No. 20 Mules Football Faces UTPB in Heritage Bowl Powered by Riot Saturday Afternoon

Football | 12/5/2024 12:00:00 PM

• No. 20/25-ranked Central Missouri Mules football (8-3) will make its second consecutive postseason appearance when it faces The University of Texas Permian Basin Falcons (7-4) in the 2024 Heritage Bowl Powered by Riot Saturday, Dec. 7, at noon at Community Bank & Trust Stadium in Corsicana, Texas.
• The Heritage Bowl will mark UCM's eighth appearance in a bowl game in program history and first since 2017 when the Mules defeated Minnesota Duluth in the Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo., 38-28.
• The Mules wrapped up their 2024 regular season on Nov. 16 with a 62-47 win over Missouri Southern in Warrensburg.
• UCM finished tied for third in the final MIAA standings with a conference mark of 6-3.
• Through 11 games, UCM leads NCAA Division II in passing offense (406.6 yards/game) and ranks second in first downs (322) and total offense (534.1 yards/game).
• Individually, quarterback Zach Zebrowski, who is a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award for a second straight season, is first in completions per game (32), passing yards per game (405.6), passing yards (4,462), passing TDs (38), points responsible for (270), points responsible for per game (24.5) and total offense (447.5 yards/game).
• Central Missouri is ranked No. 25 in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches Poll and is No. 20 in the most recent D2Football.com Top 25 Poll.

• Saturday's game will be broadcast live on "Your Country" 98.5 The BAR and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler calling the action and Ryan Anderson on the sidelines.
• The game will also be webcast online for free through the Heritage Bowl YouTube page at www.YouTube.com/@HeritageBowl.
• In addition, the contest will be televised throughout the Kansas City Metro Area on 38 The Spot.

• For the second consecutive year, University of Central Missouri Mules football quarterback Zach Zebrowski has been named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the Division II College Football Player of the Year, it was announced Wednesday, Dec. 4, by the Little Rock Touchdown Club and Great American Conference.
• Zebrowski, a redshirt senior quarterback who won the 2023 Harlon Hill Trophy, could become the fifth repeat winner in the award's history and first back-to-back recipient in MIAA history.
• The 2024 Harlon Hill Trophy winner will be announced on Dec. 20.

• Three University of Central Missouri Mules football student-athletes have been named to the 2024 Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Super Region III Football Teams, it was announced Thursday, Dec. 5.
• Quarterback Zach Zebrowski was named the region's Offensive Player of the Year for a second consecutive season and First Team All-Super Region III while offensive lineman Gabe Clark and wide receiver Zach Patterson both garnered Second Team All-Super Region III honors.

• MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week: Sept. 9, Sept. 30, Nov. 4, Nov. 11, Nov. 18, QB, Zach Zebrowski
• MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week: Sept. 23, DB, Noah Blair; Oct. 21, LB, Isaac Montgomery

• Passing: Zach Zebrowski (QB): 352-for-506, 4462 yards, 38 TDs, 9 INT, 405.6 yards per game.
• Rushing: LaAngelo Bell (RB): 116 carries, 509 yards, 6 TDs, 19 long, 56.6 yards per game
• Receiving: Zach Patterson (WR): 59 catches, 1013 yards, 5 TDs, 75 long, 92.1 yards per game.
• Tackles: Austin Bressler (DB): 68 total, 22 solo, 46 assisted
• Tackles-for-Loss: Austin Bressler (DB): 5.0 tackles-for-loss for 14 yards
• Sacks: Cale Miller (LB): 2.5 sacks for nine yards
• Takeaways: Drew Kaufman (DB), Noah Blair (DB), Charles Gadie (DB): 2 INTs

• Going into Saturday's game, the Mules have six wide receivers who have at least 200 receiving yards on the season. Zach Patterson (1013 yards, 59 catches, 5 TD), Jack Pospisil (58 catches, 697 yards, 4 TD), Hogan Wasson (550 yards, 45 catches, 2 TD), Derrick Rose (35 catches, 411 yards, 4 TD), Michael Fitzgerald II (281 yards, 21 catches, 3 TD) and C'ing Blanton (261 yards, 21 catches, 3 TD) all have compiled at least 200 receiving yards through UCM's 10 contests.
• Patterson tallied a UCM single-game record 232 receiving yards on 10 catches in Central Missouri's game at Fort Hays State Oct. 5. His 232 yards through the air bested the previous record of 230 yards set by Jamar Howard at Emporia State in 2011.

• Quarterback Zach Zebrowski continues to climb the UCM career records charts. Through 24 career games at UCM, he ranks second in career pass completions (769), touchdown passes (99), passing yards (9,619) and total offense (10,613 yards - 994 rush, 9,619 pass).

• Isaac Montgomery tallied a UCM single-game record 100-yard, pick-six in the Mules' 35-30 win at Northwest Missouri State Saturday. His 100-yard interception return for a TD was the fifth in MIAA history and 75th in NCAA Division II Football history.

• Saturday's Heritage Bowl showdown against Texas Permian Basin will be the first-ever between the Mules and Falcons in football.

• Zach Zebrowski threw for 614 yards with four touchdowns and rushed for three touchdowns leading No. 24-ranked Central Missouri Mules football to a 62-47 win over the Missouri Southern Lions on Senior Day Saturday, Nov. 16, at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Zebrowski went 44-for-47 for his 614 yards of total offense. His 44 completions broke his own UCM single-game record of 40, which Zebrowski set at Washburn last season. He added three rushing touchdowns on nine carries to finish the game with 632 yards of total offense and seven touchdowns.
• Running back Christian Davis rushed for a career-high 91 yards on 11 carries with one touchdown, and wide receiver Derrick Rose tallied a career-best 148 receiving yards with one touchdown on 10 catches.
• LaAngelo Bell, Jack Pospisil, C'ing Blanton and Michael Fitzgerald II also tallied touchdowns in the victory.
• Noah Blair and Talon Sanders both had seven tackles while Cale Miller tallied an interception, leading Central Missouri defensively.
• Leading by one, 41-40, with just under six minutes to go in the third quarter, Zebrowski scored back-to-back touchdowns with a two and one-yard run, giving Central Missouri the 55-40 advantage with 11:03 to go in the fourth quarter.
• The Lions responded with a touchdown to cut the UCM lead to 55-47, but Central Missouri put the game out of reach after Rose snagged a 60-yard pass from Zebrowski with just over five minutes to go in the quarter for the final 62-47 victory.
• For the game, UCM outgained Missouri Southern, 781 yards to 476 yards, including a 569-418 advantage in passing yards and 212-58 advantage in rushing yards. The Mules posted 42 first downs and were a perfect 7-of-7 in third-down conversions.

• The Mules are 265-188-13 overall and 2024 is their 92nd season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Under Josh Lamberson, Central Missouri is 14-3 at home.

• Central Missouri has scored in 349 straight games, a MIAA record.
• The streak dates to week three of the 1991 season.

• In the 127 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 603-538-51 record.
• The Mules have won 10 or more games five times in the history of the program and have posted 14 seasons of eight or more wins.
• UCM tied the program-record for wins in a season with 11 in 2023. The Mules also won 11 games in 2019 and 2010.
• UCM has won or shared 14 MIAA championships in school history with the last coming in 2023.
• The Mules have qualified for the postseason 12 times in their history, including five trips to the NCAA-II Playoffs, the last coming in 2023.

• 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, 79 Central Missouri football players have either been drafted or signed professional free-agent contracts.
• For the 2024 season, UCM has two former players in the NFL, as Davidson (Buffalo Bills) and David Olajiga (Los Angeles Rams) are both on practice squads.