TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Logan Twehous threw for a career-high 405 yards and five touchdowns and
Arkell Smith snagged a career-best three TDs, helping the University of Central Missouri Mules football team roll to a 41-10 victory at Northeastern State Saturday, Oct. 2, on Gable Field at Doc Wadley Stadium.
The Mules (1-4, 1-4 MIAA) are scheduled to return home to Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field for a 1 p.m. MIAA game against Emporia State Saturday, Oct. 9.
Twehous, a redshirt junior quarterback from Columbia, Mo., completed 28 of 34 passes for his 405 yards and five touchdowns, while Smith, a redshirt sophomore wide receiver from Carthage, Mo., found the end zone three times on seven receptions and rolled up 133 yards through the air, and
Koby Wilkerson rushed for 81 yards on 17 carries and scored a touchdown, pacing the UCM offense.
Senior
Chima Dunga tallied a team-high six tackles, while
Tre'Von Letts had a six-yard sack,
Aundra Gilbert intercepted a pass, and
Deven Smith had a 12-yard tackle-for-loss, leading the Mules defensively.
Central Missouri tallied 569 yards of total offense, including 405 yards passing and 188 yards rushing, while limiting Northeastern State (2-3, 2-3 MIAA) to 352 yards overall, 34 rushing yards and 318 passing yards in the game.
The Mules were 9-for-14 on third-down conversions and an impressive 3-for-4 on converting fourth downs and posted a 34:16 to 25:03 advantage in time of possession.
UCM gained a 7-0 lead just three minutes into the game after Twehous found Smith on a 21-yard pass for the Mules opening touchdown of the contest.
Zion Perry snagged a 65-yard feed from Twehous in the end zone less than four minutes later, upping the Central Missouri advantage to 13-0 after a missed extra-point, before the RiverHawks got on the scoreboard with a nine-yard touchdown pass with just under five minutes remaining in the first quarter, cutting the lead to 13-7.
Smith and Twehous connected again for a touchdown with 13:39 to go in the second quarter – this time on a 29-yard pass – increasing the Mule lead to 20-7.
Northeastern State converted a 25-yard field-goal with 24 seconds on the clock, sending UCM to halftime with a 20-10 advantage.
Central Missouri continued its offensive surge in the second half of the contest, outscoring the RiverHawk 21-0, for the 41-10 triumph.
Twehous found
Xavier Jackson on an 11-yard touchdown pass at the 7:45 mark of the third quarter prior to Wilkerson bolting into the end zone on a one-yard run with 48 seconds to go and converting a two-point conversion, building the UCM lead to 34-10.
After Gilbert snagged an interception to start the fourth quarter, Twehous and Smith turned the turnover into points when Smith reeled-in a 14-yard touchdown pass with 8:53 remaining in the stanza, ballooning the Mule advantage to 41-10.
Northeastern State quarterback Grant Elerick with 23-for-35 with an interception, 318 yards and threw for one touchdown, while Mark Wheeland caught seven passes, including a TD, and had 104 yards, pacing the RiverHawks.
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