Mules to Face Bulldogs in Mineral Water Bowl

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Nov. 29, 2017) - Central Missouri Mules Football will conclude the 2017 season with an appearance in the 52nd annual Mineral Water Bowl.

OPPONENT: No. 23 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (9-2, 9-2 Northern Sun)

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 2 - 12 pm

WHERE: Excelsior Springs, Mo. - Tiger Stadium 

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 Tailgate Show will begin at 10:50 a.m. on the UCM Sports Network.
• The game will also be webcast online through Central Missouri's Blueframe Internet portal at http://www.themiaanetwork.com/ucmmules/. It is a free-to-view webcast. MIAA Network content is available live via live DVR and is immediately archived for on-demand viewing after each event. 
• All MIAA football games are also available for viewing on The MIAA Network Apps for Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku. 

KICKOFF
• It's the final game of the season for the Mules who were selected for the 2017 Mineral Water Bowl. They will take on the Northern Sun participant, Minnesota State-Duluth. 
• The Mules finished the regular season with back-to-back wins and wins in five of their last six games. They went 8-3 during the regular season, meaning they have won at least eight games in each of the last four seasons.
• Minnesota-Duluth also comes in on a winning streak. They closed the season with eight straight wins and went 9-2 overall. Were it not for two losses in their first three games, they would have earned a spot in the postseason.
• In the preseason coaches and media polls, UCM was selected to finish third in both and those prognostications rang true. UCM finished third for the third year in a row. 
• Central Missouri finished 2017 0-1 in neutral site games, with a 24-20 loss to Northwest Missouri State at Arrowhead Stadium. UCM is 1-3 all time at neutral sites with Coach Svoboda on the sidelines. 
• Minnesota-Duluth is ranked 23rd in the latest AFCA Coaches Poll and 20th in the d2football.com poll. They finished the season at the top of the NSIC North Division and were the first team out in the regional rankings. 

STORY LINES
• The Mules look to close the season on a three game winning streak. 
• This marks UCM's seventh bowl game apperance. They are 3-3 in previous bowl games.
• The Bulldogs have nine wins this season, with six coming on the road. They ended the season with eight straight wins after starting out 1-2. 
• The Mules played just four of their 11 regular season games in Warrensburg this season (one home game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City). In the last eight seasons (including 2017) they have played more games on the road in six of them. 
• The Mules have finished each of the last 11 seasons with a winning record including 2017 and have now done so 19 times in the last 20 years.

MULES IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
• In the most recent AFCA and d2football.com polls, the Mules are not ranked in either The Mules had been at least receiving votes in each of the first nine AFCA Polls this season and in the top-25 eight weeks out of the season. 
• Under head coach Jim Svoboda the Mules have been ranked in the AFCA Poll 31 times and have been ranked in the top 10 a total of five times. 
• The Mules were ranked in the top-10 in the first three NCAA Super Regional polls, but didn't finish high enough to earn a bid to the postseason. The top-7 in Super Region 3 (MIAA, GAC, GLIAC, GLVC) qualify for the NCAA playoffs. The Mules were ranked 10th in the final release before the playoff field was determined. 

SERIES HISTORY
• The Mules and Bulldogs have met just once before. Also in Excelsior Springs. Also at the Mineral Water Bowl back in 2001. 
• The Mules won that game 48-17 and finished the season at 10-2. 

LAST MEETING WITH MINNESOTA-DULUTH
• Nearly 16 years ago to the day the Mules and Bulldogs met for the first and only time. It was also in the Mineral Water Bowl. That game took place Dec. 1, 2001 in Excelsior Springs. The Mules were victorious with a 48-17 win.
• Central Missouri jumped out to a 20-0 lead after the first quarter. The Bulldogs cut into the lead scoring 10 unanswered, but UCM piled on the points, scoring 14 and taking a 34-17 lead into the half.
• The Mules pitched a second-half shutout and scored twice more for a 48-17 final.
• Dennis Gile and Todd Devoe hooked up for a Mineral Water Bowl record 99 yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. It was Devoe's second of the game, after catching one earlier from Don Robinson on a flanker option pass. 
• Devoe was named the offensive MVP setting a then-Mineral Water Bowl record with 163 receiving yards. Joey Robinson had an interception and three pass breakups to earn the nod on the defensive side. 

