KICKOFF
• The Central Missouri Mules head back out on the road to face Missouri Southern on Saturday evening in Joplin. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
• The Mules are coming off a 36-16 home win over Nebraska-Kearney last Saturday. The win snapped a two-game slide for UCM.
• Missouri Southern is 1-5 on the season after a 45-13 loss to Washburn last Saturday afternoon in Joplin.
• UCM was picked to finish second in the MIAA Preseason Coaches and Media Polls. Missouri Southern was picked to finish 10th in the coaches poll and 11th in the media poll.
ON THE AIR
• The game will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler calling the action. The SPIN! Pizza/Bob Showers of Ameritas Financial Tailgate Show will begin at 4:50 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.
MULE FEED
• The Mules lead the MIAA and rank 19th in NCAA-II in passing offense at 304 yards per game.
• Senior QB
Garrett Fugate was named a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation. He is one of 17 semifinalists from Division II and one of 156 semifinalists nationally across NCAA's Division I FBS, FCS, Division II, III and NAIA.
• The Mules will play six of their 11 regular season games at home this season. It is just the second time in the last seven seasons that UCM will play more home games than road games.
• The Mules went 8-3 overall last season and finished in a tie for third place in the MIAA standing.
• The Mules had their ninth straight winning season in 2015. It was the 17th winning season in the last 18 years for UCM.
MULES IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
• UCM is receiving one vote in this week's AFCA poll. UCM moved up five spots to No. 15 in this week's D2Football.com poll.
• Under head coach
Jim Svoboda the Mules have been ranked in the AFCA Poll 25 times and have been ranked in the top 10 a total of five times.
SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the 38th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Missouri Southern. The Mules lead the series 20-15-2
• UCM won last year's meeting 54-10 in Warrensburg, it was the largest margin of victory for either team in the series.
• UCM has won two straight in the series and eight of the last nine.
• The Mules are 8-8-1 against the Lions in Joplin and have won three of the last four meetings at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
• UCM is 5-1 against Missouri Southern under
Jim Svoboda, while MSSU is 0-1 against the Mules under second-year head coach Denver Johnson.
LAST MEETING WITH MISSOURI SOUTHERN
• The Mules clicked on all cylinders in a 54-10 rout of Missouri Southern on Oct, 3, 2015 in Warrensburg.
• UCM racked up a school-record 705 yards of total offense with 335 yards coming on the ground and 370 through the air.
• Quarterback
Garrett Fugate recorded the fourth highest single-game total offense yardage with 448. He was 21-of-29 passing for 343 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 105 yards and a score on 11 carries.
• Eleven different UCM receivers caught passes with
Alex Strong (5 rec., 113 yds) and
Jaylen Zachery (4 rec., 127 yds) both going over the 100-yard mark. It was Zachery's second 100-yard receiving game of the season and his career and the first for Strong.
• The UCM defense held Missouri Southern to 304 yards of total offense and 75 yards rushing.
• The Mule defense forced six three-and-outs by the Lion offense and also recorded a safety.
•
Alex Lackey and
TuiSamoa Magalei led the UCM defense with six tackles apiece.
ABOUT THE LIONS
• Missouri Southern enters the game at 1-5 overall after a 45-13 loss Washburn last Saturday at home.
• The Lions are 0-3 at home and are giving up an average of 47 points per game in those three losses.
• MSSU is 12th in the MIAA in scoring at 17.2 ppg and ninth in scoring defense, giving up 37.7 points per contest.
• The Lions are 11th in total offense (338.2 ypg) and 10th in total defense (475.2 ypg allowed). They rank 12th in rushing offense (91.5 ypg), 12th in rushing defense (237.2 ypg), eighth in passing (246.7 ypg) and second in passing defense (238.0 ypg). They rank ninth in pass efficiency (118.2) and eighth in pass efficiency defense (135.6).
• Quarterback TJ Fleeton is completing 59.6 percent of his passes for 1,136 yards with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. Backup Brayden Scott has played in five games, completing 23-of-43 passes for 344 yards with two TDs and two INTs.
