WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Oct. 10, 2018) - Central Missouri Mules Football is back at home this weekend for Military Appreciation Day.

OPPONENT: Emporia State Hornets (3-3, 3-3 MIAA)

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 13 - 1 p.m.

WHERE: Warrensburg, Mo. - Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field

HOW TO WATCH
• The game will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler & Joe Moore calling the action. The 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 Blueframe Internet portal at http://www.themiaanetwork.com/ucmmules/. It is a pay-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
• Central Missouri returns to Warrensburg looking to get back on track. The Mules will take on Emporia State Saturday, Oct. 13 with a 1 p.m. kickoff. 
• The Mules comeback against Central Oklahoma last week fell short as they lost 33-26 to the Bronchos. UCM trailed 23-0 before taking a brief 26-23 lead going into the fourth quarter.
• Emporia State had a successful comeback last week against Fort Hays State. Trailing 17-7 entering the fourth, the Hornets scored 21 4th quarter points to come away with a 28-24 win with just 51 seconds left.
• In the preseason coaches and media polls, UCM was selected to finish third in both which would match their place from a year ago. 
• At home, Central Missouri was 4-1 last season. and is 36-9 under Coach Svoboda, and winners of 11 straight. All time, the Mules are 563-513-51 and 2018 will be their 87th season at Walton Stadium. 
• Emporia State was picked to finish sixth in the MIAA preseason coaches poll and fifth in the media poll to start the season.

MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY
• Today's game will also be Military Appreciation Day. All active and former military members and their families get free admission to the game with a valid military ID.
• Just prior to kickoff, there will also be a B2 flyover of the stadium (weather depending).
 
SERIES HISTORY
• The Mules had owned this series at the beginning of the millennium, winning the first 13 matchups. The Hornets had taken the last two however, before the "Miracle in the Flint Hills"  with UCM's last second fumble return touchdown. 
• The Mules still hold a distinct advantage all-time, 40-19-4. 
• The team's first met way back in 1901 with UCM winning 12-0. 
• After meeting the first 11 years after 2000, the two teams did not meet in 2012 or 2013 before matching up the last four years. 
• The score for the last two season's has been 37-31 with the road team winning each.

PREVIOUSLY AGAINST EMPORIA STATE
• It was one of the most memorable games of the 2017 season with UCM scoring on a last second fumble return. With time for one play in regulation, the Hornets tried for a lateral play, but Michael Tannehill knocked the ball out of the air, causing a fumble which Kolesen Crane returned to the Mules six. After Crane lost the ball, Austin Miller picked it up in the endzone for the game-winning touchdown with no time left on the clock.
• Both teams totaled more than 500 yards of total offense and 30 first downs.
• Devante Turner ran for 96 yards and a touchdown. 

MULES IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
• UCM was ranked 18th in the preseason American Football Coaches Association preseason poll and hovered around that spot for the first three weeks. UCM hasn't been ranked in any of the last three polls. 

ABOUT THE HORNETS
• Emporia State, like the Mules, are 3-3 this season. They mounted a big comeback against Fort Hays State last weekend scoring 21 fourth quarter points. The game-winning touchdown came with just 51 seconds on the clock and capped a 15-play 4:37 drive. 
• The Hornets are led by senior quarterback Braxton Marstall. He's thrown for 1,183 yards this season and nine touchdown to three interceptions. He's completed 132 passes on 239 attempts. Marstall is also second on the team in rushing with 206 yards on 63 attempts with three touchdowns. 
• Landon Nault is one of the top rushers in the MIAA. He is fourth in the league with 507 rushing yards and his five rushing touchdowns are tied for third.
• Marstall's favorite target has been Justin Brown who has 35 catches for 353 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Harris's five touchdowns have come on 25 catches this season. He has 311 yards and averages 12.4 yards per catch.
• ESU has 14 sacks and 42 tackles for loss. Jace McDown leads the defense with 63 tackles including seven for a loss, two sacks, one interception, three passes defended and three forced fumbles. 

THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules finished 8-3 in conference play in 2017 and placed third in the league standings for the third consecutive season. 
• UCM now stands at 60-27 in conference games under Jim Svoboda.
• The Mules are 4-2 in MIAA games against Emporia State under Svoboda. 

THE MULES AT HOME
• The Mules finished 2017 undefeated at home at 4-0 and are 36-9 at home under Jim Svoboda, and winners of 11 straight.  
• They've started out the 2018 season with three straight wins, scoring 50+ points in all three. 
• The Mules are 242-183-13 overall and 2018 will be their 87th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 30-19 in road games during the Jim Svoboda era following their 33-26 loss to Central Oklahoma last weekend. 
• The Mules finished 2017 at 5-2 away from Warrensburg. They were 4-2 in true road games and had a win in their only neutral site game. 

WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mules are 53-8 during the Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime. UCM led 40-7 at the half against the Lions on their way to a 61-7 win last weekend. 
• The Mules are 11-22 all-time under Coach Svobda when trailing at halftime after failing to comeback from down a touchdown against Washburn. 

21 AND UP
• UCM is 66-15 under Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 64-7 during the Svoboda era and 38-1 when scoring 40 or more points.

SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• Central Missouri has scored in 295 straight games and have a chance to reach 300 by seasons end.
• The streak dates back to week three of the 1991 season.

2018 MIAA STAT LEADERS
• Central Missouri leads the MIAA in total offense with 544.2 yards per game and in scoring offense at 39.5 points per game. UCM is third in the NCAA in total offense as well. 
• On the defensive side of the ball, they are fifth in scoring defense at 18.8 points per game and fourth in total defense, allowing 322.7 yards per game. 
• UCM is fourth in rushing offense averaging 209.8 yards per game and leads the league in passing at 334.3 yards per game, the only team to average more than 300 passing yards per game. 
• Jeremy Hunt leads the MIAA in passing yards with 1,527 despite playing in fewer games and having fewer attempts than anyone else in the top-six. He is also second in the league with 12 touchdowns. 
• Two Mules are in the top-three inreceiving yards in the MIAA. Shae Wyatt is second with 569 yards and Kyrion Parker is behind him with 466. Wyatt has four straight 100 yard receiving games while Parker has caught at least one touchdown in five of six games this season. His six total touchdowns are second in the MIAA. 

MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 563-513-51 (.522) record in 1,127 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 68-30 (.694) during his eight-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 .694 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 pulled the same feat in 2016-17 with a berth in the NCAA Playoffs in 2016 and a victory in the 2017 Mineral Water Bowl. 
• 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.

UP NEXT
• The Mules will be in Pittsburg, Kan. to battle the Gorillas next Saturday, Oct. 20 with a 2:05 p.m. kickoff. The game will be an NCAA Showcase game and will be available through local television distribution as well as the MIAA Network.