Game 7: Central Missouri (2-4, 2-4 MIAA) at Missouri Southern (2-4, 2-4 MIAA)
Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021 | 4Â p.m. |Â Joplin, Mo. (Fred G. Hughes Stadium)
Radio: 1450 AM, 107.9 FM, 98.5 FM /Â
Video: MIAA Network
UCM Game Notes (PDF)
THIS WEEK
• Mules football (2-4, 2-4 MIAA) is scheduled to travel to Joplin, Mo., for a 4 p.m. MIAA game at Missouri Southern (2-4, 2-4 MIAA) Saturday, Oct. 16, at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
• Central Missouri is coming off its second straight win of the season -- a 45-38 victory over Emporia State Saturday, Oct. 9, at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field in Warrensburg.
• The Lions rolled to a 52-32 win at Lincoln Oct. 9 in Jefferson City, Mo., in their last game.
• Mules football finished the 2019 season with an overall record of 11-2 and won a share of the MIAA Championship -- the 13th in program history. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UCM did not play an official schedule in 2020.
• Central Missouri tied for second with Fort Hays State and received one first-place vote in the 2021 MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Mules were also tabbed second in the MIAA Preseason Media Poll and received a first-place vote.
• The Lions were picked to finish tied for 10th in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll and 10th in the MIAA Preseason Media Poll.Â
ON THE AIR
• The game will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar, the new 107.9 FM and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler and Joe Moore calling the action, and Brinkley Beever on the sidelines. The Pregame Show will begin at 3:10 p.m. on the UCM Sports Network.
• The game will also be webcast online through Central Missouri's Blue Frame Internet portal at http://www.themiaanetwork.com/ucmmules/.
It is a pay-to-view webcast. MIAA Network content is available live via 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
• The Mules and Lions will meet for the 42nd time in the all-time series that dates all the way back to 1973.
• UCM leads the series, 24-15-2, and have won the last six meetings with MSSU.
• Central Missouri holds a narrow, 9-8-1, advantage in the series when playing in Joplin, Mo.
• Mules' head coach
Jim Svoboda is 9-1 against Missouri Southern, including a 4-1 mark at Fred G. Hughes Stadium in Joplin.
PREVIOUSLY AGAINST MISSOURI SOUTHERN
• Central Missouri Mules Football improved to 5-0 with a 70-point outburst in a 71-42 win over Missouri Southern Oct. 5, 20219, in Joplin, Mo. The Mules pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Lions 43-14 on their way to the win.
• This was a game for lovers of offense. Each team gained more than 550 yards with UCM outgaining the Lions 687-558.
• Central Missouri won the turnover battle 5-1 with four interceptions.
• UCM dominated on the ground, 266-39 as the Lions couldn't get any sort of rushing attack going.
• Quarterback Brooke Bolles was the story for the Mules, passing for 421 yards on 25-36 passing with seven touchdowns. The seven TDs marked a school record. He also rushed for 39 yards.
•
Zach Davidson matched a UCM record with his four receiving touchdowns. The only other time it was done was almost 59 years to the day, by Larry Shepard on October 1, 1960.
MULES IN THE POLLS
• The Mules were picked to finish second in the MIAA preseason media poll and tied for second by the MIAA coaches.
ABOUT THE LIONS
• The Missouri Southern Lions are 2-4 overall and in the MIAA entering Saturday's contest against the Mules after posting a 52-32 win at Lincoln Saturday, Oct. 9, in Jefferson City, Mo.
• In the victory over the Blue Tigers, MSSU raced out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter enroute to the victory.
• The Lions got a huge day on offense from Brian Boyd Jr. as he caught five passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns, while Dawson Herl went 12-for-20 with three touchdowns and 246 yards through the air. Missouri Southern had three separate running backs with a touchdown led by Josh Mercer who went for 119 yards on seven carries.
• Through six games, MSSU ranks 11th in the MIAA in scoring offense with just 20 points per game but is sixth in rushing offense with 155 yards per game. Defensively, Missouri Southern is seventh in scoring defense, holding teams to 27.2 points per game, but leads the MIAA against the passing game, limiting opponents to just 193.8 yards per game through the air.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE MULES
• Mules football forced a season-high six turnovers and recovered a program single-game record four fumbles enroute to a 45-38 win over the Emporia State Hornets at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field on Saturday, Oct. 9.
• UCM quarterback
Logan Twehous went 22-for-34 with 403 yards and three touchdown passes, while receiver
Cameron Saunders tallied a career-high 213 yards on nine catches, including a season-best 72-yard touchdown reception, pacing the high-scoring Mule offense.
• Running back
Koby Wilkerson added 83 yards on the ground, and receiver
Arkell Smith and tight-end
Jared Bubak each reeled in touchdown passes, respectively.
