Zion Perry
Andrew Mather Photography

Football

No. 8 Mules Host Fort Hays State Saturday for Senior Day, Salute to Veterans and Youth Day

Game 10: No. 8 Central Missouri (8-1, 8-1 MIAA) vs. Fort Hays State (7-2, 6-2 MIAA)
Saturday, Nov. 4 | 1:00 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The BAR (Greg Hassler, pxp; Joe Moore, color; Brinkley Beever, sideline)
TV: MIAA Network (PPV) 
**Senior Day, Salute to Veterans, Youth Day**
 
SCENE SETTER
  • No. 8-ranked Central Missouri Mules football (8-1, 8-1 MIAA) is scheduled to host Fort Hays State (7-2, 6-2 MIAA) Saturday, Nov. 4, at 1 p.m. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field in Warrensburg. Saturday's contest will be Senior Day, Salute to Veterans Day and Youth Day at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
  • Youth Day will feature FREE admission for all youth students and $5 adult general admission tickets (ONLINE ONLY and only available from 10/30 to 11/4: use code YOUTHDAY114 at UCMAthletics.com/tickets).
  • UCM quarterback Zach Zebrowski will be presented the Russ Lotspeich Homecoming Game MVP Award prior to the game Saturday for his record-breaking performance against No. 23 Emporia State Oct. 21 while football student-athletes Ethan Sloan and Drew Kaufman will receive the Genge Walk-On Football Scholarship for outstanding scholarship, leadership, character and athletic achievement at halftime of the contest.
  • Central Missouri, winners of its last six games, is coming off a42-21 win at Missouri Southern Saturday, Oct. 28, in Joplin, Mo.
  • UCM is ranked No. 8 in the most recent D2football.com Top-25 Poll and No. 11 in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches Poll going into Saturday.
  • Through nine games, Central Missouri still leads the nation in passing offense with an average of 411.9 yards per game, first downs with 284 and total offense with an average of 590.2 yards per game. On the defensive side of the football, the Mules are second in Division II in passes intercepted with 17.
  • With nine games in the books, quarterback Zach Zebrowski continues to lead NCAA Division II in passing yards (3,482), passing touchdowns (41) and total offense (423.4 yards per game) while receiver Arkell Smith  is fifth in Division II in receiving TDs (12) and fourth in receiving yards (975) and running back Marcellous Hawkins is fifth in rushing TDs (15).
  • 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 Fort Hays State was picked eighth in the coaches' poll and 10th in the media poll.
ZZ ON A ROLL...
  • Mules quarterback Zach Zebrowski has thrown for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns in eight of UCM's nine games this season. The 300 yards in at least eight games is a new UCM single-season record. He's reached at least 400 yards passing four times, including a UCM and MIAA record 615 yards against No. 23 Emporia State Oct. 21. Zebrowski has also thrown for five TDs six times this season, including a Central Missouri and MIAA record eight touchdowns vs. Emporia State.
  • He also set a new UCM and MIAA record for total offense in the 77-27 win over Emporia State with 673 yards (615 passing, 58 rushing).
  • Zebrowski has thrown a nation-best 41 passing TDs this season and has only been intercepted five times.
  • He also leads NCAA Division II in passing yards (3,482) and total offense (423.4 yards per game) through nine contests.
  • Zebrowski leads all of NCAA Football (FBS, FCS, II, III) in both passing yards and total offense going into Saturday's game against Fort Hays State.
ON THE AIR
  • 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.
UCM LEADERS
  • Offense: Through nine games, the Mules are led offensively by quarterback Zach Zebrowski (295-of-434, 6 INT, 3482 yds., 41 TD, 89 LG, 386.9 yds./game), receivers Arkell Smith (70 rec., 975 yds., 12 TD, 86 LG, 108.3 yds./game), Jack Pospisil (45 rec., 563 yds., 5 TD, 64 LG, 62.6 yds./game), Demarcus Gregory (39 rec., 429 yds., 4 TD, 42 LG, 47.7 yds/game), Michael Fitzgerald (22 rec., 336 yds., 3 TD, 40 LG, 37.3 yds./game) and Price Morgan (34 rec., 321 yds., 5 TD, 22 LG, 35.7 yds./game), and running back Marcellous Hawkins (129 carries, 908 yds., 15 TD, 84 LG, 100.9 yds./game).
  • Defense: UCM is paced defensively through nine games by defensive backs Curtis Appleton II (46 tackles [25 solo, 21 asst], 1 INT, 1 pass breakup, 1 fumble recovery) and Wyryor Noil (4.0-9 TFL, 5 INT, 12 pass breakups), and linebackers Cale Miller (51 tackles [20 solo, 31 asst], 5.5-26 TFL, 2.0-18 sacks, 1 INT), Garrett Hormann (39 tackles [16 solo, 23 asst], 2.0-8 TFL, 1.0-6 sacks, 1 INT, 2 QBH) and Isaac Montgomery (42 tackles [15 solo, 27 asst.], 3.0-9 TFL, 1.0-5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, 1 QBH, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble).
  • Special Teams: After nine contests, the Central Missouri special teams unit is led by punter Ethan Brown (23 punts, 879 yards, 38.2 average, 51 long, 2 touchback, 12 fair catches, 10 inside 20, 1 50+) and place-kicker Luke Dobson (4-5 FG, 41 long, 42-42 PAT).
WEEKLY HONORS NEW FACES
  • 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).
SERIES HISTORY
  • Saturday's contest against Fort Hays State will mark the 19th meeting in the all-time series going back to the first meeting in 1964. UCM leads the series, 10-8. Last season, Central Missouri fell to Fort Hays State in Hays, Kan., 27-14.
LAST TIME OUT: NO. 11 MULES RUSH PAST MISSOURI SOUTHERN SATURDAY, 42-21
  • Marcellous Hawkins rushed for 179 yards and had two touchdowns and Zach Zebrowski threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns as the No. 11-ranked University of Central Missouri Mules football team rushed past Missouri Southern, 42-21, on a rainy Saturday afternoon, Oct. 28, at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
  • Hawkins posted his team-best 179 yards on the ground on 27 carries and recorded rushing TDs of 16 and eight yards while Zebrowski went 31-of-45 for his 233 yards through the air and three touchdowns and also tallied 72 yards rushing on 10 carries.
  • Arkell Smith (60 yards on seven catches) and Demarcus Gregory (60 yards, four catches, one touchdown) rounded out the UCM offensive leaders for the game.
  • Isaac Montgomery had nine tackles, David Olajiga and Diavon Clements each forced fumbles, Wyryor Noil recovered a fumble, and Sharmari Reed compiled an interception, leading Central Missouri defensively.
  • For the game, the Mules outgained the Lions, 487-197, including a 264-103 advantage on the ground and 223-94 advantage in passing.
LAST TIME OUT VS. FORT HAYS STATE
  • The Fort Hays State Tigers tallied 201 rushing yards to run by Central Missouri Mules football, 27-14, in a MIAA game Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, at Lewis Field Stadium.
  • Arkell Smith paced Central Missouri offensively in the game, compiling 160 receiving yards and scoring a touchdown on 11 catches while Xavier Jackson posted 146 yards through the air on 13 catches.
  • UCM quarterback Cedric Case went 32-for-47 for 333 yards and threw for a pair of TDs but had two interceptions and was sacked twice.
  • Kingsley Ayeni, IV had nine tackles, including seven solo and two assisted tackles, and Travis DeGrate added six tackles, pacing the Central Missouri defense.
  • The Mules outgained the Tigers for the game, 396-358, including a 333-157 advantage in passing yards, but Fort Hays State dominated Central Missouri on the ground, outrushing UCM, 201-63.
  • FHSU also bested UCM in time-of-possession, 33:59 to 26:01.
  • Fort Hays State quarterback Jack Dawson went 18-of-23 with no interceptions and 126 yards and a touchdown and added 89 rushing yards while Adrian Soto rushed for 98 yards on 26 carries with a TD, leading the Tigers.
THE MULES AT HOME
  • The Mules are 259-187-13 overall and 2023 is their 91st season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
  • Under Josh Lamberson, Central Missouri is 8-2 at home.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
  • Central Missouri has scored in 334 straight games.
  • The streak dates to week three of the 1991 season.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
  • In the 126 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 592-534-51 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.
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
  • Central Missouri wraps up the 2023 regular season with a non-conference game at Lincoln Saturday, Nov. 11, at noon in Jefferson City, Mo.
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Players Mentioned

