KICKOFF
• The 20th-ranked Central Missouri Mules head to Searcy, Ark. on Saturday, Nov. 19 to take on fifth-ranked Harding in the first round of the NCAA-II Playoffs.
• The Mules are making their second playoff appearance under
Jim Svoboda, the first since 2010, and the third appearance overall.
• The Mules are coming off a 35-7 win over Lindenwood last Saturday at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field. It was UCM's sixth straight win to close out the regular season.
• Harding is 11-0 on the season, capturing the Great American Conference championship. The Bisons beat Arkansas Tech 42-7 last Saturday in Searcy to close out the regular 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. 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 lead the MIAA and rank ninth in NCAA-II in passing offense at 309.4 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 played 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 have secured their 10th straight winning season this year and the 18th winning season in the last 19 years for UCM.
ALL-MIAA MULES
• UCM earned 18 All-MIAA awards from 16 players this season, including
Jaylen Zachery earning MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year honors. He was also a First Team selection at wide receiver and kick returner. He was joined on the first team by offensive lineman
Derrick Puni and defensive back
Tevin Teamer.
• Second Team honorees included QB
Garrett Fugate, TE
Seth Hebert, DL
Josh Powell and DB
Monteze Latimore. OL
Chris Gomez, DL
Dalainey Taala and LB
Dylan Albertson earned Third Team recognition.
• Honorable Mention honors went to RB
Gabe Vandiver, WR
Kyle Echols, OL
Layne Fischer, DL
Connor Flagel, DB
Diaron Rhodes and DB
Jackson Newman.
MULES IN THE NCAA-II PLAYOFFS
• The Mules will be making their third NCAA-II Playoff appearance and the first since 2010. This is the second playoff appearance under head coach
Jim Svoboda.
• The Mules are 2-2 in their previous two trips to the postseason. UCM lost to Northern Colorado 49-28 in its first ever playoff appearance in 2002.
• The Mules went 2-1 in the 2010 playoffs, beating No. 14 West Texas A&M (55-35) and No. 2 Abilene Christian (55-41) before falling to No. 3 Northwest Missouri (37-20) in the regional final.
MULES IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
• UCM moved up four spots in the AFCA poll this week to No. 20. UCM moved up one spot to No. 12 in this week's D2Football.com poll.
• Under head coach
Jim Svoboda the Mules have been ranked in the AFCA Poll 28 times and have been ranked in the top 10 a total of five times.
SERIES HISTORY
• This will be just the third all-time meeting between these two schools and the first since 1968. The teams played a home-and-home series in 1967 and 68 with each team winning on their own home field.
LAST MEETING WITH HARDING
• The Mules beat the Bisons 35-0 back on Oct. 12, 1968 in Warrensburg. UCM finished that season 7-2-1 and finished second in the MIAA with a 4-1 conference mark.
• They would go on to play in the Mineral Water Bowl that season.
ABOUT THE BISONS
• Harding enters the first round playoff matchup at 11-0 overall and regular season champions of the Great American Conference.
• Head Coach Ronnie Huckeba is 67-39 in his 10th and final season leading the Bisons. He has announced he will retire at the end of the season.
• Running the triple option, Harding has the nation's No. 1 rushing offense, averaging 388.5 yards per game and the nation's No. 11 scoring offense at 41.6 points per game.
• HU has thrown the ball just 54 times all season.
• Harding is first in the GAC in scoring offense & defense, total defense, rushing offense & defense, pass defense, pass efficiency & pass efficiency defense, third down conversion percentage & opponent third down conversion percentage and time of possession.
• The Bisons had 18 players earn All-GAC honors, including 13 on the First Team.
• Quarterback Park Parish, the Great American Conference Offensive Player of the Year, has rushed for 910 yards and 17 touchdowns. He's averaging 6.6 yards per carry. He is 21-of-45 passing for 479 and three touchdowns.
• Michael Latu has rushed for 756 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Zach Shelley averages 9.4 yards per carry on 58 totes and has scored six times.
• Ten different players have scored rushing touchdowns for Harding this season.
• Andrew Dather has 15 of the Bisons' 28 pass receptions this season for 354 yards and three touchdowns.
• Defensively, HU boasts the nation's top rushing defense allowing just 69.7 yards per game and the No. 1 scoring defense as they surrender just 11.2 points per game.
• Harding has forced 31 turnovers this season, with 17 interceptions and 14 recovered fumbles.
• As a unit, the Bisons defense has 62 tackles for loss, 20 quarterback sacks and 49 pass break-ups.
• GAC Defensive Player of the Year DE Trevon Biglow has 15 tackles for loss, six sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries on the season.
• Linebacker Daylan Skidmore leads the team in tackles with 63. Daylon Markham and Frank Herbert lead the team with three interceptions each, while 10 different players have recorded picks.
LAST TIME OUT
• The Mules racked up 634 yards of total offense and held Lindenwood to just 255 in a 35-7 rout on Senior Day last Saturday at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
•
Garrett Fugate had 472 yards of total offense and accounted for three touchdowns. His 472 yards are the fourth highest single-game total in program history. He completed a career-high 35-of-49 passes for 378 yards with one touchdown and rushed for 94 yards and two TDs on 19 carries.
•
Jaylen Zachery caught a career-high 11 passes for 162 yards, his eighth career 100-yard receiving game.
