Mules Trek to Washburn for first Road Trip of 2021 Season

Game 2: Central Missouri (0-1, 0-1 MIAA) at Washburn (1-0, 1-0 MIAA)
Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021 | 6 p.m. | Topeka, Kan. (Yager Stadium)
Radio: 1450 AM, 107.9 FM, 98.5 FM / Video: MIAA Network

UCM Game Notes (PDF)

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THIS WEEK
• Central Missouri will take to the road for the first time in 2021 when it travels to Topeka, Kan., for a showdown at Washburn Thursday, Sept. 9, at 6 p.m. at Yager Stadium.
• UCM enters the week at 0-1 overall and 0-1 in the MIAA after falling to Pittsburg State in Warrensburg Thursday, Sept. 2, 35-16. Washburn is 1-0 on the season and in the MIAA after downing Lincoln in Jefferson City, Mo., Sept. 2, 76-12.
• Both the Mules (24 votes) and Washburn (four votes) are receiving votes in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll.
• 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.
• Washburn also did not play an official schedule in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They compiled of 6-5 overall and in conference play in 2019, finishing in a three-way tie for fifth place.
• Central Missouri was 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 Ichabods were picked sixth in the 2021 MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll and seventh 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 5 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 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
• 2021 will mark the 50th meeting in the all-time series between Central Missouri and Washburn dating all the way back to 1902...UCM leads the series, 28-19-2...The two teams first played in 1902 with Washburn tallying a 6-0 victory...Head coach Jim Svoboda is an impressive 7-1 against Washburn since he arrived at UCM in 2010, with his only loss coming in Topeka in 2018.
 
MULES UPDATE
• UCM is 0-1 overall and 0-1 in the MIAA after dropping its 2021 home and season opener to Pittsburg State Thursday, Sept. 2, at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field, 35-16.
• The Gorillas outgained the Mules in total offense in the game, 484-412, including a 237-135 advantage in rushing. Central Missouri did out-pace Pittsburg State in the air, posting a 277-247 advantage in passing offense.
• UCM quarterback Kyle Bradley had 277 yards and threw for two touchdowns in the game, going 21-for-36, but had two interceptions.
• Cam Saunders had six receptions on 91 total yards through the air and scored a touchdown. Drew Slager also scored a passing TD while tallying 58 yards on five receptions.
• On the ground, Devante Turner totaled 72 yards on 16 carries, and Koby Wilkerson added 33 yards on 13 carries. Bradley went for 30 yards on seven attempts.
• Defensively, Travis DeGrate paced the Mules in the game, totaling 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.
 
PREVIOUSLY AGAINST WASHBURN
• The Mules scored eight touchdowns on their way to a 55-27 win over Washburn in Warrensburg Sept. 28, 2019.
• The Mules offense put on a show, totaling 441 yards of offense. UCM's defense did a solid job as the Ichabods totaled 361 yards.
• Central Missouri totaled 314 yards rushing in the contest, with Devante Turner totaling a team-best 138 yards rushing and four TDs.
 
MULES IN THE POLLS
• UCM is receiving 24 votes in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll.
• The Mules were picked to finish second in the MIAA preseason media poll and tied for second by the MIAA coaches.
 
A LOOK AT THE ICHABODS
• Washburn enters the week at 1-0 overall and in the MIAA after rolling to a 76-12 win at Lincoln Thursday, Sept. 2, in Jefferson City, Mo.
• The Ichabods scored at least 17 points in all four quarters at Lincoln and tallied 557 yards of total offense while holding the Blue Tigers to just 203 yards.
• Washburn scored 10 touchdowns in the game.
• The Ichabods broke their school record for the most points scored in a in a road opener in the Lincoln win topping the 58 they scored defeating Nebraska-Kearney 58-13 on Sept. 5, 2013 in Kearney.
• Washburn is under the leadership of 20th season head Craig Schurig.
 
THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
• The Mules posted an 11-2 record in MIAA action in 2019 and captured a share of the conference title with Northwest Missouri State. It was Central Missouri's 13th MIAA championship since 1924 and the 17th in program history.
• UCM now stands at 73-33 in conference games under Jim Svoboda after the setback to Pittsburg State Sept. 2.
 
THE MULES AT HOME
• Central Missouri's loss to Pittsburg State Sept. 2 marked the first home setback for UCM at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field since a 48-21 loss to Northwest Missouri Nov. 10, 2018.
• 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 37-10 setback to No. 1-ranked Ferris State (Mich.) in the 2019 NCAA-II Playoffs in Big Rapids, Mich.
• 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 Pittsburg State.
 
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 314 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 576-520-51 (.525) record in 1,147 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 81-37 (.686) 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 .686 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.
 
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 begin a two-game homestand with a 1 p.m. contest vs. Northwest Missouri State Saturday, Sept. 18, at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field for Military Appreciation Day.