•
Codie Bell made 11 solo tackles and one assisted tackle for 12 tackles, while
Chima Dunga recovered one of UCM's school-record four fumbles and returned it for a touchdown, leading the Central Missouri defense.
•
Travis DeGrate,
Tyron Taylor and
Joshua Terry added fumble recoveries, and
Dylan Price and
Aundra Gilbert compiled interceptions, amounting to the Mules' six forced turnovers in the contest.
• UCM scored six touchdowns and a field goal while posting 495 total yards of offense in the game, including 403 yards through the air and 92 yards rushing.
• ESU tallied 665 yards of total offense in the contest, including 497 yards passing and 168 yards on the ground.
THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 2-4 in the MIAA after their 45-38 win over Emporia State Oct. 9.
• UCM now stands at 75-36 in conference games under
Jim Svoboda.
• Through six games, Central Missouri ranks fourth in the MIAA in passing offense, averaging 309.8 yards per game through the air.
• Cam Saunders leads the conference in receiving in the latest MIAA statistics with an average of 110.5 yards per game.
Logan Twehous is fourth in passing with 273.8 yards per game and total offense with 297.4 yards per game.
THE MULES AT HOME
• The Mules went a perfect 6-0 at home at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field in 2019 and are 43-12 at home under
Jim Svoboda.
• UCM outscored its adversaries at home in 2019, 46.5 points to 24 points. The Mules also outgained their opponents in total yards, 3,243 to 2,268.
• The Mules are 251-187-13 overall and 2021 will be their 89th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 32-22 in road games during the
Jim Svoboda era following its 41-10 victory at Northeastern State Oct. 2.
• The Mules finished 2019 with a 5-2 record away from Warrensburg.
WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mules are 64-11 during the
Jim Svoboda era when leading at halftime.
• The Mules are 14-28 all-time under Coach Svoboda when trailing at halftime after falling to No. 3 Northwest Missouri Sept. 18.
21 AND UP
• UCM is 81-20 under
Jim Svoboda when scoring at least 21 points.
• When scoring 30 or more points, UCM is 79-7 during the Svoboda era and 48-1 when scoring 40 or more points.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• Central Missouri has scored in 319 straight games.
• The streak dates to week three of the 1991 season.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
• In the 121 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 578-523-51 (.524) record in 1,152 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 tied the program-record for wins in a season with 11 in 2019. The Mules also won 11 games in 2010 --
Jim Svoboda's first season at the helm.
• 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 three trips to the NCAA-II Playoffs, the last coming in 2019.
SVOBODA AT THE HELM
• Central Missouri head coach
Jim Svoboda has a record of 83-40 (.675) during his eight-plus seasons leading the Mules. He has led the Mules to five postseason appearances.
• He is second on UCM's career wins list.
• Svoboda's .675 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. In 2019, the Mules hosted their second playoff game in program history, downing Indianapolis, 37-27.
• The Mules have set or tied 108 school offensive records and 21 MIAA offensive records during Svoboda's tenure.
• Under Coach Svoboda, UCM players have earned 28 All-American awards and 146 All-MIAA awards.
• Since entering the league, the Mules are the No. 1 team in total offense with 470.4 yards per game, and No. 2 in scoring offense with 37.1 points per game. UCM's six postseason appearances are also the second most in the league, and the 81 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 228 MIAA conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured two regional championships in men's golf and baseball, and five MIAA Championships - women's indoor track and field, men's golf, softball and baseball (regular season and postseason tournament)
• Since 1983, the tenure of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics
Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 170 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 in 2017 and 2018) and 12 national championships overall.
• Central Missouri has won the MIAA Commissioner's Cup, presented by McCownGordon Construction, four times in the last five years, including 2020-21. The cup is presented at the end of each academic year to the conference's top performing school in league play.
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
• Central Missouri had 189 student-athletes named to the 2020-21 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• Thirty 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.
• Seventeen UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had six student-athletes earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in their respective sports and 18 Academic All-District.
• All-time UCM is third in NCAA-II with 122 Academic All-Americans.
• Jennies basketball's Gigi McAtee and Mules golf's
Ian Barnes earned the prestigious NCAA Elite 90 Award for having the highest GPA at their respective NCAA Championships.
• Jennies track and field junior Ashlan Burton took home the 2021 MIAA Spring Student-Athlete of the Year award and was selected as a conference nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.
MULES IN THE PROS
• Former Mules' All-American tight end
Zach Davidson (2016-2020) was selected in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
• He marked the 12th Mules football player to be drafted in program history and the first since former UCM standout tight end Delanie Walker in 2006.
• In program history, 78 Central Missouri football players have either been drafted or signed professional free-agent contracts.
UP NEXT
• Central Missouri welcomes Fort Hays State to Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field for the annual UCM Homecoming Game Saturday, Oct. 23, at 1:30 p.m. Â
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