KICKOFF
• The Central Missouri Mules return home to host the Washburn Ichabods in the annual Homecoming Game. Kickoff on Saturday is set for 1:30 p.m. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• The Mules are coming off a 56-7 win at Missouri Southern last Saturday, in which they racked up nearly 700 yards of total offense.
• Washburn is 5-2 on the season after a 30-24 win over Fort Hays State in Topeka last weekend.
HOMECOMING FESTIVITIES
• It's Homecoming Week on the UCM campus, culminating with the Homecoming game against Washburn on Saturday afternoon.
• Saturday morning's Homecoming Parade will begin at 9 a.m. and will run down Holden Street between Clark and Gay Streets.
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 12:20 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 18th in NCAA-II in passing offense at 304.9 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 are playing 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 standings.
• 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 nine votes in this week's AFCA poll. UCM stayed at 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 46th all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Washburn. The Mules have won four straight and lead the series 25-18-2.
• The Mules are 13-7 all-time against the Ichabods in Warrensburg.
• UCM has won six of the last seven meetings between the two schools.
• The Mules are 4-0 against Washburn under
Jim Svoboda, while the Ichabods are 3-9 against UCM under head coach Craig Schurig.
• In the four meetings under the current head coaches UCM is averaging 44 points per game and has won by an average of 20.5 points per game.
LAST MEETING WITH WASHBURN
• The Mules scored in every quarter and used a second quarter surge to pull out a 38-28 win at Washburn on Oct. 10, 2015.
• UCM scored 17 straight points to go from 7-0 down to a 17-7 lead that they wouldn't relinquish.
•
Garrett Fugate threw one touchdown pass and ran for three more scores in the win. He was 24-of-38 passing for 295 yards and totaled 72 yards on 21 carries.
•
Markel Smith rushed for 77 yards on 25 carries while
Jaylen Zachery caught seven passes for 107 yards.
• Ten different Mules caught passes in the game, including
Ian Toalson's one-yard touchdown grab on fourth and goal that tied the game at 7-7.
•
Tevin Teamer and
Alex Lackey led the UCM defense with eight tackles apiece and Teamer also had an interception.
•
Travion Vaughn,
Monteze Latimore and
Jason Venckus all had six tackles each and Venckus added 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
ABOUT THE ICHABODS
• Washburn enters the contest at 5-2 overall, having won back-to-back games by a combined 38 points.
• The Ichabods are 2-1 on the road this season. They are giving up 32.7 points per game on the road this season.
• Washburn ranks sixth in the MIAA in both scoring offense (32.6 ppg) and scoring defense (30.7 ppg allowed).
• The Ichabods are eighth in total offense (405.1 ypg) and third in total defense (381.3 ypg). They are the fourth-best rushing offense (178.7 ypg) in the league and second against the rush (114.0 ygp). The 'Bods are 10th in the MIAA in passing (226.4 ypg) and sixth in passing defense (267.3 ypg), but fourth in pass efficiency defense.
• Mickeel Stewart leads the WU rushing attack and is seventh in the MIAA averaging 60.9 yards per game on the ground. Wesley Collins adds 40.3 yards per game and averages 5.6 yards per carry.
• Quarterback Derek McGinnis has completed just 45.5 percent of his passes for 1,434 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.
• Bryce Chavis leads the team with 17 receptions for 308 yards and three touchdowns. Jake Horner has 16 catches for 427 yards and also has scored three TDs.
• Chavis is also the reigning MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week. He averages 16.8 yards per punt return.
• Defensively, the Ichabods have forced 18 turnovers, while registering 52 tackles for loss and 18 sacks in seven games.
• Cody Heiman leads the team with 60 tackles to go along with four tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions.
• Spenser Matthews leads the team with eight tackles for loss and has three sacks.
• Four players have two interceptions each.
• Kicker Perry Schmiedeler is 9-for-12 in field goal attempts this year with a long of 44 and he is 25-of-26 in PAT attempts.
LAST TIME OUT
• The Mules racked up 672 yards of total offense as they rolled to a 56-7 win at Missouri Southern last Saturday night. The Mules scored touchdowns on all six of their first half possessions to lead 42-7 at halftime.
• UCM had 362 yards rushing and 310 yards passing on the night.
