WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Oct. 30, 2019) - No. 11 Central Missouri Mules Football is back on the road this Saturday for a tough MIAA contest.
OPPONENT
Nebraska-Kearney Lopers (5-3, 5-3 MIAA)
WHERE
Kearney, Neb. - Cope Stadium at Foster Field
WHEN
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 - 12 p.m.
ON THE AIR
• The game will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler and
Joe Hoffmann calling the action and Danielle Sachse on the sidelines. 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 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 goes back on the road to visit Nebraska-Kearney.
• Central Missouri puts their 8-0 record on the line this weekend as they play the 5-3 Nebraska-Kearney Lopers.
• 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 an 8-0 start in 2019 after a 36-28 win vs. Pittsburg State last weekend.
• Nebraska-Kearney enters at 5-3 this season. They had won three straight before falling in Hays to Fort Hays State last weekend. The Lopers upset Northwest Missouri two weeks ago, handing the Bearcats their only loss of the season.
• This will be the fifth Mules road game of the season. They are 4-0 after wins at over Northeastern State, Missour Western, Missouri Southern, and Emporia State.
• Nebraska-Kearney was picked to finish 9th in both the MIAA preseason coaches poll and media poll. They finished 5-6 a year ago.
SERIES HISTORY
• The Mules have won the last six matchups with the Lopers
• UCM 6-1 in the
Jim Svoboda era vs UNK.
• This is the team's 11th all-time meeting with the Lopers.
• All-time UCM is 8-2 against Nebraska-Kearney and 6-1 since they joined the MIAA.
PREVIOUSLY AGAINST NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
• The Mules built a large lead before holding on late for a seven-point win.
• UCM led by 28, 35-7 midway through the third quarter before UNK scored 28 points to tie things at 35.
• With 1:19 left to play,
Kyrion Parker scored on a six-yard pass from
Kyle Bradley as UCM went on to win 42-35.
• UCM passed for 252 yards getting two touchdowns each from
Jeremy Hunt and
Kyle Bradley
• The Mules gained 206 yards on the round, 77 and a touchdown from
Devante Turner.
•
Kyrion Parker caught nine passes for 146 yards and three touchdowns.
MULES IN THE POLLS
• UCM stayed put in both the AFCA (11th) and D2football.com (13th) polls this week.
• In the first NCAA Super Region III rankings, the Mules were second in the region.
• The Mules were picked to finish fourth in the MIAA preseason media poll and fifth by the MIAA coaches.
ABOUT THE LOPERS
• Nebraska-Kearney's three-game winning streak was snapped last week in a 37-31 loss to Fort Hays State.
• After getting it to a one-touchdown game at 37-31, the Lopers defense couldn't get off the field as FHSU picked up two first downs and ran out the clock, never giving UNK another chance.
• The Lopers did hand Northwest Missouri their only loss of the year, a 24-17 win in Kearney. This season, the Lopers are 2-2 when playing at home.
• UNK boasts the best rushing attack in the MIAA. They run the option and pick up 317 rushing yards per game which is third in the NCAA.
• The Lopers also have the top defense in the MIAA. They allow 323.6 yards per game and their 22.1 points per game is second fewest.
• Four Lopers are in the top-12 in rushing per game. TJ Davis is fifth at 77.6 yards per game. Dayton Sealey and David Goodwin are 1-2 in the league in yards per rush each with more than seven yards per carry and more than 50 attempts.
• Davis is second in the MIAA in rushing touchdowns with eight and Darius Webb is tied for fourth with seven.
• Davis has taken over as QB1 for the Lopers. UNK has thrown just 129 times for 1,052 yards. Davis is 24-48 for 357 yards and two touchdowns. He takes over for Alex McGinnis who threw for 602 yards and four touchdowns.
• The UNK defense is fourth in the MIAA in sacks with 20 of them. They've also picked off seven passes. They allow the fewest first downs in the MIAA at just 16.8 per game.
