receiving touchdowns. He leads all MIAA tight ends with 30 receptions and seven touchdowns.
• Quarterback Garrett Fugate is second in the league in passing at 270.4 yards per outing. His 167 completions are fourth best in the conference and his 2,434 yards are third most. His three interceptions are the least of any quarterback this year. His 326.6 yards per game of total offense is second in the league.
• His 505 rushing yards this season are a new record by a UCM quarterback, breaking the old mark of 364 set by Marcus Frazier in 1991.
• Markel Smith is sixth in the MIAA in rushing, averaging 88.1 yards per game. His seven rushing touchdowns are fifth best in the league.
• Billy Greco is third in the league in scoring with 92 points (second among kickers). He's made 17 field goals and 41 extra points.
• Monteze Latimore is tied for fifth in the league with four interceptions, while Austin Miller is tied for ninth with three. Miller is fourth in the conference with 10 pass breakups, while his 13 passes defended are fifth best.
• Jason Venckus' 12.5 tackles for loss are tied for fifth in the MIAA.

WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mules are 8-1 this season and 39-7 during the Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime after their 34-6 win over Pitt State last Saturday.
• The Mules are 6-13 under Svoboda when trailing at halftime.

21 AND UP
• UCM is 45-10 under Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 45-4 during the Svoboda era and 27-1 when scoring 40 or more points.

SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• With Ian Toalson's 70-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against Pittsburg State, the Mules extended their MIAA record streak of consecutive games without being shutout to 270.
• The streak dates back to the 1991 season.

A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Give UCM a 9-2 record and keep them in contention for a possible NCAA-II Playoff berth.
• Give the Mules eight straight wins for the first time since 2010.
• Give UCM a 9-3 lead in the series with Fort Hays State.

A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• Snap UCM's seven-game winning streak and drop the Mules to 8-3 on the season.
• Give Fort Hays State back-to-back wins in the series for the first time since 1964-65.
• Drop the Mules out of playoff contention and possibly out of a bowl game as well.

MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120th season of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 542-504-51 (.517) record in 1,097 total games.
• The Mules have won 10 or more games three times in the history of the program and have posted 12 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 eight 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 47-21 (.691) in his sixth season leading the Mules. He has led the Mules to three postseason appearances, including a berth in last season's Texarkana Bowl.
• He is third on UCM's career wins list.
• Svoboda's .672 winning percentage entering the 2015 season was the fifth 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 81 school offensive records and 21 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 10th season in the league and his third with the Tennessee Titans. Walker signed a four-year deal with the Titans after playing in Super Bowl XLVII with San Francisco. Walker has 288 catches for 3,382 yards with 21 touchdowns in his career. He caught seven passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's overtime win at New Orleans and now has 42 receptions for 456 yards and a three touchdowns in six games this season.
• Walker was inducted into the UCM Athletic Hall of Fame last February.
• Running back LaVance Taylor signed a free agent contract with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He is currently on the team's practice squad.

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
• Central Missouri has won a combined 205 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured five MIAA regular season titles, and three MIAA Tournament crowns.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 151 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won eight national championships since 1980 (men's and women's basketball in 1984, baseball in 1994 and 2003, women's bowling in 2003, men's basketball in 2014, and women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2015) and 10 national championships overall.

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
• Central Missouri had 218 student-athletes named to the 2014-15 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 29 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 six student-athletes earn Academic All-Region awards in their respective sports with three of those earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
• Since the year 2000, UCM is tied for sixth in NCAA-II with 49 Academic All-Americans.

MULES FOOTBALL ON THE AIR
• The Bob Showers of Ameritas Investment Corp. Jim Svoboda Mules Football Radio Show, Live from Traditions Restaurant airs on Tuesday 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 from the patio at Traditions Restaurant at the Audrey J. Walton Clubhouse at Mules National Golf Club.

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.
• Fans can access webcasts by going to UCMathletics.com/gamecentral or by clicking on the links located on the Mules Football schedule page.

UP NEXT
• The Mules will await their postseason fate. The final NCAA-II Super Region rankings will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 4 p.m. CT on NCAA.com