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
• Minnesota Duluth ended the season on one of the longest winning streaks in the country. They went 8-0 to end their season and 9-2 overall, bt couldn't make it to the postseason. 
• The Bulldogs have three shutouts this season and have allowed 33 total points in their last five games, with 27 of those coming in the season finale against Mary. 
• Minnesota-Duluth's defense is the fourth-best in the Northern Sun, giving up just 16.7 points per game, which is also 16th in Division II. 
• One thing the Bulldogs don't do is turn the ball over. They are second in the NCAA in turnover margin at +1.55. They have had just five interceptions against them and lost 15 fumbles. 
• That turnover margin is helped out by having recovered a whopping 24 fumbles on the season to lead Division II. They've also picked off 13 passes and their 37 total takeaways are tied for the most in the country. 
• Minnesota-Duluth plays a strong defense having allowed just 134 total first downs, which again, leads the country. They are also third in third-down defense, allowing opposing teams to convert just 24.5% of the time on third downs. 
• On offense, the Bulldogs have the third-best total-offense numbers in the Northern Sun, coming in just over 400 yards per game at 400.8. They are also fourth in scoring with 33.2 points per game.  
• Four members of the Duluth offense were named to the Northern Sun North Division First Team. Two offensive linemen - Jason Anderson and Nolan Folkert. Also tight end Kenyon Phillips and wide receiver Jason Balts. 
• Balts has 51 receptions this season for 893 yards and eight touchdowns. Dominic Bonner also has eight touchdowns on 35 catches and 443 yards. 
• Anthony  Wood is the team's leading rusher with 678 yards and eight touchdowns on 126 carries. Austin Sylvester and John Larson each have more than 300 rushing yards - Sylvester at 392 and Larson has 315.
• The Bulldogs have used two quarterbacks this season and both have had success. Larson has thrown for 1,001 yards on 72 completions with 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Ben Everhart has 1,181 yards on 84 completions with eight touchdowns and two picks. 
• Four Bulldogs defenders were also named to the NSIC First Team in linebackers Zach Bassuener and A.J. Naatz and linemen Karl Finkel and Nick Thorpe. Bassuener leads the team with 53 total tackles and has six sacks on the season. Naatz has 3.5 sacks while Finkel has 12 tackles for a loss and three fumble recoveries. 

LAST TIME OUT
• The Mules scored 30 points for the sixth straight week, in a comeback win against Lindenwood. 
• Central Missouri trailed after all three quarters and took their first lead with just 2:07 left in the game, 31-24 following Devante Turner's second rushing touchdown of the game. That was the final score and gave the Mules their fifth win in the last six games. 
• Lindenwood was driving for the tying score and took a shot at the endzone, but their long pass attempt was intercepted by Monteze Latimore to seal the win for UCM. 
• Brook Bolles completed 18-of-34 passes for 262 yards with two touchdown passes.
• Turner rushed for 76 yards and two scores as a part of a Mules rushing attack that totaled 143 yards. Koby Wilkerson added 45 yards on the ground. 
• Jaylen Zachery hauled in four passes, including one for a touchdown, and totaled 83 yards. Kyrion Parker also caught a touchdown pass and Jovante Siglar had five catches for 52 yards.
• In addition to closing the game out with an interception, Latimore picked up seven tackles. Jackson Newman led the defense wtih 11 tackes. UCM had four sacks on the afternoon, two coming from Deven Smith. 

MULES ALL TIME RECORDS
• Several Mules are climbing up the all-time single season and career rankings as the season is winding down. Wide Receiver Jaylen Zachery has already become the Mules all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards in program history and continues to add to his totals, currently at 169 receptions and 2,692 receiving yards. He is also moving up the all-purpose yards list and is fourth at 4,376. 
• Monteze Latimore picked off his 12th career pass to move into a tie for fifth-place. He and Diaron Rhodes are in a battle for most pass breakups. Latimore has 32 while Rhodes is at 29.
• Quarterback Brook Bolles is in a few single-season top-10 lists. He is already fourth in total offense at 3,959. He moved up to fourth in single-season passing yards at 3,485. He also entered the top-10 in completions and attempts. One more TD pass will also put him in the top-10.
• Additionally, Devante Turner is also near some single-season top-10 lists at running back. He needs 144 more yards to reach 1,000 and 194 more yards for 10th all-time in a single season. He moved into the top-10 in points scored with 102 which is tied for eighth. 
• Punter Zach Davidson is on pace to set a new single-season punting average record. His current average is 44.6. In order to fall below the record, he would need three punts to total three yards. 

THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules finished 9-2 in conference play in 2016 and placed third in the league standings for the second consecutive season. 
• UCM now stands at 57-24 in conference games under Jim Svoboda.
• With an 8-3 mark in 2017 the Mules again finished all alone in third place. Fort Hays State went undefeated in league play and Northwest Missouri went 9-2. 

THE MULES AT HOME
• The Mules finished 2017 undefeated at home at 4-0 and are 33-9 at home under Jim Svoboda, and winners of eight straight.  
• The Mules are 238-183-13 overall in their 86th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 30-16 in road games during the Jim Svoboda era following the win against  Lindenwood
• The Mules finished 2016 at 4-1 away from Warrensburg. They went a perfect 4-0 in true road games.

WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mules are 50-7 during the Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime. Their 44-14 halftime lead against Missouri Southern was their largest this season. After not having a halftime lead for the first five games, UCM has gone into the break with the lead in four of their last six games.  
• The Mules are 11-20 all-time under Svoboda and 3-3 in 2017 when trailing at halftime after the win over the Lions. 

21 AND UP
• UCM is 62-13 under Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 60-7 during the Svoboda era and 35-1 when scoring 40 or more points.

SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• It took until the second quarter, but the Mules kept heir MIAA record streak of consecutive games without being shutout intact and improve to 288 games. The Mules averaged 40.7 points per game this season to lead the MIAA. 
• The streak dates back to week three of the 1991 season.

2017 MIAA AND NCAA STAT LEADERS
• Central Missouri boasts one of the best offenses in the country. They are in the top-11 in the NCAA in both scoring offense and total offense per game. At 527.1 yards per game, UCM is second in Division II in total offense. UCM's 40.7 points per game ranks 11th in the country. 
• Brook Bolles has been playing tremendously of late. He is currently fifth in Division II leader in passing yards with 3,485 leads the country in total offense per game, averaging 359.9 yards. He is also second in yards per completions averaging 15.63. 
 • The Mules deploy two of the top-5 rushers in the MIAA in a pair of redshirt-freshmen, Devante Turner and Koby Wilkerson. Turner is third in the MIAA with 856 yards and is leads the league averaging 6.48 yards per carry. Teammate Koby Wilkerson has 702 rushing yards and is fifth in the MIAA. Turner also has 16 rushing touchdowns this season to lead the MIAA and is 16th in Division II. 
• Jaylen Zachery is sixth in the MIAA with 50 receptions, his third straight 50 reception season. He is also fifth in the MIAA with 833 receiving yards. Kyrion Parker is the Mules big play receiver and his 19.68 yards per catch is 14th in Division II and second in the MIAA. He sits ninth in the league with 610 receiving yards.
• Monteze Latimore's four interceptions are fifth in the MIAA and his 19 passes defensed are at the top of the league. 
• Punter Zach Davidson sits second in the NCAA and second the MIAA in punting  average. On 43 attempts, he is averaging 44.6 yards per kick with 11 kicks of 50+ yards and 13 inside the 20.  
• Alex Langer is averaging 1.27 field goals made per game, the second most in the MIAA and 20th most in the NCAA. His .778 FG% (14-18) is 24th in the NCAA. 

AROUND THE MIAA
• Fort Hays State went undefeated during the regular season at 11-0 and was the No. 1 seed in Super Region 3. Their season came to an end in their first playoff game with a loss to Ferris State. 
• Northwest Missouri also qualified for the NCAA Playoffs and they too lost in their first game to Ashland. 
• The Mules aren't the only team to go bowling from the MIAA. Pittsburg State takes on Arkansas Tech in the Texarkana Bowl. Central Oklahoma faces Tarleton State in the Corsicana Bowl and Washburn matches up with Angelo State in the Heart of Texas Bowl.  All four bowl games take place Saturday, Dec. 2. 

