Josh Lamberson
Andrew Mather Photography

Saturday Afternoon Tussle at No. 2 Northwest Missouri On Tap for Mules Football

9/13/2022 10:19:00 AM

Game 3: Central Missouri (0-2, 0-2 MIAA) at No. 2 Northwest Missouri (2-0, 2-0 MIAA)
Saturday, Sept. 17 | 1:30 p.m. | Maryville, Mo. (Bearcat Stadium)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 98.5 The BAR
TV: MIAA Network (PPV)

Live Stats | Live Audio | Game Notes (PDF)
SCENE SETTER
  • Central Missouri Mules football (0-2, 0-2 MIAA) is scheduled to travel to second-ranked Northwest Missouri State (2-0, 2-0 MIAA) Saturday, Sept. 17, for a 1:30 p.m. MIAA game at Bearcat Stadium in Maryville, Mo.
  • The Mules enter the week at 0-2 overall and in conference play after falling to then No. 25-ranked Washburn at home Sept. 8, 40-32, while the Bearcats are 2-0 on the season and in the MIAA after rolling to a 58-20 victory at Lincoln in Jefferson City, Mo., Sept. 10.
  • 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. Northwest Missouri, the defending MIAA Champion, was voted the preseason favorite in both polls.
ON THE AIR
  • Saturday's 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. Airtime is 12:35 p.m.
  • 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 two games in the books, the Mules are paced offensively by redshirt sophomore quarterback Cedric Case (45-for-78 with 2 INT, 457 yds, 3 TD, 78 long, 228.5 yds/game, 113 yds rushing, 1 rushing TD), redshirt junior wide receiver Arkell Smith (8 catches, 137 yds, 2 TD, 78 long, 68.5 yds/game) and redshirt sophomore running back Avian Thomas (15 carries, 66 net yds, 19 long, 33.0 yds/game).
  • Defense: Through two games, UCM is paced defensively by redshirt sophomore defensive back Noah Blair (24 tackles [13 unassisted/11 assisted], 2 TFL/3 yds, 1 INT/31 yds, 2 breakup) and redshirt senior linebacker Travis DeGrate (16 tackles [4 solo/12 assisted], 2 TFL/6 yds, 0.5 sacks/4 yds). Linebackers Cale Miller and Isaac Montgomery each have one interception, and defensive back Jordan Scruggs has a team-best four pass breakups.
  • Special Teams: Redshirt junior kicker Sam Knowlton is 2-for-4 in field goals converted, hitting a season-long 42-yarder at Pittsburg State...Redshirt freshman punter Ethan Brown has 13 punts for 536 yards with an average distance of 41.2 yards and a long of 51.
SERIES HISTORY
  • Saturday's game in Maryville will mark the 101st meeting in the all-time series going all the way back to the first meeting in 1921. The Bearcats lead the series, 63-35-2, and have won the last eight meetings. UCM's last victory over Northwest Missouri was back in 2012 -- a 31-21 triumph in Warrensburg. Central Missouri has not won a game in Maryville since 2003 -- a 52-24 victory -- and has won just six games in 21 meetings in Nodaway County since 1966.
LAST TIME OUT VS. NORTHWEST MISSOURI
  • 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 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.
  • Jackson Barnes had 10 total tackles and an interception, leading the Northwest Missouri State defense.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
  • The Northwest Missouri Bearcats enter the week at a perfect 2-0 overall and in the MIAA after rolling to a 58-20 win at Lincoln Saturday, Sept. 10, in Jefferson City, Mo.
  • The Bearcats check in at No. 2 in the latest AFCA Division II weekly top-25 poll and are ranked third in this week's D2Football.com top-25 poll.
  • With two games under his belt, Northwest Missouri State quarterback Mike Hohensee leads the nation in passing percentage at 83.3 percent. He has completed 35-of-42 passes and compiled 312 yards passing at Lincoln.
  • The Bearcats lead the MIAA in run defense, surrendering an average of only 18.5 yards through two games. Northwest Missouri State leads the conference in scoring, averaging 45.5 points per game, and total offense with 533 yards per game.
  • Northwest Missouri State is the defending MIAA Champion and is the preseason favorite in both the coaches' and media polls.
THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
  • UCM is 0-2 in MIAA action entering Saturday's contest at Northwest Missouri.
  • The Mules are coming off a 40-32 home loss to then No. 25-ranked Washburn Sept. 8 in Warrensburg.
  • THE MULES AT HOME
  • The Mules are 251-186-13 overall and 2022 will be their 90th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
  • Under Josh Lamberson, Central Missouri is 0-1 at home.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
  • Central Missouri has scored in 316 straight games.
  • The streak dates to week three of the 1991 season.
A LOOK AT THE 2022 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.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
  • In the 124 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 580-528-51 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
  • Central Missouri heads to Kearney, Neb., for a MIAA road contest against the Nebraska Kearney Lopers Saturday, Sept. 24, at 1 p.m.
Print Friendly Version