•
Marquel McNac and
Gabe Vandiver combined for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Vandiver also caught six passes for 59 yards and a score.
• Defensively, UCM registered 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
Tevin Teamer led the Mules with nine total tackles and also had 1.5 tackles for loss.
•
Mark Cushing had six tackles and two sacks, while
Jackson Newman had four stops an interception and another pass break-up.
THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules finished 9-2 in conference play after the win over Lindenwood. UCM finished in third place in the league standings.
• UCM now stands at 49-21 in conference games under
Jim Svoboda.
THE MULES AT HOME
• The Mules are 5-1 at home this year and 29-9 at home under
Jim Svoboda.
• The Mules are 234-183-13 overall in their 86th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 26-13 in road games during the
Jim Svoboda era after winning at Northeastern State on Nov. 5.
• UCM is 1-2 in road playoff games and 1-1 under Svoboda. The Mules beat No. 2 Abilene Christian on the road in 2010 before falling at Northwest Missouri in the regional final.
WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mules improved to 46-7 during the
Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime after beating Lindenwood.
• The Mules are 8-16 under Svoboda and 2-2 this year when trailing at halftime after rallying to beat Central Oklahoma on Oct. 29.
21 AND UP
• UCM is 54-11 under
Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 53-5 during the Svoboda era and 30-1 when scoring 40 or more points.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• With
Gabe Vandiver's three-yard touchdown reception against Lindenwood, the Mules extended their MIAA record streak of consecutive games without being shutout to 282.
• The streak dates back to week three of the 1991 season.
WHO WILL WIN THE BATTLE ON THIRD DOWN
• UCM is first in the MIAA and eighth nationally converting on third down (50 percent completion) Harding was first in the GAC and 10th in the nation defensively, allowing opponents to convert just 28.3 percent of the time.
• Last week against Lindenwood the Mules were 12-of-18 on third downs, and held the Lions to 5-of-15.
• UCM is second in the MIAA defensively and 51st nationally on third down (35.0 percent), while the Bisons are 13th in the nation offensively (49.2).
• In their nine wins, the Mules are converting on third down 53 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 21st nationally in fewest penalties per game at 5.3. UCM has been penalized 58 times for 532 yards.
• Harding is 35th nationally averaging 5.9 penalties per game.
MIAA AND NCAA STAT LEADERS
•
Garrett Fugate leads the MIAA in passing and is seventh nationally averaging 303.7 yards per game. He has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,341 yards with 28 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His 28 touchdowns are the second most in the league and 12th in DII, while his 152.2 pass efficiency rating is third best in the league and 25th in the country. He leads the MIAA and is sixth in the country in total offense, averaging 342.6 yards per game.
•
Jaylen Zachery is fifth in the MIAA in receiving at 78.3 yards per game. His 60 catches are fifth most in the league and his 861 yards are fourth most.
• Zachery leads the MIAA and ranks 20th in the nation in all-purpose yards per game at 155.4 He is second in the league in kick returns (27.8 ypr) and second in punt returns (12.6 ypr). His two kickoff return touchdowns are also tops in the league and the country.
•
Dylan Albertson is fourth in the league in interceptions with five, while
Jackson Newman (4) is tied for fifth and
Monteze Latimore (2) is tied for 19th.
•
J.R. Alexander is sixth in the league with five sacks, while
Josh Powell is tied for 10th with four.
• Latimore is ninth in the MIAA with nine pass break-ups, while
Travion Vaughn is tied for 10th with eight.
TURNOVER MARGIN
• The Mules were second in the MIAA and 13th nationally in turnover margin last year at +12.
• This season, the Mules are minus-one in turnover margin, sixth in the MIAA and 86th nationally. UCM has thrown nine interceptions and given up 10 fumbles, while intercepting 14 passes and recovering four fumbles.
• Harding is first in the GAC and seventh nationally in turnover margin at plus-14. The Bisons have given up 17 fumbles this year, but haven't thrown an interception. They've intercepted opponents 17 times and recovered 14 fumbles.
A WIN OVER HARDING WOULD...
• Improve the Mules' record to 10-2 overall and advance them to the second round of the NCAA-II Playoffs against either Sioux Falls or Azusa Pacific.
• Give the Mules a seven-game winning streak for the second straight season.
• Give the Mules 10 wins in a season for the second time under
Jim Svoboda and the fourth time in program history.
• Give UCM a 3-2 all-time record in the NCAA-II Playoffs.
A LOSS TO HARDING WOULD...
• End the Mules' season at 9-3.
• Snap UCM's six-game winning streak.
• Drop the Mules to 2-3 all-time in the NCAA-II Playoffs
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120th season of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 551-507-51 (.522) 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 56-24 (.700) 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 nine passes for 124 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee's 47-25 win over Green Bay last Sunday.
• Walker has 42 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns this season and has 382 catches for 4,585 yards with 29 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
• A webcast of Saturday's playoff game at Harding will be available free of charge. Fans can access the webcast through the links on the Mules Football schedule page or by going to HardingSports.com.
UP NEXT
• A win over Harding would advance the Mules to the second round of the playoffs, where they would take on the winner of the No. 2 seed Sioux Falls and seventh-seeded Azusa Pacific. A game against USF would be Saturday, Nov. 26 in Sioux Falls, while a matchup with APU would take place Nov. 26 in Warrensburg.