A WIN OVER MINNESOTA-DULUTH WOULD...
• Be their third straight to end the season. 
• Give the Mules a 2-0 record all-time against Minnesota-Duluth. 
• Give the Mules nine wins for the second straight year. 
• Move the Mules to 4-3 all time in bowl games. 
• Be the second straight win over the Bulldogs at the Mineral Water Bowl.
• Move the Mules to 2-1 all-time at the Mineral Water Bowl. 

A LOSS TO MINNESOTA-DULUTH WOULD...
• Be their first loss to Minnesota-Duluth in team history
• Finish the year with a 8-4 record. 
• Put the Mules at 3-4 all time in bowl games. 
• Put the Mules at 1-2 all time at the Mineral Water Bowl. 

MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 559-511-51 (.521) record in 1,121 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 nine times in their history, including two trips to the NCAA-II Playoffs, the last coming in 2016.

SVOBODA AT THE HELM
• Central Missouri head coach Jim Svoboda has a record of 64-28 (.696) during his seven-plus seasons leading the Mules. He has led the Mules to four postseason appearances.
• He is third on UCM's career wins list.
• Svoboda's .696 winning percentage 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 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 86 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 12th season in the league and his fifth with the Tennessee Titans. Walker signed a four-year deal with the Titans, and a two-year extension through 2018, after playing in Super Bowl XLVII with San Francisco.
• Walker finished 2016 with 65 receptions for 800 yards and seven touchdowns, and has 405 catches for 4,814 yards with 31 touchdowns in his career.
• In 2015, he caught 94 passes for 1,088 yards, his first career 1,000 receiving yard season, and six touchdowns and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. He made the Pro Bowl for a second consecutive year in 2016 as well. 
• Walker was inducted into the UCM Athletics Hall of Fame in February 2015.
• This season, Walker has 53 catches for 613 yards. He scored his first touchdown of the season last weekend against the Colts. 

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
• Central Missouri has won a combined 213 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured three MIAA regular season titles, one MIAA Tournament crown and two NCAA Regional Championships.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 157 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.
• In 2016-17, Central Missouri won the inaugural MIAA's Commissioner's Cup trophy for the conference's top overall athletic department. 

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
• Central Missouri had 252 student-athletes named to the 2016-17 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 22 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.
• 20 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had five student-athletes earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in their respective sports. 
• All-time UCM is fourth in NCAA-II with 103 Academic All-Americans.
• Carly Thomas of Jennies Bowling was awarded prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships last year.

POSTSEASON AWARDS
• Following the end of the regular season, the MIAA released their All-MIAA awards. Devante Turner led the Mules as the Freshman of the Year, the second offensive freshaman of the year in team history. He was joined on the MIAA first team by seniors Kane Barker and Monteze Latimore and juniors Brook Bolles and Seth Hebert. 
• All-MIAA Second Team honors went to Chris Gomez, Jaylen Zachery, Austin Miller, Zach Davidson and Koby Wilkerson. Making the Third Team were Diaron Rhodes, Alex Langer and Kyrion Parker. Garrett Cline, Connor Flagel, Jake Heckler, Alex Lackey and Triphinue Taylor were all named Honorable Mention.
• Two Mules are also finalists for addition postseason awards. Brook Bolles is one of 10 finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the most valuable player in Division II. Additionally, Chris Gomez is one of eight finalists for the Gene Upshaw Award as the Nations top lineman.

BOWL HISTORY
• This marks the seventh bowl game that Central Missouri has been a part of and their first since the 2014 season. The Mules are 3-3 in bowl games in their history and this is the fourth since the year 2001. The Mules won their last bowl game 48-21 in the Texarkana Bowl against Southeastern Oklahoma State. 
• UCM has played in the Mineral Water Bowl twice previously. They lost to Doane 10-0 in 1968 and defeated Minnesota State-Duluth 48-17 back in 2001.