Mules head to Kearney, Nebraska looking to snap two-game skid

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KICKOFF
• The Mules hit the road to take on Nebraska-Kearney looking to snap a two-game losing skid. Kickoff on Saturday is set for 3 p.m. at Cope Stadium at Foster Field in Kearney.
• UCM will be facing a familiar foe as the Lopers are now under the direction of new head coach Josh Lamberson, the UCM offensive coordinator from 2010-14.
• The Mules are coming off a heartbreaking 34-30 loss to No. 3 Northwest Missouri last Saturday. The Mules led 23-6 early in the third quarter, but a late Bearcat rally was capped with the winning touchdown with just 34 seconds left in the game.
• The Lopers are coming off a 24-14 loss at Missouri Southern last Saturday and sit at 0-3 in head coach Josh Lamberson's first season.

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 3 p.m., The Spin Pizza - Bob Showers of Ameritas Financial Tailgate Show will begin at 1:50 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.

COACH TO CURE MD
• Both coaching staffs will be wearing Coach to Cure MD logo patches on the sidelines of Saturday's game. The Coach to Cure MD program is now in its eighth year and has raised more than $1.25 million to battle Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
• Fans can text the word CURE to 90999 to donate $5.
• For more information on Coach to Cure MD, go to www.CoachToCureMD.org.

STORY LINES
• The Mules are looking to snap a two-game losing streak overall and looking for their third straight win in the series with Nebraska-Kearney.
• UCM is 15-8 in the month of September under Jim Svoboda.
• The loss to Northwest Missouri was just the fourth loss under Svoboda when the Mules score 30 or more points (38-4), but the second consecutive such loss.
• 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 secured their eighth straight winning season in 2014, going 8-4 overall. It was the 16th winning season in the last 17 years for UCM.

SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the seventh all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Nebraska-Kearney with the Mules leading the series 4-2.
• The Mules won last year's meeting 45-28 on Sept. 27 in Warrensburg and UCM leads 2-1 since the Lopesrs joined the MIAA.

LAST MEETING WITH NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
• The Mules scored 24 straight points after halftime to grab a 31-14 lead after trailing 14-7 at the break.
• UCM outscored UNK 38-14 in the second half to win their second straight game in the series.
• Hayden Hawk finished the day 18-of-29 for 347 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
• LaVance Taylor rushed for 157 yards on 19 carries with three touchdowns, he also had one reception for 23 yards.
• Kyle Echols had three catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
• Alex Perlin led the defense with 11 total tackles, while Connor Smith had 10.
• As a unit, the UCM defense totaled 13 tackles for loss and six sacks in the game.

ABOUT THE LOPERS
• Nebraska-Kearney enters the game at 0-3 overall after a 24-14 loss at Missouri Southern last Saturday. This is the first season for UNK head coach Josh Lamberson, the former UCM offensive coordinator.
• The Lopers are averaging just 9.3 points per game offensively and are giving up 29.7 per contest.
• UNK averages 273.7 yards per game in total offense and they give up 350.0 per outing.
• Romero Cotton, a third team All-MIAA running back last season and a former national champion wrestler for UNK, leads the team in rushing at 69.3 yards per game. He's rushed 46 times for 208 yards and a touchdown.
• Quarterback Bronson Marsh is 39-of-101 for 464 yards with two TDs and four interceptions. He's also rushed 52 times for 101 yards and a score.
• Cougar Williams leads the team with 11 catches for 205 yards. He did not play last week against Missouri Southern, but is expected back this week.
• Tityus Mitchell has 10 receptions for 140 yards and two scores.
• Defensively, linebacker Tyke Kozeal leads the team with 45 tackles, six tackles for loss and two sacks.
• As a unit, the Lopers are allowing 130 yards per game rushing and 220 passing. Opponents have completed 58 percent of their passes against UNK.

LAST TIME OUT
• The Mules built a 23-6 lead early in the third quarter, but couldn't hold on as they fell 34-30 to No. 3 Northwest Missouri last Saturday at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• The Bearcats outscored UCM 28-7 from the midpoint of the third quarter on, including scoring the game-winning touchdown with :34 on the clock.
• The Mules forced four Bearcat turnovers in the game and turned those in to 20 points.
• Garrett Fugate was 20-of-41 passing for 280 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a score.
• Jaylen Zachery caught five passes for 75 yards and a touchdown, while Andrew Bakker caught three balls for 48 yards. Markel Smith rushed 14 times for 45 yards.
• Defensively, Austin Miller led the way with 10 tackles, a tackle for loss, half a sack and a fumble recovery.
• The Mules held Northwest Missouri to 59 yards rushing, but the Bearcats threw for 287 yards, including 132 yards in the fourth quarter.