• Nebraska-Kearney is in the NCAA top-five in time of possession, holding the ball for 33:48 they lead the MIAA and are fifth in the nation.
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 70-30 in conference games under
Jim Svoboda after their win Saturday and are 8-0 this season.
THE MULES AT HOME
• The Mules finished 2018 4-2 at home and are 40-11 at home under
Jim Svoboda.
• UCM went undefeated at home in 2017, 4-0.
• The Mules are 4-0 at home with wins over Fort Hays State, Washburn, Central Oklahoma and Pittsburg State.
• The Mules are 247-185-13 overall and 2019 will be their 88th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 35-20 in road games during the
Jim Svoboda era following their 34-27 win last weekend at Emporia State.
• 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 59-8 during the
Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime.
• The Mules are 14-25 all-time under Coach Svoboda when trailing at halftime.
21 AND UP
• UCM is 76-18 under
Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 74-7 during the Svoboda era and 44-1 when scoring 40 or more points.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• Central Missouri has scored in 308 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.
SIZZLING SECONDS
• Central Missouri leads the MIAA scoring 356 total points.
• Of those 392 points, 118 have come in the second quarter alone.
• The Mules have scored 56% of their points in the second and third quarters.
2019 MULES TEAM LEADERS
• The Mules are second in the nation in scoring at 49 points per game.
• UCM is first in total offense with 553.9 yards per game.
• Mules are just one of 14 teams in Division II still with an unbeaten record.
• The Mules are fifth in passing offense at 326.4 yards per game.
• They are just outside the top-10 in first downs with 194.
2019 MULES INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
•
Brook Bolles is second in Division II in touchdown passes with 27. He is fifth in yards at 2,469 and third in yards per attempt at 10.29.
• Tight End
Zach Davidson is fourth in the NCAA in receiving touchdowns with 12.
• Davidson and
Shae Wyatt go 5 and 6 in Division II in yards per reception at 24.38 and 24.33.
•
Devante Turner's 659 rushing yards are second in the MIAA. As are his eight touchdowns. He leads the MIAA and is eighth in Division II with 168.88 all-purpose yards per game.
• The Mules lead the MIAA in sacks per game and are sixth nationally with 1.88.
Ubong Udom's 0.88 per game lead the league. His 0.50 forced fumbles per game are fourth nationally.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 573-517-51 (.525) record in 1,141 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 10 times in their history, including three trips to the NCAA-II Playoffs, the last coming in 2016.
SEASON STARTS
• The last time the Mules started out 8-0 was in 2002.
• This is the first time under Coach Svoboda UCM has started 8-0.
• Central Missouri has only started out 8-0 once before, in 2002.
• The Mules have never been 9-0 in their history.
• UCM is one of 14 teams in Division II still unbeaten and the only one in the MIAA.
GETTING OFFENSIVE
• Central Missouri has scored at least 30 points in all eight games this season.
• UCM has reached 70 points twice. The Mules had only scored 70 one time under Coach Svoboda before doing so twice in 2019.
MAKING HISTORY
• Quarterback
Brook Bolles is already all over the Mules record book. So far this season, he has set UCM records with 7 touchdown passes (at Missouri Southern) and 506 yards passing (at Missouri Western).
• Bolles' favorite target during his 7 touchdown pass game was
Zach Davidson. Davidson caught four of Bolles' seven touchdowns, a feat that has only been done once before, in 1960.
SVOBODA AT THE HELM
• Central Missouri head coach
Jim Svoboda has a record of 78-34 (.696) during his eight-plus seasons leading the Mules. He has led the Mules to four postseason appearances.
• He is tied with Terry Noland for second all-time in coaches wins with 78.
• 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 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 is one former Mules currently on an NFL roster. 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.
• In 2019, Walker has 21 catches for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
• Walker was inducted into the UCM Athletics Hall of Fame in February 2015.
• Former Mule quarterback Garrett Fugate was just recently drafted by the New York Guardians of the newly formed XFL.
