WARRENSBURG, Mo. – No. 8-ranked University of Central Missouri Mules football clinched at least a share of its 14th MIAA Championship after posting a 47-28 win over the Fort Hays State Tigers Saturday, Nov. 4, at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field on Senior Day.
UCM's win, coupled with No. 2-ranked Pittsburg State's loss to Missouri Western secured the Mules' first conference crown since 2019. Central Missouri improved to 9-1 overall and in the MIAA with the victory and will wrap up the regular season with a non-conference game at Lincoln Saturday, Nov. 11, at noon in Jefferson City, Mo.
Arkell Smith caught two touchdown passes on 10 catches and tallied 149 yards to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards for the season. Smith now stands at 1,124 yards in 10 games this season.
Zach Zebrowski eclipsed at least 300 yards passing for the ninth game in 2023, going 36-of-52 for 459 yards and tallied five touchdown passes while also rushing for 36 yards on 10 carries and scoring a two-yard rushing touchdown.
Curtis Appleton II had 10 tackles,
Cale Miller and
David Olajiga teamed up to give the Mules a safety, and
Noah Blair compiled an interception, pacing Central Missouri defensively.
For the game, UCM outgained Fort Hays State (7-3, 6-3 MIAA), 531-360, including a 459-261 advantage in passing yards. Central Missouri also went a perfect 5-of-5 on scoring chances in the red zone.
The Mules opened up a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game when Zebrowski found Smith on a 68-yards TD pass before the Tigers scored back-to-back touchdowns to gain a 14-7 advantage.
Central Missouri knotted the game, 14-14, with 4:02 remaining in the first quarter after Zebrowski scampered into the end zone on a two-yard rush.
Fort Hays State took back the lead, 21-14, however, with a touchdown at the 1:08 mark of the opening quarter.
UCM tied the game back up, 21-21, when Smith hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Zebrowski with just under 11 minutes to go in the second quarter.
Again, the Tigers had an answer, going back in front, 28-21, with a TD at the 2:07 mark of the second quarter, but
Luke Dobson converted a 22-yard field-goal as time expired, pulling Central Missouri within 28-24 going into halftime.
It was all Mules in the second half, as UCM outscored Fort Hays State, 23-0, in the final two quarters for the 42-28 victory.
Price Morgan caught an eight-yard TD pass from Zebrowski, and Olajiga and Miller sacked FHSU quarterback Jack Dawson in the end zone for a safety, before
Jack Pospisil (15 yards) and
Derrick Rose (42 yards) reeled in TD passes from Zebrowski, rounding out the scoring for UCM.
Dawson went 29-for-53 with 261 yards and a pair of TDs while Trevor Watts had 113 receiving yards and a touchdown, leading Fort Hays State.
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