• Josh Hadley leads the team averaging 33.0 yards per game rushing. He is averging 3.7 yards per carry. Fleeton has three of the team's four rushing touchdowns.
• Scott Lathrop leads the team in receiving with 32 catches for 202 yards. Jocqui Davis has 23 catches for 280 yards and two scores. Josiah Bennett has 12 catches for a team-best 313 yards and two touchdowns. He is averaging 26.1 yards per catch.
• Linebacker Justin Legier leads the Missouri Southern defense with 50 total tackles, including 34 solo stops. He also has 1.5 tacles for loss, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
• Strong safety Patrick Cheek has 46 tackles and leads the team with 5.5 tackles for loss and also has one sack.
• The MSSU defense has 31 tackles for loss, but only four sacks on the year. They've intercepted two passes and recovered five fumbles.
LAST TIME OUT
• The Mules racked up 455 yards of total offense as they rolled to a 36-16 win over Nebraska-Kearney last Saturday to snap a two-game skid.
• The Mules opened the scoring on their second drive of the game.
Garrett Fugate hit
Alex Strong for a six-yard touchdown to cap an eight-play, 60-yard drive that put UCM in front 7-0.
• Fugate connected with
Justus McMullen for a pair of long touchdowns in the second quarter to put the Mules up 20-3. Scoring plays of 35 yards on 4th and 2 and a 67-yard pitch and catch on 3rd and 9 gave UCM a double-digit lead.
•
Jackson Newman added a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown to put the Mules up 27-3 late in the first half.
• A safety and a 23-yard pass from Fugate to
Tyler Jones in the third quarter closed out the scoring for UCM.
• Fugate threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns in under three quarters of play. Jones caught three passes for 79 yards and a score, while McMullen finished with two grabs for 102 yards and two scores. They were the first two catches for McMullen since Dec. 6, 2014 after he sat out all of last season with an injury.
• Newman led the UCM defense with a career-high 11 tackles and an INT and touchdown.
Monteze Latimore had six stops.
• The Mule defense registered 14 tackles for loss and five sacks in the game.
THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 4-2 in conference play after the win over Nebraska-Kearney last Saturday in Warrensburg.
• UCM was 8-3 in MIAA play last season and now stands at 44-21 in conference games under
Jim Svoboda. The third best conference record during that span behind NWMSU and MWSU.
THE MULES AT HOME
• The Mules are 2-1 at home this year and 26-9 at home under
Jim Svoboda.
• The Mules are 231-183-13 overall in their 86th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 24-13 in road games during the
Jim Svoboda era after winning at Missouri Western on Saturday, Sept. 17.
THE MULES FOLLOWING A LOSS
• The Mules are 1-1 this season following a loss after the 36-16 win over Nebraska-Kearney. UCM is 15-6 overall under
Jim Svoboda after a loss.
• The Mules are averaging 35.5 points per game under Svoboda in the games immediately following a loss.
• The Mules have lost back-to-back games for just the sixth time under
Jim Svoboda, but have not lost three in a row since the 1998 season.
WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mules improved to 42-7 during the
Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime after beating Nebraska-Kearney.
• The Mules are 7-16 under Svoboda when trailing at halftime after the loss to Northwest Missouri.
21 AND UP
• UCM is 49-11 under
Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 49-5 during the Svoboda era and 27-1 when scoring 40 or more points.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• With
Alex Strong's six-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against Nebraska-Kearney, the Mules extended their MIAA record streak of consecutive games without being shutout to 277.
• The streak dates back to week three of the 1991 season.
GETTING OFF THE FIELD ON 3RD DOWN
• A matchup to watch will be on third downs. UCM is third in the MIAA and 39th nationally converting on third down (43.5 percent completion) while Missouri Southern is ninth in the league defensively, allowing opponents to convert 41.7 percent of the time.
• UCM is fifth defensively on third down (39.0%), while the Lions are ninth offensively (36.1).
