KICKOFF
• The 14th/6th-ranked Mules head back out on the road to take on Missouri Western on Saturday night, Sept. 17. Kickoff at Spratt Memorial Stadium in St. Joseph is set for 6 p.m.
• The Mules led from start to finish in a 34-17 win over Fort Hays State in the home opener last Thursday night at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Missouri Western is 2-0 on the season after a 51-14 thrashing of Missouri Southern on Saturday night in Joplin. The Griffons beat Nebraska-Kearney 44-21 in the season-opener two weeks ago.
• The Mules will be looking for back-to-back wins over the Griffons for the first time since the 2001-2002 seasons. UCM won last year's game 18-17 in Warrensburg.
• The Mules were 8-3 a season ago and finished in a tie for third in the MIAA standings, narrowly missing out on a postseason berth.
• Missouri Western was 6-5 last season and finished in a three-way tie for fifth place in the MIAA standings.
• UCM was picked to finish second in the MIAA Preseason Coaches and Media Polls with Missouri Western picked seventh in both polls.
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.
STORY LINES
• This will be the first meeting for current UCM defensive coordinator,
Wes Bell, against his former team. Bell coached at Missouri Western for nine years, including the last two as defensive coordinator, before coming to UCM in May of 2016.
• The Mules were second in the MIAA in total offense and third in the league total defense in 2015.
• 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
• The Mules appear in both Division II polls. UCM is ranked No. 14 in the AFCA Poll, moving up two spots this week. UCM moved up two spots to sixth in this week's D2Football.com poll.
• Under head coach
Jim Svoboda the Mules have been ranked in the AFCA Poll 23 times and have been ranked in the top 10 a total of five times.
MIAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Sophomore kicker
Billy Greco earned MIAA Player of the Week honors for his performance in last week's 34-17 win over Fort Hays State.
• The Papillion, Neb. native went 4-for-4 on PATs and 2-for-2 in field goal attempts for 10 points in the win.
• He now ranks eighth all-time at UCM with 19 career made field goals and eighth on UCM's scoring list for kickers with 108 career points.
• This is the second MIAA Player of the Week honor of his career.
SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the 33rd all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Missouri Western with the Griffons holding a 17-14-1 edge.
• The Mules won last year's meeting 18-17 in the season-opener in Warrensburg. The win snapped a four-game winning streak in the series for Missouri Western.
• The Mules are 2-4 against Missouri Western under
Jim Svoboda, while the Griffons are 13-6 against UCM under Jerry Partridge.
MULES IN ST. JOSEPH
• The Mules are just 6-10 all-time against the Griffons in St. Joseph and are 0-3 during the
Jim Svoboda era.
• The average margin of victory in those three defeats is 10 points.
• Missouri Western is averaging 23.7 points per game in the three games, while the Mules are averaging 13.7.
LAST MEETING WITH MISSOURI WESTERN
•
Garrett Fugate hit
Kyle Echols with a 27-yard touchdown pass with 3:45 to play in the game as the Mules rallied to beat Missouri Western 18-17 in the 2015 season-opener in Warrensburg.
• The Mules led 9-7 at halftime on the strength of three
Billy Greco field goals. He would earn MIAA and D2Football.com National Special Teams Player of the Week honors after going 4-for-5 in field goal attempts, including a season-long 46-yarder.
• Fugate finished the game 18-of-32 for 233 yards and a touchdown.
Jaylen Zachery had three catches for 83 yards.
• The UCM defense registered 12 tackles for loss, including 4.5 from
Jason Venckus.
Austin Miller and
Alex Lackey each had interceptions in the game.
• Missouri Western out-gained UCM 350-300, but the Griffons were held to just 37 yards rushing.
• MWSU was 6-of-16 on third downs and 0-of-2 on fourth downs, while the Mules were 2-of-14 of third down conversion attempts and 1-of-1 on fourth down.
ABOUT THE GRIFFONS
• Missouri Western enters the contest at 2-0 on the season after a 51-14 win at Missouri Southern last Saturday. The Griffons beat Nebraska-Kearney 44-21 at home in the season-opener.
• MWSU is led by 20th-year head coach Jerry Partridge, who has compiled a 147-76 mark during his tenure in St. Joseph.
• The Griffons have the league's top scoring offense at 47.5 points per game and the No. 2 scoring defense, allowing just 17.5 points per contest.
• Missouri Western is second in the MIAA in total offense (511.5 ypg) and total defense (290.0 ypg). The Griffons rank first in rushing offense (295.5 ypg) and 10th in passing (216.0 ypg), while coming in at No. 1 in rushing defense (25.0 ypg) and eighth in passing defense (265.0 ypg).
