Game 4: Central Missouri (0-3, 0-3 MIAA) vs. No. 16 Nebraska Kearney (3-0, 3-0 MIAA)
Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021 | 1 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field)
Radio: 1450 AM, 107.9 FM, 98.5 FM / Video: MIAA Network

UCM Game Notes (PDF)

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THIS WEEK
• Mules football (0-3, 0-3 MIAA) wraps up a two-game homestand at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field with a 1 p.m. MIAA game against No. 16 Nebraska Kearney (3-0, 3-0 MIAA) Saturday, Sept. 25. The game is part of UCM's annual Family Weekend.
• Central Missouri goes into Saturday's game with an overall record of 0-3 and an MIAA mark of 0-3 after falling to No. 3 Northwest Missouri, 47-7, Saturday, Sept. 18, in Warrensburg.
• The Lopers of Nebraska Kearney enter the weekend at a perfect 3-0 on the season and in the MIAA after slipping by Washburn Saturday, Sept. 18, in Kearney, Neb., 28-24.
• 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.
• Nebraska Kearney posted a 7-5 record in 2019, including a 6-5 MIAA mark. The Lopers played two games in a 2020 season that was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, winning at Pittsburg State, 31-26, and defeating Chadron State (Neb.) at home, 45-35.
• 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 Lopers were picked fourth in the preseason MIAA coaches' poll and fifth in the MIAA preseason media poll.

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 12:15 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 Lopers have met just 11 times in the all-time series that dates back to 1960.
• Central Missouri leads the series, 9-2, including a 4-1 record in Warrensburg, Mo.
• Mules' head coach Jim Svoboda is 7-1 against the Lopers.

PREVIOUSLY AGAINST NEBRASKA KEARNEY
• The Mules scored 17 points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter to stun the Lopers, 47-40, in Kearney, Neb., Nov. 2, 2019. The victory kept UCM undefeated at 9-0.
• With no time outs and 12 seconds left in regulation, the Mules had one last shot before the game went into overtime. That's all it took. The Lopers played their man defense and Cameron Saunders and Zach Davidson both got behind the defense and Brooke Bolles launched a pass into the waiting arms of Saunders, who trotted into the end zone for a 63-yard game-winning score.
• Central Missouri outgained Nebraska Kearney in the game, 606-521, including a commanding 464-221 advantage in passing yards.

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 LOPERS
• Nebraska Kearney enters the week at 3-0 overall and 3-0 in the MIAA after defeating Washburn in Kearney, Neb., Sept. 18, 28-24.
• The win over the Ichabods was the Lopers first home victory over Washburn since 1985.
• UNK ranks second in the MIAA and 21st nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to 13.7 points per game. The Lopers are third in NCAA Division II in rushing offense with 288.7 yards per game. UNK also leads the MIAA and is ninth nationally in time of possession, keeping the football an average of 34:31 per game.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE MULES
• The third-ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcats scored seven touchdowns and tallied 511 yards of total offense to roll past the University of Central Missouri Mules football team, 47-7, on Military Appreciation Day Saturday, Sept. 18, at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Central Missouri quarterback Logan Twehous threw for 182 yards, completing 14 of 22 passes, and added 13 yards on six carrier rushing, while Cam Saunders had 144 yards on five catches and Devante Turner rushed for 86 yards on 13 carries, leading the Mules.
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Cedric Case, who made his UCM debut Saturday, went 5-for-11 for 35 yards.
• Chima Dunga led the Mules' defense with 10 tackles, while Deven Smith had eight tackles and a sack.
• Central Missouri posted 405 yards of total offense in the game, including 295 yards passing and 110 yards on the ground.
• Northwest Missouri State quarterback Mike Hohensee rolled up 260 yards passing, going 14-of-18 with four touchdowns, while adding a pair of rushing touchdowns to finish the game with six total.
• Al McKeller had 95 yards rushing on 14 carries, and Kaden Davis posted 103 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions, pacing the Bearcats (2-0, 2-0 MIAA).
• Jackson Barnes had 10 total tackles and an interception, leading the Northwest Missouri State defense.

THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules are 0-3 in MIAA play after falling to Northwest Missouri Sept. 18.
• UCM now stands at 73-35 in conference games under Jim Svoboda.

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 250-186-13 overall and 2021 will be their 89th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD
• Central Missouri is 31-22 in road games during the Jim Svoboda era following their 29-10 setback at Washburn Sept. 9.
• The Mules finished 2019 with a 5-2 record away from Warrensburg.

WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF
• The Mules are 63-10 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 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 points.

SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
• Central Missouri has scored in 316 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 576-522-51 (.521) record in 1,149 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 81-39 (.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
• The Mules travel to Tahlequah, Okla., for an MIAA game against Northeastern State Saturday, Oct. 2, at 2 p.m.