• In their four wins, the Mules are converting on third down 48 percent of the time and only allowing 34 percent on defense. In the two losses, UCM has only converted on 34 percent of third downs, while allowing opponents to convert 49 percent of the time and 5-for-5 on fourth down.
NO LAUNDRY ON THE FIELD
• The Mules lead the MIAA and rank 12th nationally in fewest penalties per game at 4.5. UCM has been penalized 27 times for 259 yards through six games this season.
• The opponents have been penalized 36 times for 333 yards, ninth most in the MIAA.
MIAA STAT LEADERS
•
Garrett Fugate leads the MIAA in passing, averaging 303.3 yards per game. He has completed 61.1 percent of his passes for 1,820 yards with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. His 149.8 pass efficiency rating is third best in the league.
•
Jaylen Zachery is eighth in the MIAA in receiving at 69.2 yards per game. His 29 catches are eighth most in the league and his 415 yards are seventh most, his six receiving touchdowns are tied for second most. He leads the league in scoring with eight total touchdowns and is first in punt returns (18.0 ypr) and fifth in kick returns (23.7 ypr).
•
Tyler Jones (58.8 ypg) is 13th in the league in receiving yards per game.
•
Dylan Albertson and
Jackson Newman are tied for fourth in the league with two interceptions each.
•
Josh Powell is tied for third in the league with three quarterback sacks.
TURNOVER MARGIN
• The Mules were second in the MIAA and 13th nationally in turnover margin last year at +12.
• This season, the Mules are -3 in turnover margin, seventh in the MIAA and 115th nationally. UCM has thrown six interceptions and given up six fumbles, while intercepting six passes and recovering three fumbles.
A WIN OVER MISSOURI SOUTHERN WOULD...
• Improve the Mules' record to 5-2 overall and in the MIAA.
• Give the Mules three straight wins over the Lions and a 21-15-2 lead in the all-time series.
• Give UCM back-to-back wins in Joplin and wins in four of the last five meetings at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
A LOSS TO MISSOURI SOUTHERN WOULD...
• Drop the Mules to 4-3 overall and in MIAA play.
• Snap UCM's two-game winning streak in the series and give the Lions wins in two of the last three meetings in Joplin.
• Pull Missouri Southern to within 20-16-2 in the all-time series.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120th season of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 546-507-51 (.518) record in 1,104 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 51-24 (.680) in his seventh season leading the Mules. He has led the Mules to three postseason appearances.
• He is third on UCM's career wins list.
• Svoboda's .681 winning percentage entering the 2016 season is 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 83 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 11th season in the league and his fourth with the Tennessee Titans. Walker signed a four-year deal with the Titans after playing in Super Bowl XLVII with San Francisco.
• He caught a team-high five passes for 66 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee's 30-17 win at Miami on Sunday.
• Walker has 356 catches for 4,239 yards with 26 touchdowns in his career. Last year, he caught 94 passes for 1,088 yards and six touchdowns and was selected to his first Pro Bowl.
• Walker was inducted into the UCM Athletics Hall of Fame in February 2015.
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
• Central Missouri has won a combined 207 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured two MIAA regular season titles, three MIAA Tournament crowns and three NCAA Regional Championships.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director
Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 153 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won eight national championships during Hughes' tenure (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 232 student-athletes named to the 2015-16 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 28 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.
• 19 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had seven student-athletes earn Academic All-Region awards in their respective sports with four of those earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
• Since the year 2000, UCM is sixth in NCAA-II with 53 Academic All-Americans.
• Two UCM student-athletes were awarded prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships last year.
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
• UCM returns home next Saturday, Oct. 22 for the annual Homecoming Game against Washburn. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field. The Homecoming Parade will start at 9 a.m. that morning.
• The Mules will stay home the following week for their second straight home contest, this time hosting Central Oklahoma. Kickoff against the Bronchos on Saturday, Oct. 29 is set for 1 p.m. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