• The defense has limited the first two opponents to 50 yards rushing on 61 carries (0.8 ypc) and they've forced five turnovers (three interceptions, two fumbles).
• QB Skyler Windmiller is completing 68 percent of his passes for 389 yards and four touchdowns with just one interception.
• Josh Caldwell is averaging 130. yards per game rushing and five different players have scored rushing touchdowns.
• Defensively, Missouri Western is registered 17 tackles for loss with two sacks and three interceptions through the first two games.
• Donte Watkins leads the team with 20 tackles, while James Huskey has 10 tackles and three tackles for loss.
LAST TIME OUT
• The 16th-ranked Mules raced out to a 14-0 lead en route to a 34-17 win over Fort Hays State in the home opener last Thursday night at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
•
Garrett Fugate hit
Jaylen Zachery on touchdown passes of 58 and 13 yards to give UCM the two touchdown advantage in the first quarter.
•
Gabe Vandiver and
Xavier Washpun each had rushing touchdowns in the third quarter to put the Mules in front 31-7. Washpun rushed for a game-high 117 yards on 17 carries, while Vandiver added 59 yards on 11 carries.
• Fugate was 26-of-39 for 306 yards and two scores. Zachery had six catches for 106 yards and two TDs. It was his sixth career 100-yard receiving game.
•
Tevin Teamer led the UCM defense with eight tackles and a fumble recovery as the Mules held Fort Hays State to 223 yards of total offense and just 82 yards rushing on 34 carries.
•
Wyatt Hendrix had three tackles and his first two career sacks in the game.
• As a unit, UCM registered seven tackles for loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception.
THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 2-0 in conference play for the first time since the 2010 season after the 34-17 win over Fort Hays State last Thursday.
• UCM was 8-3 in MIAA play last season and now stands at 42-19 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 1-0 at home this year and 25-8 at home under
Jim Svoboda.
• The Mules are 230-182-13 overall in their 86th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 23-13 in road games during the
Jim Svoboda era after winning at Pitt State in the season-opener on Sept. 1.
WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mules are 40-7 during the
Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime.
• The Mules are 7-14 under Svoboda when trailing at halftime after rallying from a 13-7 intermission deficit at Pittsburg State.
21 AND UP
• UCM is 47-10 under
Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 47-4 during the Svoboda era and 27-1 when scoring 40 or more points.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• With
Jaylen Zachery's 58-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against Fort Hays State, the Mules extended their MIAA record streak of consecutive games without being shutout to 273.
• The streak dates back to week three of the 1991 season.
PLAYING CLEAN
• Through the first two games, UCM is the least penalized team in the MIAA with six penalties for 40 yards. The Mules' opponents are the fourth most penalized with 13 for 118 yards.
RED ZONE EFFICIENCY
• The Mules are 8-of-9 (88.9%) in the red zone this season, scoring six touchdowns and kicking two field goals.
• UCM was 3-for-3 with three touchdowns against Pittsburg State and 5-for-6 with three TDs and two field goals against Fort Hays State.
• Opponents are 5-for-6 (83.3%) in the red zone against UCM, scoring four touchdowns and kicking one field goal.
MIAA LEADERS
•
Garrett Fugate is second in the MIAA in passing, averaging 294.0 yards per game. He has completed 58 percent of his passes for 588 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.
•
Tyler Jones is fourth in receiving at 89.0 yards per game. He has five catches for 178 yards and a TD.
Jaylen Zachery is 12th at 66.0 ypg, He has nine receptions for 132 yards and his three touchdowns are tied for the league lead. His four total touchdowns (3 rec., 1 PR) are also tied for the conference lead.
•
Wyatt Hendrix is tied for the MIAA lead with three tackles for loss through two games. His two sacks are tied for the second most.
A WIN OVER MISSOURI WESTERN WOULD...
• Give UCM a 3-0 start for the first time under
Jim Svoboda and the first time since the 2009 season.
• Give the Mules back-to-back wins over the Griffons for the first time since the 2001-2002 seasons.
• Pull the Mules within 17-15-1 in the all-time series with MWSU.
A LOSS TO MISSOURI WESTERN WOULD...
• Drop the Mules to 2-1 for the fourth time in seven seasons under
Jim Svoboda and the first since 2012.
• Give the Griffons wins in five of the last six meetings and 12 in the last 14.
• Give the Mules eight straight losses in St. Joseph.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120th season of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 544-505-51 (.518) record in 1,100 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 49-22 (.690) 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 about to start 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 three passes for 42 yards in Tennessee's season-opening loss to Minnesota on Sunday.
• Walker has 343 catches for 4,056 yards with 24 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
• The Mules return home on Saturday, Sept. 24 for a Family Weekend showdown with Emporia State. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
