Football Looks to Tame Lions in Joplin

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Oct. 2, 2019) - No. 17 Central Missouri Mules Football looks for their first 5-0 start since 2003 this upcoming weekend when they hit the road as MIAA play rolls on.

OPPONENT
Missouri Southern Lions (1-3, 1-3 MIAA)

WHERE
Joplin, Mo. - Fred G. Hughes Stadium

WHEN
Saturday, Oct. 5 - 2 p.m.

KICKOFF
• Central Missouri puts their 4-0 record on the line this weekend when they travel to Joplin, Mo. to take on the 1-3 Missouri Southern Lions. 
• Central Missouri finished 2018 5-6 after a rash of injuries, missing the postseason for the first time in two years. They are off to a 4-0 start in 2019 after a 55-27 win vs. Washburn last weekend.
• Missouri Southern is off to a 1-3 start this season. They are coming off of a 44-3 drubbing  on the road at Fort Hays State. Their only win this season comes against returning MIAA members Lincoln in week two. 
• This will be the third Mules road game of the season. They are 2-0 after wins at Northeastern State and an overtime win at Missouri Western. 
• Missouri Southern was picked to finish 10th in the MIAA in both the preseason media and coaches poll. They finished 1-10 a year ago. 

ON THE AIR
• The game will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler calling the action and Danielle Sachse on the sidelines. The Tailgate Show will begin at 12:50 p.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. 

SERIES HISTORY
• Central Missouri leads the all-time series with Missouri Southern 23-15-2. 
• Central Missouri has won 11 of the last 12 games with the Lions only win in that stretch coming in 2013. 
• Coach Svoboda is 8 -1 all-time against Missouri Southern. Central Missouri has scored more than 50 points against the Lions in each of the last four games and held MSSU to 10 points or fewer in three of the last four.
• In Joplin, the all-time series is tied 8-8-1.  
• This is Lions Coach Jeff Sims' first career game against Central Missouri. 

PREVIOUSLY AGAINST MISSOURI SOUTHERN
• Central Missouri took an early lead and never stopped scoring. UCM scored three times in the first quarter and after one half, led 40-7.
• UCM's defense pitched a second-half shutout while the offense added three more scores.
• Jeremy Hunt completed 14-of-23 passes for 359 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for another score.
• The Mules totaled more than 700 yards of total offense with 406 passing yards and 325 yards on the ground. The 731 yards of total offense set a new school record. 
• Shae Wyatt caught two passed for 122 yards and a touchdown while Kyrion Parker had two touchdowns on three receptions for 111 yards.
• The defense also came away with two interceptions. 

MULES IN THE POLLS
• UCM moved up to 17th in this week's AFCA top-25 rankings. They are also ranked 17th by d2football.com
• The Mules were picked to finish fourth in the MIAA preseason media poll and fifth by the MIAA coaches.

ABOUT THE LIONS
• Missouri Southern enters 2019 with a new coach and a new quarterback. The Lions brought in former Garden City CC coach Jeff Sims this season.
• Quarterback Jacob Park is a transfer from Division I Iowa State where he started five games in 2016 and four in 2017. This season, Park is second in the MIAA with 291.5 passing yards per game and 294.8 yards of total offense. 
• Park has been a bright spot for the 1-3 Lions. His favorite target has been Dwayne Lawson who has 24 catches for 495 yards and three touchdowns. He leads the league in receiving yards. Park's issues has been turnovers as he's thrown a league-high 13 interceptions. 
• On the ground, Charles West has gotten the bulk of the carries. He has 199 yards on 48 carries. Dalton James has 24 rushes for 101 yards and a score while Sean Kelly has rushed for two TD's on six carries.
• The Southern defense is third in the league in third-down percentage allowing 36.9%. Richard Jordan leads the defense with 37 tackles including three for a loss.
• The Lions have allowed 10 sacks while picking up just four themselves. 

THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules finished 5-6 in conference play in 2018 and placed seventh in the league standings. 
• UCM now stands at 66-30 in conference games under Jim Svoboda after their win Saturday and are 4-0 this season.

THE MULES AT HOME
• The Mules finished 2018 4-2 at home and are 39-11 at home under Jim Svoboda.
• UCM went undefeated at home in 2017, 4-0. 
• The Mules are 2-0 at home with wins over Fort Hays State and Washburn. 
• The Mules are 246-185-13 overall and 2019 will be their 88th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 33-20 in road games during the Jim Svoboda era following their 48-45 overtime win last weekend at Missouri Western. 
• The Mules finished 2018 at 1-4 away from Warrensburg after going 5-2 on the road in 2017.

WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mules are 58-8 during the Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime. 
• The Mules are 13-25 all-time under Coach Svoboda when trailing at halftime.

21 AND UP
• UCM is 72-18 under Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 70-7 during the Svoboda era and 42-1 when scoring 40 or more points.

SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• Central Missouri has scored in 304 straight games. 
• They got a scare in the 2018 regular season finale, as they were held scoreless through the first three quarters before scoring 21.
• The streak dates back to week three of the 1991 season.

2019 MULES STAT LEADERS
• The Mules offense is at it again. UCM is second in Division II in total offense with 562.8 yards per game.
• They are mostly getting it done through the air as they are fifth in passing offense with 323.0 yards per game, but also 19th in rushing offense at 239.8 yards per game.
• UCM is in the top-five scoring as well averaging 51.8 points per game, fourth in D2.
• The numbers are just as gaudy for quarterback Brook Bolles. He is sixth in the nation in total offense at 330.5 yards per game and leads the country in yards per completion (21.3)
• His 14 passing touchdowns are second, he is fifth in passing efficiency at 186.9% and 11th in passing yards per game at 287.5.
• Bolles' primary target is Shae Wyatt whose 396 receiving yards are 18th in the NCAA. 
• Zach Davidson is back at the top of the MIAA in punting. He is averaging 44.9 yards per kick.
• Ubong Udom's four sacks also lead the MIAA.
• Both Koby Wilkerson and Devante Turner lead the MIAA with five rushing touchdowns. Wilkerson is currently fifth in the MIAA with 316 rushing yards. 

MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 569-517-51 (.523) record in 1,137 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.

SEASON STARTS
• The last time the Mules started out 4-0 was in 2016 when they made the NCAA playoffs. 
• This is the first time under Coach Svoboda UCM has started 4-0. The last time UCM went 4-0 was 2009.
• Central Missouri hasn't started out 5-0 since 2003. Only 8 times in team history have they been 5-0. 
• UCM is one of 25 teams in Division II still unbeaten and one of three in the MIAA. 

SVOBODA AT THE HELM
• Central Missouri head coach Jim Svoboda has a record of 73-34 (.682) 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, five wins behind Terry Noland (78) for second all-time.
• Svoboda's .682 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 94 school offensive records and 21 MIAA offensive records during Svoboda's tenure.
• Under Coach Svoboda, UCM players have earned 24 All-American awards and 131 All-MIAA awards. 
• Since entering the league, the Mules are the No. 1 team in total offense with 462 yards per game, and No. 2 in scoring offense with 36 points per game. UCM's five postseason appearances are also the second most in the league, and the 30 wins is the third most in the MIAA.
• 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.

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
• Central Missouri has won a combined 219 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured two regional championships, and two MIAA Championships - men's indoor and outdoor track and the baseball regular season and tournament championship
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 165 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won 10 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, women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2015, and women's soccer and women's basketball) and 12 national championships overall.
• In 2016-17 and 2017-18, Central Missouri won the first two MIAA's Commissioner's Cup trophy for the conference's top overall athletic department. 

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
• Central Missouri had 261 student-athletes named to the 2018-19 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 33 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.
• 23 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 and nine Academic All-District. 
• All-time UCM is third in NCAA-II with 119 Academic All-Americans.
• Mason Janvrin was named the CoSIDA Baseball Academic All-American of the Year and an Elite 90 Award winner at the National Championships. 

MULES IN THE PROS
• There are two former Mules currently on NFL rosters. Tight end Delanie Walker is in his 14th season in the league and his seventh with the Tennessee Titans. Walker signed a four-year deal with the Titans, and a two-year extension through 2020, after playing in Super Bowl XLVII with San Francisco.
• Walker finished 2017 with 74 receptions for 807 yards and three touchdowns, and has 479 catches for 5,621 yards with 34 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 has since made the Pro Bowl three consecutive years 2015-17.
• Walker was injured during the season opener in 2018 and placed on injured reserve, missing the rest of the season. He's off to a fast start in 2019 with 17 catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns. 
• Walker was inducted into the UCM Athletics Hall of Fame in February 2015.
• Former Mules offensive lineman Derrick Puni is currently on injured reserve with the Dallas Cowboys after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2019.