UCM Mules defensive lineman Martin Bender (98) during an MIAA college football game against the Northeastern State University (NSU) Riverhawks at the Audrey J. Walton Stadium in Warrensburg, Missouri on October 1, 2022.
Andrew Mather Photography

Football

Mules Football Welcomes Missouri Southern for 2022 Homecoming Game Saturday

Game 7: Central Missouri (1-5, 1-5 MIAA) vs. Missouri Southern (4-2, 4-2 MIAA)
Saturday, Oct. 15 | 1:30 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 98.5 The BAR
TV: MIAA Network (PPV)
**2022 UCM Homecoming Game**

Live Stats | Live Audio | Game Notes (PDF)
SCENE SETTER
  • University of Central Missouri Mules football (1-5, 1-5 MIAA) is scheduled to host the Missouri Southern Lions (4-2, 4-2 MIAA) for the annual UCM Homecoming Game Saturday, Oct. 15, at 1:30 p.m. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field in Warrensburg.
  • The Mules are coming off a 44-27 loss at Emporia State Saturday, Oct. 8, while the Lions took down Lincoln in Joplin, 37-14.
  • 2022 marks the 125th season in Mules football history.
  • In the MIAA Football Preseason Polls, UCM was picked in a tie for seventh in the coaches' poll and ninth in the media poll. Missouri Southern was picked 10th in both the preseason coaches' and media polls.
ON THE AIR
  • Saturday's game will be broadcast live on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar, the new 107.9 FM and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler calling the action, Joe Moore providing color commentary and Corrine Benedict on the sidelines.
  • 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.
MULE LEADERS
  • Offense: With six games in the books, the Mules are paced offensively by redshirt sophomore quarterback Cedric Case (120-of-195 with 4 INT, 1305 yds, 8 TD, 78 long, 217.5 yds/game, 121 yds rushing, 2 rushing TD), redshirt senior running back Xavier Jackson (19 catches, 230 yds, 1 TD, 55 long, 38.33 receiving yds/game, 50 carries, 135 net yds, 3 TD, 16 long, 22.5 yds/game) and redshirt junior receiver Arkell Smith (20 catches, 302 yds, 4 TD, 78 long, 503 yds/game).
  • Defense: Through six games, UCM is paced defensively by redshirt sophomore defensive back Noah Blair (52 tackles [31 unassisted/21 assisted], 2 TFL/3 yds, 3 INT/83 yds, 4 breakup) and redshirt sophomore defensive back Curtis Appleton II (31 tackles [13 unassisted, 18 assisted], 4 TFL/7 yds, 2 breakup, 1 forced fumble).
  • Special Teams: Redshirt junior kicker Sam Knowlton is 4-for-6 in field goals converted, hitting a season-long 42-yarder at Pittsburg State...Redshirt freshman punter Ethan Brown has 34 punts for 1,423 yards with an average distance of 41.9 yards and a long of 58. He has placed seven punts inside the 20-yard line and has four punts of at least 50 yards.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE MULES
  • Central Missouri Mules football fell, 44-27, to the Emporia State Hornets in a MIAA game played Saturday afternoon, Oct. 8, at Francis G. Welch Stadium.
  • UCM quarterback Cedric Case threw for 262 yards, going 25-for-35, and had two touchdown passes, while Marcellous Hawkins rushed for 51 yards on nine carries and scored a touchdown.
  • Arkell Smith (32 yards) and Malik Clayborn (26 yards) added a pair of receiving touchdowns, and Jack Pospisil had a 96-yard kickoff return TD, rounding out the Central Missouri offensive leaders for the game.
  • Curtis Appleton II and Jaden Dawson compiled 12 tackles each, leading the UCM defense.
  • For the game, Emporia State outgained Central Missouri, 563-332, including a 228-70 edge in rushing yards and 335-262 passing yards advantage.
  • ESU quarterback Braden Gleason went 32-for-44 with 317 yards and three touchdowns while Canaan Brooks rushed for 134 yards on 17 carries and Tyler Kahmann compiled a pair of TDs on 106 receiving yards, pacing the Hornets.
SERIES HISTORY
  • Saturday's game against the Lions will mark meeting 43 in the all-time series dating back to the first meeting in 1973. The Mules lead the series, 24-16-2. Last season, UCM fell to Missouri Southern on a last-second field-goal, 30-28, in Joplin, Mo.
LAST TIME OUT VS. MISSOURI SOUTHERN
  • Missouri Southern's Nick Williams converted a 27-yard field-goal with two seconds remaining to rally from a 28-27 deficit and defeat the University of Central Missouri Mules football team, 30-28, Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
  • Mules' quarterback Logan Twehous went 20-for-35 with four touchdown passes and 288 yards, while receiver Cam Saunders posted 142 yards on six catches and scored a pair of touchdowns, leading the UCM offense.
  • Codie Bell had 15 total tackles, including a tackle-for-loss, pacing the Central Missouri defense.
ABOUT THE LIONS
  • The Missouri Southern State University Lions enter the weekend with overall and MIAA records of 4-2 after turning back Lincoln, 37-14, Saturday, Oct. 8, in Joplin, Mo.
  • Through six games, the Lions are paced offensively by redshirt sophomore quarterback Dawson Herl (72-of-130, 3 INT, 832 yds, 4 TD, 46 long, 138.7 yds/game), sophomore running back Nathan Glades (119 carries, 553 net yds, 5 TD, 56 long, 92.2 yds/game) and redshirt junior receiver Ezekiel Lang (12 catches, 231 yds, 3 TD, 46 long, 38.5 yds/game).
  • On the defensive side of the football six games in, MSSU is led by senior linebacker Richard Jordan, Jr. (58 tackles [36 unassisted, 22 assisted] 6 TFL/20 yds, 3 breakup, 4 forced fumbles).
  • Senior kicker Nick Williams is a perfect 10-for-10 in field goals made through six contests. He has a long of 52 yards. Williams has also excelled as the MSSU punter, punting for 1,346 yards on 31 attempts with an average of 43.4 yards. He has a long of 72 yards.
THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
  • UCM is 1-5 in MIAA action entering today's homecoming contest against Missouri Southern.
  • Through six games, the Mules lead the conference in interceptions with eight for 88 yards.
  • Noah Blair is tied for the MIAA lead with three interceptions for 83 yards entering the weekend.
  • Cedric Case is fourth in the conference in passing 1,305 yards through the air through six games. He is fifth in total offense with 1,426 yards and 237.7 yards per game.
THE MULES AT HOME
  • The Mules are 252-186-13 overall and 2022 will be their 90th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
  • Under Josh Lamberson, Central Missouri is 1-1 at home.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
  • Central Missouri has scored in 320 straight games.
  • The streak dates to week three of the 1991 season.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
  • In the 124 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 581-531-51 record.
  • 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 -- Josh Lamberson's first season as offensive coordinator for UCM.
  • 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.
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
  • Central Missouri has won a combined 233 MIAA conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
  • Last season, UCM captured two regional championships in men's golf and women's soccer, and five MIAA Championships - women's soccer, volleyball (regular season and tournament) and baseball (regular season and tournament).
  • Since 1983, the tenure of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 179 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.
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.
ON THE HORIZON
  • The Mules make the long trek out to Hays, Kan., for a MIAA showdown at Fort Hays State Saturday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m.
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Players Mentioned