Travis DeGrate

#1 Travis DeGrate

LB
6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
Xavier Jackson

#0 Xavier Jackson

RB
5' 8"
Redshirt Senior
Kingsley Ayeni, IV

#4 Kingsley Ayeni, IV

LB
6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
Curtis Appleton II

#1 Curtis Appleton II

DB
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
Ethan Brown

#24 Ethan Brown

P
6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
Cedric Case

#10 Cedric Case

QB
6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
Luke Dobson

#43 Luke Dobson

K
5' 10"
Sophomore
Marcellous Hawkins

#8 Marcellous Hawkins

RB
5' 11"
Sophomore
Cale Miller

#30 Cale Miller

LB
6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
Isaac Montgomery

#3 Isaac Montgomery

LB
6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Travis DeGrate

#1 Travis DeGrate

6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
LB
Xavier Jackson

#0 Xavier Jackson

5' 8"
Redshirt Senior
RB
Kingsley Ayeni, IV

#4 Kingsley Ayeni, IV

6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
LB
Curtis Appleton II

#1 Curtis Appleton II

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
DB
Ethan Brown

#24 Ethan Brown

6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
P
Cedric Case

#10 Cedric Case

6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
QB
Luke Dobson

#43 Luke Dobson

5' 10"
Sophomore
K
Marcellous Hawkins

#8 Marcellous Hawkins

5' 11"
Sophomore
RB
Cale Miller

#30 Cale Miller

6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
LB
Isaac Montgomery

#3 Isaac Montgomery

6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
LB