KICKOFF
• The Central Missouri Mules welcome Central Oklahoma to Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field on Saturday, Oct. 29. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
• The Mules are coming off a 29-27 win over Washburn last Saturday that improved their record to 6-2 on the season.
• Central Oklahoma snapped a three-game losing streak with a 63-42 win over Missouri Southern last Saturday in Edmond.
BLACKOUT GAME
• This Saturday's game with Central Oklahoma is the annual Blackout Game. UCM Spotlight will be handing out black rally towels to fans as they enter the stadium, while supplies last.
• Fans are encouraged to wear black to support the Mules and the Blackout Game.
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 11:50 a.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 are second in the MIAA and rank 14th in NCAA-II in passing offense at 311.1 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 REGIONAL RANKINGS
• The Mules are ranked No. 8 in the initial NCAA-II Super Region Three rankings released this week. UCM is the highest-ranked two-loss team in the poll.
• The top seven teams in the final rankings on Sunday, Nov. 13 will earn bids to the NCAA-II Playoffs.
• The NCAA Selection Show will air at 4 p.m. CT on Sunday, Nov. 13 on NCAA.com.
MULES IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
• UCM is receiving 20 votes in this week's AFCA poll, the highest ranked team in the 'others receiving votes' category. UCM moved up one spot to No. 14 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.
FUGATE NAMED MIAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• UCM senior QB
Garrett Fugate was named MIAA Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in last week's 29-27 win over Washburn.
• The Overland Park, Kan. native was 28-of-41 for 357 yards and three touchdowns, and also added 30 yards on the ground in the win.
• This is the second player of the week honor this season for Fugate and the third of his career.
SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the fifth meeting all-time between Central Missouri and Central Oklahoma. The Mules have won all four meetings so far.
• UCM won last year's meeting 45-42 in Edmond and won in Warrensburg 31-19 in 2014.
• UCM is 2-0 in Warrensburg and is averaging 39 points per game at home, while giving up 18 points per contest.
LAST MEETING WITH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
• The Mules rallied from a nine-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Central Oklahoma 45-42 in a wild shootout in Edmond on Oct. 17, 2015.
• UCM led 10-7 at halftime with the defenses controlling most of the action. The second half saw 70 points and 779 yards of total offense between the two teams.
•
Markel Smith's 30-yard touchdown run with 7:38 to play in the game gave UCM the lead and
Garrett Fugate's 87 yard run with :56 to play put the game away for the Mules.
• Fugate finished the day with 417 yards of total offense, the 10th highest single-game total in school history. He was 20-of-37 passing for 239 yards and a score while rushing for 178 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. His 178 rushing yards are the most ever for a UCM quarterback in a single game.
• Smith finished with 143 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.
Jaylen Zachery caught eight passes for 105 yards and
Ian Toalson hauled in five receptions for 80 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown on fourth and five in the third quarter.
•
Austin Miller and
Sam Smith led the UCM defense with 11 tackles each, while
Tevin Teamer finished with 10. Miller added a tackle for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery.
ABOUT THE BRONCHOS
• Central Oklahoma enters the contest at 2-6 overall and in MIAA play after a 63-42 win over Missouri Southern last Saturday.
• The win over MSSU snapped a three-game losing streak for the Bronchos.
• UCO is eighth in the MIAA in scoring at 29.3 points per game and sits 11th in scoring defense, allowing 41.1 points per game.
• The Bronchos are sixth in total offense (451.4 ypg) and ninth in total defense (473.4 ypg allowed). They rank third in rushing (181.5 ypg), eighth in rushing defense (172.0 ypg allowed), sixth in passing (269.6 ypg) and 10th in passing defense (301.4 ypg allowed) and last in passing defense efficiency (172.5).
• The Bronchos have used two quarterbacks this season, T.J. Eckert and Chas Stallard. Eckert has played in all eight games, completing 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,653 yards but just two touchdowns to eight interceptions. Stallard is 32-of-54 for 506 yards with six TDs and four interceptions. He threw for a touchdown and ran for four more in last weekend's win over Missouri Southern.
• Jake Gandara has rushed for 539 yards and five touchdowns, while Clay McKenzie has 474 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns. Gandara averages 5.5 yards per carry, while McKenzie sits at 4.3 per attempt.
• Connor Pulley leads the UCO receiving corps with 36 catches for 662 yards and five touchdowns. Rodriguez Coleman has 35 grabs for 407 yards and Josh Crockett adds 33 catches for 629 yards and two TDs.
