Mules Football Kicks Off New Era Thursday at Pittsburg State

Football | 8/30/2022 8:21:00 AM

Game 1: Central Missouri (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) at Pittsburg State (0-0, 0-0 MIAA)
Thursday, Sept. 1 | 7 p.m. | Pittsburg, Kan. (Carnie Smith Stadium)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 98.5 The BAR
TV: MIAA Network (PPV)

Live Stats | Live Audio | Game Notes (PDF)

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A NEW ERA BEGINS

• University of Central Missouri Mules football is scheduled to begin its 2022 season under new head coach Josh Lamberson Thursday, Sept. 1, against the Pittsburg State University Gorillas. Kick-off is slated for 7 p.m. in Pittsburg, Kan., at Carnie Smith Stadium.
• The Mules are coming off a 2021 season that saw them post an overall record of 4-7 and a ninth-place finish in the MIAA while the Gorillas went 8-3 and finished fourth in the conference.
• Lamberson may be in his first season as head coach for UCM, but he is no stranger to Warrensburg and the Mules, as he served as the offensive coordinator under former Central Missouri head coach Jim Svoboda from 2010-14.
• 2022 will mark 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. Pittsburg State was voted third in both preseason polls.
• Central Missouri welcomes back 12 starters from 2021, including seven offensive starters and five defensive starters.

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 Corrine Benedict on the sidelines. The Pregame Show will begin at 6 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.

TRADITIONS TO HOST WATCH PARTY

• Traditions Restaurant at Mules National Golf Club will host a watch party for Thursday's game at Pittsburg State. 

A LOOK AT THE MULES

• Mules football welcomes back 12 starters from 2021, including All-MIAA offensive linemen Dan Sunderman and Kyle Linville, and wide receiver Arkell Smith.
• Sunderman and Linville make up an experienced returning core for the UCM offensive line, with 2021 starters Ty Reynolds and Gabe Clark also back for 2022. All four started all 11 games for Central Missouri in 2021.
• Smith is coming off a standout season in 2021, rolling up 673 yards on 42 catches with eight TDs in 11 games. Other returning wide receivers who had at least 10 catches in 2021 include Trevor Twehous (25 rec., 316 yds., 2 TD), Zion Perry (15 rec., 284 yds., 2 TD) and Malik Clayborn (13 rec., 136 yds., 2 TD).
• Redshirt sophomore Cedric Case takes over as the starting quarterback for Central Missouri in 2022. Case, a native of Lincoln, Neb., saw action in two games for the Mules last season, going 10-for-16 with no interceptions, 159 yards and a touchdown. In Central Missouri's 77-35 win at Lincoln, Case compiled a career-best 117 yards, going 4-for-5 with an 85-yard TD pass to Zion Perry.
• On the ground, UCM welcomes back one running back who had at least 35 carries last season in JD Kolb (36 att., 127 net yds., 2 TD).
• Defensively, UCM welcomes back 2021 starters Travis DeGrate (40 tackles, 4 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 FR, 3 FF), Cooper Crane (31 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 FR), Clay Griffin (24 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack), David Olajiga (18 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 FR) and Azaiah Bello (8 tackles, 1 INT, 3 pass breakups).
• On special teams, the Mules return 2021 starting punter Josh Reynolds (52 punts, 1,877 yards, 36.1 avg., 64 lg, 0 blk), kicker Sam Knowlton, long snapper Trace Staton and punt returner Jai Haynes.

HEAD COACH JOSH LAMBERSON
Former University of Central Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Lamberson was named the 30th head football coach of the Mules football program in February 2022.

Lamberson, who served as the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the Mules from 2010-14 under former UCM head coach Jim Svoboda, returns to Warrensburg after serving as the associate head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach for Division I Abilene Christian University from 2017-21.

As the offensive coordinator for the Mules, he assisted UCM to 70 offensive school records and 24 MIAA offensive records and was a part of the top-five offenses in program history.

He helped Central Missouri to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time in school history in 2010 and 2011 and coached 2010 Harlan Hill trophy winner (top player in NCAA Division II) and first team All-American quarterback Eric Czerniewski.

Lamberson coached seven All-Americans in his tenure as offensive coordinator at Central Missouri, including Czerniewski, wide receiver Jamorris Warren, running back Anthony Stewart, tight end Demarco Cosby, wide receiver Jamar Howard, tight end David Cannon and offensive lineman Logan Freeman.

Click here for full bio.

SERIES HISTORY

• 2022 will mark the 59th meeting in the all-time series between Central Missouri and Pittsburg State dating all the way back to 1916...PSU leads the series, 44-12-2...The two teams first played in 1916 with the Gorillas posting a 12-0 victory in Warrensburg...Last season, the Mules fell to Pitt State in Warrensburg, 35-16...UCM is 6-20 against PSU in Pittsburg, Kan...Central Missouri has not won at Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg since a 34-27 triumph in 2016.
• UCM has won four of the last six meetings against the Gorillas.

LAST TIME OUT VS. PITTSBURG STATE

• Eleventh-ranked University of Central Missouri Mules football dropped its 2021 season and home opener to the Pittsburg State Gorillas, falling 35-16, Thursday, Sept. 2, at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Quarterback Kyle Bradley scored two touchdowns and completed 21 out of 36 passes for 286 yards, while receiver Cam Saunders scored a TD and had seven receptions and 105 total yards and running back Devante Turner paced the Mules ground game with 73 yards on 15 carries.
• Pittsburg State tallied 438 yards of total offense in the game while holding the Mules to just 400.
• Quarterback Mak Sexton went 13-for-24 with four touchdowns and 223 yards, and Elijah Harris added a pair of TDs, leading Pittsburg State in the contest.

ABOUT THE GORILLAS

• The Pittsburg State University Gorillas posted an overall record of 8-3 last season, finishing fourth in the final MIAA standings.
• Pitt State returns 15 players (eight offense, seven defense) who started four or more games during the 2021 campaign and 11 players who received All-MIAA accolades a year ago.
• Last season, Pittsburg State ranked second in the MIAA in scoring defense, limiting its opponents to just 19.5 points per game. Offensively, the Gorillas ranked sixth in the conference in scoring offense with 31.6 points per game.
• Going into 2022, PSU is receiving votes in the AFCA Division II Preseason Coaches' Poll.

THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY

• UCM went 4-7 in the MIAA in 2021, posting a 2-4 record at home and 2-3 mark on the road.
• The Mules led the conference in passing offense last season, throwing for 3,668 yards with an average of 333.5 yards per game through the air.
• Central Missouri was eighth in scoring offense in the MIAA with 29.7 points per game and fourth in total offense with an average of 442.6 yards per game.
• UCM is 0-0 in the MIAA under head coach Josh Lamberson.

THE MULES AT HOME

• The Mules are 251-185-13 overall and 2022 will be their 90th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Under Josh Lamberson, Central Missouri is 0-0 at home.

THE MULES ON THE ROAD

• UCM is 0-0 on the road under head coach Josh Lamberson.

WHEN LEADING AT THE HALF

• The Mules are 0-0 under head coach Josh Lamberson when leading at half.

SCORING STREAK CONTINUES

• Central Missouri has scored in 314 straight games going into 2022.
• 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 580-526-51 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.

UP NEXT

• The Mules host the Washburn Ichabods for their 2022 home opener Thursday, Sept. 8, at 7 pm. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field in Warrensburg. The game will be the annual "Get the Red Out" contest, as well as Military Appreciation Day.