Mules Open 2023 Season Thursday Evening at Missouri Western

Football | 8/28/2023 5:14:00 PM

• University of Central Missouri Mules football (0-0) is slated to open its 2023 season Thursday, Aug. 31, at 7 p.m. at Missouri Western (0-0) in St. Joseph, Mo.
• The Mules are coming off a 2022 campaign that saw them post an overall record of 4-7, finishing tied for eighth in the MIAA.
• Central Missouri returns 10 starters and 43 letterwinners from last season's team, including All-MIAA performers David Olajiga (1st team defensive lineman), Arkell Smith (2nd team receiver), Cedric Case (honorable mention quarterback), Gabe Clark (honorable mention offensive lineman), Curtis Appleton II (honorable mention defensive back), Noah Blair (honorable mention defensive back), Ethan Brown (honorable mention punter) and Jack Pospisil (honorable mention kick/punt returner).
• 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 Missouri Western was tabbed ninth in both polls.

• Thursday'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.

• Passing: Cedric Case (QB): 244-for-366, 2620 yards, 21 TDs, 7 INTs, 238.2 yards per game.
• Rushing: Avian Thomas (RB): 62 carries, 268 yards, 1 TD, 33.5 yards per game.
• Receiving: Arkell Smith (WR): 56 receptions, 718 yards, 8 TDs, 65.3 yards per game.
• Tackles: Noah Blair (DB): 70 total, 43 solo, 27 assisted, 7.0 tackles per game.
• Tackles-for-Loss: David Olajiga (DL): 39 total, 43 yards lost, 8.5 TFL per game.
• Sacks: Weston King (DL): 3.0 sacks, 22 yards lost, 0.3 sacks per game.
• Takeaways: Noah Blair (DB): 3 INTs, 83 yards.

• Former University of Central Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Lamberson was named the 30th head football coach of the Mules football program in February 2022.
• In his inaugural season at Central Missouri last season, the Mules posted an overall record of 4-7 but were 4-1 at home at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field. UCM earned victories over Northeastern State, Missouri Southern, Lincoln and Missouri Western.
• UCM was ranked in the top three in the MIAA in passing offense, compiling 2,712 yards through the air and an average of 246.5 passing yards per game.
• Mules football had 13 student-athletes named All-MIAA in Lamberson's first season on the sidelines, including first team honoree David Olajiga, who was also named a Don Hansen's Honorable Mention All-American as a defensive lineman.
• UCM's Gabe Clark, Cale Miller, Trevor Twehous, Dallas Waller, Liam Wortmann and Jai Haynes earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® accolades for their performances in the classroom and on the field while 35 Mules garnered MIAA Academic Honor Roll accolades.
• Waller earned the prestigious MIAA Academic Excellence Award after posting a perfect 4.0 GPA while Ethan Brown and Clark secured spots on the MIAA Scholar-Athlete list after tallying at least a 3.50 GPA and earning All-MIAA accolades.
• Lamberson, who served as the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the Mules from 2010-14 under former UCM head coach Jim Svoboda, returned to Warrensburg after serving as the associate head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach for Division I Abilene Christian University from 2017-21.

• The 2023 Mules will feature 54 true freshmen and 24 transfers who will be donning the Red and Black for the first time.
• 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.
• 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).

• Thursday's season opener against the Griffons will mark the 39th meeting in the all-time series dating back to 1975. The Mules hold a slim 19-18-1. Last season, UCM pulled out a thrilling 40-37 double overtime win over the Griffons on Nov. 5 in Warrensburg.
• Central Missouri's last victory in St. Joseph was a 48-45 overtime triumph during the MIAA Championship 2019 season.

• Bo Reeves hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Cedric Case to lead the Central Missouri Mules football team to a thrilling 40-37 victory over the Missouri Western Griffons in double overtime on Senior Day Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Reeves caught both touchdown passes for Central Missouri in overtime. He snaggled a 24-yard TD pass from Case on third-and-nine in the first OT frame before his game-winning catch the second overtime.
• Case went 22-for-32 for 254 yards with three touchdowns and added 10 yards rushing and a rushing TD while Reeves added a career-high 102 receiving yards with two touchdowns and Xavier Jackson compiled 59 yards rushing on nine carries, pacing UCM offensively in the victory.
• Diondre Glover had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown and tallied three pass breakups, and Weston King and Azaiah Bello each had 10 tackles, leading the Mule defense.
• Missouri Western outgained Central Missouri in the game, 475-398, including a 266-144 advantage in rushing yardage, but UCM had the edge through the air, posting a 254-209 advantage in passing yardage.
• Griffon quarterback Reagan Jones went 18-of-31 with an interception for 209 yards with one touchdown while Jared Scott rushed for a game-high 131 yards on 23 carries, leading Missouri Western.
• The game marked the first double overtime contest for UCM since 2016. 

• The Mules are 255-186-13 overall and 2023 is their 91st season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Under Josh Lamberson, Central Missouri is 4-1 at home.

• Central Missouri has scored in 325 straight games.
• The streak dates to week three of the 1991 season.

• In the 125 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 584-533-51 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.

• 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.

• The Mules host Central Oklahoma for Get The Red Out and Military Appreciation Day in the 2023 home opener at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field in Warrensburg Saturday, Sept. 9, at 1 p.m.