• Defensively, Riley Galyon leads the team with 64 tackles, including 45 solo stops. He also has one interception and one tackle for loss.
• Carson Smith leads the team with 5.5 tackles for loss, while Brandon Calip has two of the four interceptions.
• As a unit, the UCO defense hass 40 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and four interceptions.
• The Bronchos are minus-12 in turnover margin this season.
• Kicker Seth Hiddink is 10-of-12 in field goal attempts with a season-long of 48 yards.
LAST TIME OUT
• The Mules got a late interception to seal a 29-27 win over Washburn last Saturday at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• UCM racked up 470 yards of total offense, with 201 of it coming in the first quarter.
•
Garrett Fugate was 28-of-41 for 357 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
•
Marquel McNac rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while also catching two passes for 41 yards and a score.
•
Seth Hebert caught a career-high nine passes for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Jaylen Zachery had seven catches for 72 yards.
•
Tevin Teamer led the defense with 10 tackles and three pass breakups.
Monteze Latimore had seven tackles and the clinching interception with under a minute to play.
•
Dalainey Taala had four total tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.
THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 6-2 in conference play after the win over Washburn. UCM is in a tie for third place in the league standings, one game back of Emporia State.
• UCM was 8-3 in MIAA play last season and now stands at 46-21 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 3-1 at home this year and 27-9 at home under
Jim Svoboda.
• The Mules are 232-183-13 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 44-7 during the
Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime after beating Washburn.
• The Mules are 7-16 under Svoboda when trailing at halftime after the loss to Northwest Missouri.
21 AND UP
• UCM is 51-11 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 six-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against Washburn, the Mules extended their MIAA record streak of consecutive games without being shutout to 279.
• 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 32nd nationally converting on third down (46.3 percent completion) while Central Oklahoma is last in the league defensively, allowing opponents to convert 51.4 percent of the time.
• Last week against Washburn the Mules were just 6-of-15 on third downs, but held the 'Bods to 5-of-17.
• UCM is second defensively on third down (35.9 percent), while the Bronchos are fourth offensively (45.8).
• In their six wins, the Mules are converting on third down 50 percent of the time and only allowing 31 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 21st nationally in fewest penalties per game at 5.5. UCM has been penalized 44 times for 386 yards.
• UCM opponents have been penalized 48 times for 433 yards, 10th most in the MIAA.
MIAA STAT LEADERS
•
Garrett Fugate leads the MIAA in passing, averaging 306.3 yards per game. He has completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 2,450 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His 21 touchdowns are the second most in the league, while his 153.3 pass efficiency rating is fourth best in the league.
•
Jaylen Zachery is 10th in the MIAA in receiving at 68.1 yards per game. His 39 catches are eighth most in the league and his 415 yards are 10th most, his six receiving touchdowns are tied for fifth most. His eight total touchdowns are the seventh most in the league. He is second in punt returns (14.8 ypr) and fourth in kick returns (24.4 ypr).
•
Tyler Jones (56.1 ypg) is 16th in the league in receiving yards per game.
•
Dylan Albertson (3) is tied for second in the league in interceptions, while
Monteze Latimore and
Jackson Newman (2) are tied for ninth.
•
Josh Powell is tied for 10th in the league with three quarterback sacks.
•
Travion Vaughn is tied for eighth in the MIAA with eight pass breakups on the year.
Monteze Latimore is tied for 11th 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, eighth in the MIAA and 117th nationally. UCM has thrown seven interceptions and given up eight fumbles, while intercepting eight passes and recovering three fumbles.
A WIN OVER CENTRAL OKLAHOMA WOULD...
• Improve the Mules' record to 7-2 overall and in the MIAA. Keep the Mules in no worse than third place in the league standings.
• Give the Mules four straight wins for the first time this season.
• Give the Mules five straight wins over the Bronchos and a 5-0 lead in the all-time series.
A LOSS TO CENTRAL OKLAHOMA WOULD...
• Drop the Mules to 6-3 overall and in MIAA play.
• Snap UCM's four-game winning streak in the series and give the Bronchos their first ever win in the series.
• Snap UCM's three-game winning streak overall.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120th season of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 548-507-51 (.521) record in 1,101 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 53-24 (.688) 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 seven passes for 84 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee's 34-26 loss to Indianapolis on Sunday.
• Walker has 364 catches for 4,344 yards with 27 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 hit the road for the final time in the 2016 regular season next Saturday. They travel to Tahlequah, Okla. to take on Northeastern State. Kickoff at Doc Wadley Stadium is set for 2 p.m.