Codie Bell

#1 Codie Bell

DB
5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
Logan Twehous

#12 Logan Twehous

QB
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
Noah Blair

#19 Noah Blair

DB
6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
Ethan Brown

#24 Ethan Brown

P
6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
Cedric Case

#10 Cedric Case

QB
6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
Malik Clayborn

#8 Malik Clayborn

TE
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Xavier Jackson

#0 Xavier Jackson

RB
5' 8"
Redshirt Senior
Jack Pospisil

#21 Jack Pospisil

WR
5' 7"
Redshirt Freshman
Arkell Smith

#6 Arkell Smith

WR
6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
Marcellous Hawkins

#36 Marcellous Hawkins

RB
5' 11"
Freshman
Curtis Appleton II

#6 Curtis Appleton II

DB
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
Jaden Dawson

#18 Jaden Dawson

DB
6' 1"
Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

Codie Bell

#1 Codie Bell

5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
DB
Logan Twehous

#12 Logan Twehous

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
QB
Noah Blair

#19 Noah Blair

6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
DB
Ethan Brown

#24 Ethan Brown

6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
P
Cedric Case

#10 Cedric Case

6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
QB
Malik Clayborn

#8 Malik Clayborn

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
TE
Xavier Jackson

#0 Xavier Jackson

5' 8"
Redshirt Senior
RB
Jack Pospisil

#21 Jack Pospisil

5' 7"
Redshirt Freshman
WR
Arkell Smith

#6 Arkell Smith

6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
WR
Marcellous Hawkins

#36 Marcellous Hawkins

5' 11"
Freshman
RB
Curtis Appleton II

#6 Curtis Appleton II

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
DB
Jaden Dawson

#18 Jaden Dawson

6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
DB