Mules Look to Stay Hot in St. Joe

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Sept. 18, 2019) - Central Missouri Mules Football is off to a 2-0 start and look to carry their winning streak on the road this weekend.

OPPONENT
Missouri Western Griffons (1-1, 1-1 MIAA)

WHERE
St. Joseph, Mo. - Spratt Stadium

WHEN
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 - 7 p.m.

ON THE AIR
• The game will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler and calling the action and Danielle Sachse on the sidelines. The Tailgate Show will begin at 5:50 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. 

KICKOFF
• Central Missouri hits the road for the second straight week when they head to St. Joseph, Mo. to take on Missouri Western.
• 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 2-0 start in 2019 after a 34-30 come-from-behind win at home against 2018 MIAA co-champions, 11th ranked Fort Hays State and a 70-7 thrashing of Northeastern State.
• Missouri Western is off to a 1-1 start this season after squaring off with both MIAA co-champions in the first two weeks. They lost a heartbreaker to Northwest Missouri before beating Fort Hays State last week. 
• The Mules struggled on the road last season going just 1-4. They won their final road contest of the season, at Lindenwood, 31-28 and are off to a 1-0 start this season after their win in Tahlequah. 
• Missouri Western was picked to finish seventh in the MIAA in both the preseason media and coaches poll.

SERIES HISTORY
• With Central Missouri winning the last four matchups, the all-time series is now tied 17-17-1.
• Coach Svoboda won his first ever meeting with Missouri Western before losing four straight from 2011-14 and has now won four straight for a 5-4 record against the Griffons.
• Four of the last six matchups have been decided by four points or fewer. The last two however, Central Missouri has won by 20 or more. 

PREVIOUSLY AGAINST MISSOURI WESTERN
• Central Missouri raced out to a 21-0 lead last year at home, cruising to a 51-14 win. 
• UCM came up just short of 600 total yards, finishing with 598, including 435 through the air.
• Jeremy Hunt threw for 405 yards and four touchdowns.
• Two Mules had more than 100 yard receiving: Shae Wyatt had 129 and a touchdown on four receptions while Kyrion Parker picked up 104 on five catches with a touchdown.
• Devante Turner rushed for 41 yards and a score. 
• The Mules defense picked up two sacks including one from John Embrey who made 9 stops. 

MULES IN THE POLLS
• UCM remains ranked 21st in the AFCA top-25 poll. They are also 20th in this week's d2football.com poll.
• The Mules were picked to finish fourth in the MIAA preseason media poll and fifth by the MIAA coaches.

ABOUT THE GRIFFONS
• Missouri Western has perhaps the toughest opening schedule in the MIAA. They defeated Fort Hays State last week in Hays after losing a fourth-quarter lead at home vs. Northwest Missouri to get off to a 1-1 start.
• The Griffon defense has done a good job getting off the field. They lead the MIAA allowing just 28.6 of third down conversions.
• Missouri Western is mostly in the middle of the pack in all other categories. They are third in the league in scoring defense allowing 31 points per game.
• Quarterback Walter Steigerwald is a traditional pocket passer. He's 31-57 for 467 yards and five touchdowns. He's fourth in the league in passing yards and tied for second in touchdowns.
• MWSU has a dual threat at running back with Markel Smith and Shamar Griffith. Smith has 32 attempts and 181 yards while Griffith has 75 yards on 22 attempts. Smith is third in the MIAA in rushing yards.
• Devon Holmes is Steigerwald's primary target. He's caught 12 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown. Five different Griffon receivers have caught a touchdown this season.

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 64-30 in conference games under Jim Svoboda after their win Thursday.

THE MULES AT HOME
• The Mules finished 2018 4-2 at home and are 38-11 at home under Jim Svoboda.
• UCM went undefeated at home in 2017, 4-0. 
• The Mules opened the season at home with a 34-30 win over No. 11 Fort Hays State.
• The Mules are 245-185-13 overall and 2019 will be their 88th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 32-20 in road games during the Jim Svoboda era following their 70-7 win over Northeastern State in their first road game of 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 56-8 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 70-18 under Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 68-7 during the Svoboda era and 40-1 when scoring 40 or more points.

SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• Central Missouri has scored in 302 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 MIAA STAT LEADERS
• Central Missouri has the top offense in the league scoring 52 points per game and totaling 554 yards. Their defense is also at the top of the league allowing 18.5 points per game (1st) and 318 yards (2nd). 
• With 146 yards, Koby Wilkerson is eighth in the MIAA in rushing. His long of 66 yards is also tied for the longest second this season. 
• Brook Bolles is third in the league having thrown for 551 yards, however with far fewer pass attempts. He leads in touchdowns with 7 and efficiency at 196.7.
• Shae Wyatt leads the MIAA with 233 receiving yards and 38.8 yards per catch. He and Cameron Saunders are two of five receivers in the MIAA with two TD receptions. 

MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 567-517-51 (.521) record in 1,135 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 2-0 was in 2016 when they made the NCAA playoffs. 
• This is the second time under Coach Svoboda has started 2-0. 

SVOBODA AT THE HELM
• Central Missouri head coach Jim Svoboda has a record of 72-34 (.676) 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 .679 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 5 catches for 55 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.