•
Garrett Fugate threw for 275 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 95 yards and a score.
• Eleven different receivers caught passes in the game with
Jovante Siglar and
Wesley Thomas scoring their first career touchdowns.
•
Kyle Echols had two receiving touchdowns and
Alex Strong added his second score of the season.
•
Kadeem McIntosh rushed for 66 yards and a score and
Gabe Vandiver added 65 yards on the ground as well.
•
Kolesen Crane and
Monteze Latimore led the Mules with six tackles apiece.
Dylan Albertson had four tackles and grabbed his team-leading third interception of the season.
• UCM held Missouri Southern to 259 yards of total offense and just 3.9 yards per play.
THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 5-2 in conference play after the win over Missouri Southern last Saturday in Joplin.
• UCM was 8-3 in MIAA play last season and now stands at 45-21 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 25-13 in road games during the
Jim Svoboda era after winning at Missouri Southern on Saturday, Oct. 15.
WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mules improved to 43-7 during the
Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime after beating Missouri Southern.
• The Mules are 7-16 under Svoboda when trailing at halftime after the loss to Northwest Missouri.
21 AND UP
• UCM is 50-11 under
Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 50-5 during the Svoboda era and 28-1 when scoring 40 or more points.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• With
Marquel McNac's five-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against Missouri Southern, the Mules extended their MIAA record streak of consecutive games without being shutout to 278.
• 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 27th nationally converting on third down (46.7 percent completion) while Washburn is eighth in the league defensively, allowing opponents to convert 42.6 percent of the time.
• Last week against Missouri Southern, the Mules were 10-of-15 on third downs.
• UCM is second defensively on third down (36.8 percent), while the Ichabods are seventh offensively (39.5).
• In their five wins, the Mules are converting on third down 52 percent of the time and only allowing 32 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 15th nationally in fewest penalties per game at 5.1. UCM has been penalized 36 times for 314 yards.
• UCM opponents have been penalized 44 times for 403 yards, ninth most in the MIAA.
MIAA STAT LEADERS
•
Garrett Fugate leads the MIAA in passing, averaging 299.0 yards per game. He has completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 2,093 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His 18 touchdowns are the second most in the league, while his 151.4 pass efficiency rating is fourth best in the league.
•
Jaylen Zachery is 11th in the MIAA in receiving at 67.6 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 fourth most. He is second in the MIAA in scoring with eight total touchdowns and is first in punt returns (16.8 ypr) and fifth in kick returns (23.7 ypr).
•
Tyler Jones (55.0 ypg) is 16th in the league in receiving yards per game.
•
Dylan Albertson (3) is tied for second and
Jackson Newman (2) is tied for sixth in the league in interceptions.
•
Josh Powell is tied for ninth in the league with three quarterback sacks.
•
Travion Vaughn is tied for third in the MIAA with eight pass breakups on the year.
Monteze Latimore is tied for 10th with six.
TURNOVER MARGIN
• The Mules were second in the MIAA and 13th nationally in turnover margin last year at +12.
• This season, the Mules are -4 in turnover margin, 10th in the MIAA and 122nd nationally. UCM has thrown seven interceptions and given up seven fumbles, while intercepting seven passes and recovering three fumbles.
• Washburn is third in the MIAA and 23rd nationally in turnover margin at plus-six.
A WIN OVER WASHBURN WOULD...
• Improve the Mules' record to 6-2 overall and in the MIAA. Keep the Mules in no worse than third place in the league standings.
• Give the Mules five straight wins over the Ichabods and a 26-18-2 lead in the all-time series.
• Give UCM three straight wins for the second time this season.
A LOSS TO WASHBURN WOULD...
• Drop the Mules to 5-3 overall and in MIAA play.
• Snap UCM's four-game winning streak in the series and give the Ichabods their first win in Warrensburg since 2006.
• Pull Washburn to within 25-19-2 in the all-time series.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120th season of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 547-507-51 (.518) record in 1,105 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 52-24 (.684) 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 one pass for 21 yards in Tennessee's 28-26 win over Cleveland on Sunday.
• Walker has 357 catches for 4,260 yards with 26 touchdowns in his career. In 2015, 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
• The Mules stay home next 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.
