Mules Football Set Round NCAA Round Two Clash with Ferris State

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Nov. 27, 2019) - Central Missouri Mules Football goes on the road as their playoff journey continues. This week they take on 2018 national runner-up Ferris State, the No. 1 overall seed in Super Region III.

OPPONENT
Ferris State Bulldogs (10-0)

WHERE
Big Rapid, Mich. - Top Taggart Field

WHEN
Saturday, Nov. 30 - 12 pm CT

TICKETS
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at the link above. They will also be available to purchase at the gate the day of the game starting at 10:30 ET. 
Adults - $10
Seniors (65+) - $7
Students (K-12) - $5
FSU Students & College Students from competing schools - $5 w/valid ID
Children 5 & under - Free
Group Tickets - Call 231-591-2888 for info 

KICKOFF
• It's playoff time for the MIAA Champion Mules! Central Missouri will be on the round for round two at Ferris State. The Mules defeated the University of Indianapolis in round one, 37-27. 
• Central Missouri finished the regular season at 10-1. They won the MIAA Championship for the 13th time in team history and the first since 2003. 
• Ferris State went undefeated during the regular season at 10-0 and won the GLIAC. The Bulldogs last game came on Nov. 9 against Grand Valley, a 21-16 win.
• On the road this season, the Mules went 5-1.
• Ferris State advanced to their first ever NCAA Championship game in 2018, going 15-1. They were picked to finish first in the GLIAC and have been ranked second in the AFCA and d2football.com rankings all season. 

ON THE AIR
• The game will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler and Joe Hoffmann The Tailgate Show will begin at 10:50 a.m. CT on the UCM Sports Network.
• The game will also be webcast online through Ferris State's online Stretch Internet portal. Links for both live stats and video can be found at www.ucmathletics.com

SERIES HISTORY
• This is the first ever meeting between the Mules and Bulldogs. 

PREVIOUSLY AGAINST FERRIS STATE
• This is the first ever meeting between the Mules and Bulldogs. 

MULES IN THE POLLS
• Following their loss in the regular season finale, the Mules fell out of the AFCA top-10 for the first time in two weeks. They rank 15th in the Coaches Association and 14th by Division II football.com.
• UCM was ranked 2nd in each of the NCAA Super Region III rankings heading into the final game of the season.
• The Mules were picked to finish fourth in the MIAA preseason media poll and fifth by the MIAA coaches.

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS
• Ferris State is one of just two teams in Division II in the top-five in both total offense and total defense. They rank fifth in both categories.
• The Bulldogs advanced all the way to the 2018 Division II National Champonship game where they lost to Valdosta State.
• Ferris State is unbeaten thus far in 2019 at 10-2 and have been ranked second all season long.
• The game on Saturday will be the Bulldogs first since a win on Nov. 9. They had a bye week in week 11 of the GLIAC and earned a first round bye in the NCAA postseason as the No. 1 seed. 
• The Bulldog defense is one of the best in Division II. They allow just 13.7 points per game, fourth best in the country. On the offensive side, they are scoring 39.7 points which led the GLIAC.
• FSU is allowing opponents to convert on less than 25% of third down attempts, second fewest in the country. On fourth downs, they allow just a 23% conversion rate.
• Ferris is the top team in the NCAA in passing efficiency defense. Team passer efficiency rating is just 81.8 agains the Bulldogs.
• One area of concern for FSU is penalties. They are 158th out of 165 in Division II with 102 penalties for 883 yards in 10 games this season. 
• The Bulldogs top question entering the game is who is at quarterback. Travis Russell figures to get the start for the injured Jayru Campbell. He's completed just 49 passes this season for 963 yards and five touchdowns.
• The Bulldogs average 257.7 yards on the ground. They have six players this season with more than 200 yards rushing and three with more than 400. Tyler Minor leads the team with 495 yards and eight touchdowns. He averages more than 10 yards per carry. Evan Cummins also has eight touchdowns on the ground. 
• Xavier Wade and Sy Barnett account for the Bulldogs big plays. They are third and fourth in Division II in yards per catch with Wade averaging 25.13 and Barnett 23.91. Barnett has 32 catches for 765 yards to lead the team.
• Defensive end Austin Edwards was the GLIAC Player of the Year and is a Gene Upshaw finalist. He has eight sacks on the season and 13.5 tackles for loss. 

THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules won a share of the MIAA this season with a 10-1 record
• UCM now stands at 72-31 in conference games under Svoboda after the 2019 regular season. 