THE MULES AT HOME
• The Mules are 1-1 at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field this season and 21-8 in their sixth season under Jim Svoboda.
• The Mules are 226-182-13 in their 85th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 0-1 on the road this season and the Mules are 18-12 in road games during the Jim Svoboda era.
• UCM is 5-5 in the last 10 road games.

THE MULES FOLLOWING A LOSS
• The Mules are now 13-5 following a loss during the Jim Svoboda era after back-to-back losses to Emporia State and Northwest Missouri.
• UCM has now lost back-to-back games five times during Svoboda's tenure.
• The Mules are averaging 36.4 points per game in the games immediately following a loss.

THE MULES VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
• The Mules are 0-1 this season and are 7-13 overall against ranked competition during the Jim Svoboda era after falling to No. 3 Northwest Missouri last Saturday.
• UCM's last win over a top 10-ranked opponent was a 31-21 win over No. 3 Northwest Missouri on Sept. 8, 2012.

PICKING UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF
• Senior defensive end Jason Venckus, who led the MIAA in tackles for loss last season, has picked up right where he left off registering 5.5 tackles for loss in the first three games. That number ranks him third in the MIAA.
• He is now four TFL shy of cracking Central Missouri's career top 10 list.
• Junior defensive back Diaron Rhodes broke the UCM single-season record for pass breakups last season with 15. With his three PBU in the first three games this year, he has moved in to a tie for third place on UCM's career list with 19. He is two pass breakups shy of second place and four away from the top spot.

THIRD DOWN WOES
• The Mules rank near the bottom of the MIAA in third down conversions and opponent third down conversions.
• UCM is 11th in the league converting just 20 percent of their third downs this season (9-for-45). Defensively, UCM is also 11th allowing 46 percent on third downs (23-for-50).
• In the win over Missouri Western the Mules held the Griffons to 6-of-16 on third downs, while in the losses to Emporia State and Northwest Missouri they were a combined 17-of-34 on third downs.

WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mules are 1-1 this season and 32-7 during the Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime. The Mules beat Missouri Western in the season-opener after leading 9-7 at the break. UCM lost to Northwest Missouri after leading 9-6 at the intermission.
• The Mules are 6-13 under Svoboda when trailing at halftime, including a 2-2 mark last season.

21 AND UP
• UCM is 38-10 under Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 38-4 during the Svoboda era and 24-1 when scoring 40 or more points.

SECOND HALF SCORING
• The Mules outscored opponents 261-160 in the second half and overtime of games last season. In three games this season UCM has been outscored 59-40 in the second half , including 38-19 in the fourth quarter.

SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• With Billy Greco's 31-yard field goal in the first quarter against Northwest Missouri, the Mules extended their MIAA record streak of consecutive games without being shutout to 263.
• The streak dates back to the 1991 season.

A UCM WIN WOULD...
• Even the Mules' record at 2-2, the third straight season going 2-2 through the first four games.
• Snap a two-game losing streak.
• Give the Mules their third straight win over Nebraska-Kearney and a 5-2 lead in the series.
• Give UCM back-to-back wins in Kearney.

A UCM LOSS WOULD...
• Give the Mules three straight losses for the first time under Jim Svoboda and the first time since 1998.
• Give UCM a 1-3 record for the first time since 1995.
• Snap UCM's two-game winning streak against Nebraska-Kearney and pull the Lopers to within 4-3 in the series.

MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120th season of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 535-504-51 (.514) record in 1,090 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 40-21 (.656) 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 in fifth place on Central Missouri's career wins list, just three wins shy of fourth place.
• Svoboda's .672 winning percentage entering the 2015 season is 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. He finished the 2014 season with 63 receptions for 890 yards and four touchdowns. Walker has 249 catches for 2,969 yards with 19 touchdowns in his career. He caught three passes for 43 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee's season-opening win over Tampa Bay.
• Walker was inducted into the UCM Athletic Hall of Fame last February.
• Running back LaVance Taylor recently 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.

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 return home next Saturday, Oct. 3 to host Missouri Southern. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Next Saturday is Family Weekend on the UCM campus.