No. 16 Mules Football Hosts No. 23 Emporia State Saturday in UCM Homecoming Game

Football | 10/18/2023 1:14:00 PM

• No. 16-ranked University of Central Missouri Mules football (6-1, 6-1 MIAA) is scheduled to host No. 23-ranked Emporia State (5-2, 4-2 MIAA) in the annual UCM Homecoming Game Saturday afternoon, Oct. 21, at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field in Warrensburg. Kickoff is slated for 1:30 p.m.
• Central Missouri, winners of its last four games, is coming off a 63-24 victory at Northeastern State Oct. 14 in Tahlequah, Okla.
• UCM is ranked No. 16 in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches Poll and No. 17 in the most recent D2football.com Top-25 Poll entering Saturday.
• Through seven games, Central Missouri still leads the nation in passing offense with an average of 403.6 yards per game, first downs with 213 and total offense with an average of 549.9 yards per game. On the defensive side of the football, the Mules are tied for the Division II lead in passes intercepted with 14.
• With seven games in the books, quarterback Zach Zebrowski continues to lead NCAA Division II in passing touchdowns (30) and total offense (406.1 yards per game) and is second in passing yards (2,644) while receiver Arkell Smith ranks third in receiving TDs (9) and fourth in receiving yards (776) and running back Marcellous Hawkins is ninth in rushing TDs (10).
• 2023 marks the 126th season in Mules football history.
• In the MIAA Football Preseason Polls, UCM was picked seventh in both the preseason coaches' and media polls while Emporia State was voted third in both polls.

• Mules quarterback Zach Zebrowski has thrown for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns in all seven of UCM's games so far this season. He's reached at least 400 yards passing three times, including a career-high 434 yards through the air in the win over Nebraska Kearney Oct. 7. Zebrowski has also thrown for five TDs five times this season.
• Zebrowski has thrown a nation-best 30 passing TDs this season and has only been intercepted three times.

• Saturday's game will be broadcast live on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler calling the action, Joe Moore providing color commentary and Brinkley Beever on the sidelines.
• The game will also be webcast online through Central Missouri's MIAA Network 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.

• Offense: Through seven games, the Mules are led offensively by quarterback Zach Zebrowski (233-of-338, 3 INT, 2644 yds., 30 TD, 64 LG, 377.7 yds./game), receivers Arkell Smith (58 rec., 776 yds., 9 TD, 61 LG, 110.9 yds./game), Jack Pospisil (36 rec., 475 yds., 5 TD, 64 LG, 67.9 yds./game), Demarcus Gregory (33 rec., 325 yds., 2 TD, 40 LG, 46.4 yds/game), Michael Fitzgerald (19 rec., 278 yds., 2 TD, 40 LG, 39.7 yds./game) and Price Morgan (28 rec., 267 yds., 5 TD, 22 LG, 38.1 yds./game), and running back Marcellous Hawkins (88 carries, 546 yds., 10 TD, 55 LG, 78 yds./game).
• Defense: UCM is paced defensively through seven games by defensive backs Curtis Appleton II (41 tackles [22 solo, 19 asst], 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery) and Wyryor Noil (3.0-8 TFL, 4 INT, 9 pass breakups), and linebackers Cale Miller (41 tackles [14 solo, 27 asst], 4.5-17 TFL, 1.0-9 sacks, 1 INT) and Isaac Montgomery (28 tackles [10 solo, 18 asst.], 2.0-6 TFL, 1 pass breakup, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble).
• Special Teams: After seven contests, the Central Missouri special teams unit is led by punter Ethan Brown (18 punts, 695 yards, 38.6 average, 51 long, 2 touchback, 7 fair catches, 7 inside 20, 1 50+) and place-kicker Luke Dobson (4-5 FG, 41 long, 25-25 PAT).

• Redshirt senior wide receiver Arkell Smith set a new UCM career record after posting his 25th-career TD reception Saturday, Oct. 7, against Nebraska Kearney. His 25 career touchdown catches surpass former Central Missouri standout Jamorris Warren, who made 24 TD catches from 2009-10.

• MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week: Arkell Smith, WR, Sept. 11; Zach Zebrowski, QB, Sept. 25; Marcellous Hawkins, RB, Oct. 2
• MIAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week: David Olajiga, DL, Sept. 25

• The 2023 Mules feature 54 true freshmen and 24 transfers.
• UCM also has eight new coaches on the sidelines for 2023 in Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Coach Hayden Hawk, Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach Justin Bane, Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach Greg Jones, Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Stephen Franklin, Offensive Recruiting Coordinator/Running Backs Coach Adrian Duncan, Defensive Recruiting Coordinator/Cornerbacks Coach Brian "BK" Smith, Offensive Player Personnel/Tight Ends Coach Chace Gadapee and Assistant Special Teams Coordinator/Kickers, Punters and Snappers Coach Terrance Dennis. These
• Central Missouri's eight new coaches join returning coaches Josh Lamberson (Head Coach), Joe Holtzclaw (Co-Offensive Coordinator Run Game/Offensive Line Coach), Dana Chambers (Defensive Line Coach/Alumni & Community Engagement Coordinator) and Kevin Kim (Defensive Player Personnel/Inside Linebackers Coach).

• Saturday's homecoming contest against the Hornets will mark the 68th meeting in the all-time series dating all the way back to 1901. UCM leads the series, 42-21-4. Last season, the Mules fell to Emporia State in Emporia, Kan., 44-27. Central Missouri is 16-6 against ESU in Warrensburg since 1966.

• No. 17-ranked Central Missouri Mules football rolled to a 63-24 victory over the Northeastern State University RiverHawks Saturday afternoon, Oct. 14, at Doc Wadley Stadium.
• Central Missouri quarterback Zach Zebrowski went 26-for-33 with five passing touchdowns and 323 passing yards while rushing for 31 yards including a 22-yard touchdown run.
• UCM running back Marcellous Hawkins rushed for 89 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns and caught a five-yard TD pass, and wide receiver Arkell Smith tallied 92 yards on six catches. Receivers Jack Pospisil, Demarcus Gregory, and Price Morgan each collected touchdown receptions, while tight end Bo Reeves also snagged a touchdown pass.
• Azaiah Bello and Wyryor Noil led the Central Missouri defense, with Bello collecting five tackles and Noil posting a 37-yard interception.
• For the game, the Mules outgained the RiverHawks, 638 yards to 293 yards, including a 244-98 advantage in rushing and 394-195 advantage in passing. UCM also posted an impressive 38-11 lead in first downs for the game.

• Central Missouri Mules football fell, 44-27, to the Emporia State Hornets in a MIAA game played Saturday afternoon, Oct. 8, 2022, 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.

• The Mules are 258-187-13 overall and 2023 is their 91st season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Under Josh Lamberson, Central Missouri is 7-2 at home.

• Central Missouri has scored in 332 straight games.
• The streak dates to week three of the 1991 season.

• In the 126 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 590-534-51 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 four trips to the NCAA-II Playoffs, the last coming in 2019.

• 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.

• Central Missouri heads back out on the road for a MIAA contest at Missouri Southern Saturday, Oct. 28, at 2 p.m. in Joplin, Mo.