WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Sept. 3, 2019) - Central Missouri Mules Football kicks off the 2019 campaign this Thursday night! The game will be featured as an NCAA Division II Showcase game and can be viewed on a variety of platforms online and will be carried both live and on delay by numerous regional affiliates.
Opponent
No 11 Fort Hays State (0-0, 0-0 MIAA)
When
Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019 - 7:05 p.m.
Where
Warrensburg, Mo. - Walton Stadium / Kennedy Field
On the Air
• The game will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler and Joe Moore 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.
• Additionally, today's game will be carried on NCAA social media pages, Facebook and Twitter as a part of the Division II Showcase on the Hybrid Model.
• Local affiliates KMOS (channel 6.1), YurView Kansas and YurView Omaha will also carry tonight's game live on TV. Replays will be aired on Spectrum Sports KC all next week, YurView Oklahoma and Cox Sports Television.
Show Up Early
• The first 2500 fans to arrive will receive a "Red Rally Rag" presented by Pepsi
KICKOFF
• Central Missouri kicks off the 2019 campaign against the same opponent from week one of 2018 - Fort Hays State.
• Central Missouri finished 2018 5-6 after a rash of injuries, missing the postseason for the first time in two years.
• The Tigers won a share of the MIAA regular season with a 10-1 record and made it back to the NCAA postsesaon. They traveled to Indianapolis where they fell in their first round game, 38-27 to the University of Indianapolis.
• The Mules went 4-2 at home last season averaging 43.3 points per game at Walton Stadium.
• The Tigers were picked to win the MIAA by the league's coaches in the preseason poll. They finished second in the media poll behind Northwest Missouri.
SERIES HISTORY
• 2018 will mark just the 16th all time meeting between these two schools. Central Missouri leads the all-time series 9-6. The two teams first played in 1964 and 1965 with FHSU winning both. They have since played every year since 2006 and UCM has gone 9-4 with the Tigers in the MIAA.
• FHSU got the better of the Mules lately, winning four of the last five matchups.
PREVIOUSLY AGAINST FORT HAYS STATE
• There was plenty of hype as two ranked clashed to start the 2018 year. The Mules led 10-3 at the half thanks to a two-yard touchdown from
Brook Bolles to
Kyrion Parker with 33 seconds remaining.
• Unfortunately for UCM, that would be the only touchdown pass of the season for Bolles who left the game in the third quarter with an elbow injury, causing him to miss the rest of the season.
• Despite Bolles going down, the Mules extended their lead to 10, 16-6 when
Devante Turner scampered 43 yards for a touchdown.
• UCM couldn't hold the lead though and the Tigers scored 14 in the fourth quarter to comeback for a 20-16 win.
MULES IN THE POLLS
• UCM is receiving votes in the AFCA Preseason Coaches Poll
• The Mules were picked to finish fourth in the MIAA preseason media poll and fifth by the MIAA coaches.
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• Fort Hays State went 9-3 in 2018, making their second straight trip to the NCAA postseason. They won a share of the MIAA Championship with a 9-2 conference mark.
• The Tigers had the top passing offensive attack in the MIAA in 2018, averaging 297.3 passing yards per game and completing 61% of their passes.
• They also controlled things on the defensive side of the ball, limiting teams to just 18.8 points per game, second best in the league.
• This year, the Tigers will hand the ball to Chance Fuller, sophomore quarterback from Arlington, Texas. Fuller saw action as a freshman, playing in 10 games and going 92-141 for 1,185 yard and seven touchdowns. He completed 65.2% of his passes, but also threw four interceptions.
• Fuller will have his starting running back in 2019. Charles Tigner was in the top-10 in the MIAA totaling 778 rushing yards with five touchdowns. He was also a threat out of the backfield with 25 catches for 217 yards and another score.
• Speaking of pass-catchers, the top two wideouts from 2018 are back for the Tigers. Harley Hazlett who caught 91 passes for 904 yards and six touchdowns, will be joined by Layne Bieberle who averaged 15.7 yards per catch on 57 receptions for 894 yards.
• The Tigers also return the MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year, Dante Brown. Brown was supurb on both field goals and punts in 2018. He connected on 28-33 field goals, making all 17 inside of 40 yards and was 11-16 from 40 and beyond. Brown also averaged 41.4 yards per punt downing 15 inside the 20 and launching a league-high 14 50+ yards.
• Leading the defense will be defensive back Tanner Hoekman. He picked off two of the 12 interceptions for the Tigers in 2018.
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 62-30 in conference games under
Jim Svoboda.
THE MULES AT HOME
• The Mules finished 2018 4-2 at home and are 37-11 at home under
Jim Svoboda.
• UCM went undefeated at home in 2017, 4-0.
• The Mules got back in the win column, 42-35 over Nebraska-Kearney two weeks ago.
• The Mules are 244-185-13 overall and 2019 will be their 88th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 31-20 in road games during the
Jim Svoboda era following their 31-28 win over Lindenwood in their final road game of 2018.
• 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 55-8 during the
Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime.
• The Mules are 12-25 all-time under Coach Svoboda when trailing at halftime.
21 AND UP
• UCM is 68-18 under
Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 66-7 during the Svoboda era and 39-1 when scoring 40 or more points.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• Central Missouri has scored in 300 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.
2018 MIAA STAT LEADERS
• Central Missouri led the MIAA in total offense with 466.2 yards per game and were second in scoring offense at 34.7 points per game.
• They were second the league in passing at 291.1 yards per game, and threw for 27 touchdowns.
•
Shae Wyatt finished in the top-10 in receiving yards with 42 catches for 769 yards. His 18.3 yards per catch were seventh in the MIAA.
•
Devante Turner's 718 rushing yards were eighth in the MIAA.
BACK FROM INJURY
• The new year will see the return of a handful of impact players for the Mules. Standout quarterback
Brook Bolles didn't make it out of the season opener before an injury derailed his season. The 2017 Harlon Hill Trophy finalist is back to 100% for his senior season.
• UCM also lost starters on both sides of the ball to injury in 2018. Offensive lineman
Kyle Linville played in just four games, as did linebacker
Carter Nicoli.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 120 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 565-517-51 (.521) record in 1,133 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 70-34 (.673) 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 .673 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
• 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.