THE MULES AT HOME
• The Mules are 6-0 at home this season and have gone undefeated in Warrensburg in two of the last three seasons.
• The Mules finished 2018 4-2 at home.
• UCM is 42-11 at home under Jim Svoboda.
• The Mules are 249-185-13 overall and 2019 will be their 88th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 36-21 in road games during the Jim Svoboda era following their loss last weekend at Northwest Missouri.
• They are 5-1 on the road in 2019. 
• 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 62-8 during the Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime. 
• The Mules are 14-26 all-time under Coach Svoboda when trailing at halftime.

21 AND UP
• UCM is 79-19 under Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 77-7 during the Svoboda era and 46-1 when scoring 40 or more.

SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• Central Missouri has scored in 312 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.

THE LAST 45
• Sometimes it takes the Mules offense a quarter to get going. Their 111 first quarter points are their fewest in any quarter this season.
• UCM has put up more than 100 points in all quarters including 194 in the second, their most in any quarter.
• Defensively, the Mules have allowed just 50 third quarter points. They've pitched six third quarter shutouts and only once this season have they allowed more than seven in the third.

2019 MULES NATIONAL TEAM LEADERS
• The Mules remain ranked first in total offense with 561.3 yards per game. 
• They are second in the country in scoring averaging 47.7 points per game. 
• The Mules lead Division II in passing offense at 353.9 yards per game. 
• UCM's 300 first downs are second in Division II. 

2019 MULES INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
• Brook Bolles leads Division II in passing yards with 4,037, yards per completion at 18.67, touchdown passes with 42 and is second in yards per attempt at 10.57.
• Tight End Zach Davidson is sixth in the NCAA in receiving touchdowns with 15 and eighth in yards per catch at 22.72.
• Shae Wyatt is ninth in yards per reception with 22.66 and second with 1,405 receiving yards. He leads the MIAA in receiving yards. 
• Devante Turner's 900 rushing yards are second in the MIAA and his 11 touchdowns are third. He is third in the MIAA and 17th in D2 in all-purpose yards with 152.25 yards per game.

MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 577-517-51 (.526) record in 1,145 total games.
• The Mules have won 10 or more games four times in the history of the program and have posted 13 seasons of eight or more wins.
• UCM won a school-record 11 games in Jim Svoboda's first season in 2010 and again in 2019.
• UCM has won or shared 13 MIAA championships in school history with the last coming in 2019.
• The Mules have qualified for the postseason 10 times in their history, including four trips to the NCAA-II Playoffs, the last coming in 2019. They are 3-3 in NCAA games. 

GETTING OFFENSIVE
• Central Missouri has scored at least 30 points in 11 of 12 games this season.
• UCM has reached 70 points three times. 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 seven touchdown passes (at Missouri Southern) and 506 yards passing (at Missouri Western).
• Bolles is four touchdown passes away from tying the Mules single-season record of 46.
• Bolles' favorite target during his seven touchdown pass game was Zach Davidson. Davidson caught four of Bolles' seven touchdowns, a feat that has only been done once before, in 1960.
• The Mules 10-0 was the best in school history. 

ALL-MIAA
• Central Missouri had 15 named to the 2019 All-MIAA team at 17 positions.
• Brook Bolles was the MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and Coach Svoboda the Coach of the Year.
• Bolles was one of seven First Team All-MIAA selections. He's joined by WR Shae Wyatt, TE/P Zach Davidson (First Team at both positions), C Jake Heckler, DL Ubong Udom and LB Kolesen Crane.
• On the Second Team was S Codie Bell. Devante Turner made the Third Team as a RB and return man and Dan Sunderman, OL, was also on the Third Team.
• Koby Wilkerson, RB, Cameron Saunders, WR, Dominick Puni, OL, Jacob Wiggins, DL, John Embrey, LB and Deven Smith, LB were All-MIAA Honorable Mention.

SVOBODA AT THE HELM
• Central Missouri head coach Jim Svoboda has a record of 81-35 (.698) during his nine-plus seasons leading the Mules. He has led the Mules to six postseason appearances.
• His 81 wins are second all-time at UCM.
• Svoboda's .698 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. They added a second home playoff game in 2019. 
• 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 148 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 221 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Jennies Soccer and Mules Football have claimed 2019 MIAA regular season championships.
• 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 made the Pro Bowl three consecutive years 2015-17.
• 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.