WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Nov. 12, 2016) -- The Mules racked up 634 yards of total offense and out-gained Lindenwood 634-255 en route to a 35-7 win on Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field. With the win, UCM improves to 9-2 on the year and looks poised to earn their first NCAA-II playoff berth since 2010.
The Mules were able to move the ball almost at will throughout the game, but weren't able to crack the scoreboard until early in the second quarter when
Garrett Fugate found
Gabe Vandiver for a three-yard scoring strike on third and goal.
Following a turnover on their next possession, the Mules got the ball back at their own 36 yard line midway through the second quarter. UCM put together a methodical 14-play, 64-yard drive that culminated with a two-yard Vandiver touchdown run that put UCM in front 14-0, a lead the Mules would take in to halftime.
On their second possession of the second half, the Mules hit paydirt again. Fugate scrambled away from pressure then weaved his way through the Lindenwood (3-8) defense for an eight-yard touchdown run and it was 21-0 UCM. Fugate added another eight-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter and the Mules led 28-0.
Marquel McNac got in on the action with a seven-yard touchdown run and the Mules led 35-0 with just under 10 minutes to play in the game. Lindewood got on the board with a 48-yard Alex Faddoul to DeSean Warren touchdown pass to make it 35-7.
The Mules ended the game with 251 yards rushing and 383 through the air. Fugate was 35-of-49 for 378 yards with a touchdown, while also rushing for a game-high 94 yards and two scores on 19 carries.
Jaylen Zachery caught a career-high 11 passes for 162 yards. McNac rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while Vandiver had 52 yards and a TD on nine carries to go along with six receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Fugate's 472 yards of total offense are the fourth highest single-game total in UCM history. With his 378 passing yards, Fugate now has 6,000 passing yards in his career, one of just five Mules in history to accomplish that feat. He also becomes just the third UCM player to surpass 7,000 career yards of total offense as he now sits at 7,176.
Defensively, the Mules registered 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks as they held the Lions to 26 yards rushing on 30 carries and 255 total yards.
Tevin Teamer led the Mules with nine total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Josh Powell, who spent most of the afternoon in the Lion backfield, finished with seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Marck Cushing had two sacks in the game as nine players registered at least a half a tackle for loss.
Faddoul finished the game 15-of-27 for 229 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Lindenwood. Aaron Daniels had 44 yards rushing on 13 carries, while Kendell Sparks caught a team-high eight passes for 80 yards. Connor Harris led the Lion defense with 12 tackles and a tackle for loss.
The Mules will find out their postseason fate on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. when the NCAA-II Football Playoff Selection Show airs on NCAA.com. The top seven teams in the region will qualify for the playoffs. The Mules were No. 7 in last week's poll and the the sixth-ranked team, Azusa Pacific, lost on Saturday afternoon.
