No. 2 Mules Travel to Central Oklahoma for Saturday Night MIAA Opener

Football | 9/10/2024 9:28:00 AM

• No. 2-ranked Central Missouri Mules football (1-0) is scheduled to travel to Edmond, Okla., for its first MIAA game of the 2024 season Saturday night, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. at Chad Richison Stadium against the Central Oklahoma Bronchos (1-0).
• UCM is coming off a 63-21 victory in its 2024 season opener Saturday, Sept. 7, against Northeastern State in Warrensburg.
• In Central Missouri's season-opening win, the Mules compiled 629 yards of total offense, including 514 passing yards and 115 rushing yards enroute to the 63-21 triumph.
• Quarterback Zach Zebrowski went 38-for-48 with six TD passes and 503 yards passing and added 15 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown, receiver NyNy Davis tallied 101 receiving yards on five catches and posted a pair of touchdowns, and running back Marcellous Hawkins compiled 60 yards rushing, two rushing TDs and 77 receiving yards, pacing Central Missouri offensively in game one.
• Noah Blair compiled a team-high 10 tackles while LaDarian Paul posted an interception and Tyler Shuey added a quarterback sack, leading the Mules' defense.
• Zebrowski was named the MIAA Football Offensive Athlete of the Week after his performance in the victory over Northeastern State.
• 2024 marks the 127th season of football at the University of Central Missouri.
• The Mules were tabbed the preseason favorite in both the MIAA Preseason Coaches' and Media Preseason Polls. Central Oklahoma was picked seventh in both polls.
• UCM is ranked No. 2 in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches' and D2Football.com Polls released Monday, Sept. 9.

• Saturday's game will be broadcast live on 1450 KOKO, "Your Country" 98.5 The BAR and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler calling the action and Ella Bland on the sidelines.
• The game will also be webcast online through Central Missouri's MIAA Network Internet portal at 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.

• MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week: Sept. 9, QB, Zach Zebrowski

• Passing: Zach Zebrowski (QB): 417-for-602, 5157 yards, 61 TDs, 5 INTs, 396.7 yards per game.
• Rushing: Marcellous Hawkins (RB): 157 carries, 1053 yards, 18 TD, 81 yards per game.
• Receiving: Jack Pospisil (WR): 71 receptions, 815 yards, 10 TDs, 62.7 yards per game.
• Tackles: Cale Miller (DB): 77 total, 31 solo, 46 assisted, 5.9 tackles per game.
• Tackles-for-Loss: Cale Miller (DB): 10.5 total, 44 yards lost
• Sacks: Weston King (DL): 4.0 sacks, 28 yards lost
• Takeaways: Noah Blair (DB): 3 INTs, 31 yards; Jaden Dawson (DB): 3 INTs

• Three University of Central Missouri football student-athletes earned spots on the 2024 D2Football.com Elite 100 Preseason Watch List.
• Reigning Harlon Hill Award winner and consensus First Team All-American quarterback Zach Zebrowski and 2023 All-American offensive lineman Gabe Clark earned First Team Offense accolades while 2023 All-Region and All-MIAA running back Marcellous Hawkins secured a spot on the SQUAD Offense team.
• The D2Football.com Elite 100 Preseason Watch List was selected by the staff of D2Football.com with the input of numerous sitting head coaches as well as professional football scouting veteran Josh Buchanan.

• Entering the season, Central Missouri welcomes back 20 letterwinners, including 15 starters. 2023 Harlon Hill Award winner and consensus All-American quarterback Zach Zebrowski returns in addition to All-American offensive lineman Gabe Clark. Zebrowski and Clark are among 10 total student-athletes who earned All-MIAA accolades last season that return to UCM in 2024.
• Other returning All-MIAA selections include running back Marcellous Hawkins, wide receiver Jack Pospisil, offensive linemen Liam Wortmann and Reed Kaburick, defensive lineman Weston King and Joshua Bean, linebacker Cale Miller and defensive back Noah Blair.
• Zebrowski set new NCAA Division II records for passing touchdowns (61), total offensive yards (5,690), points responsible for (380) and TDs responsible for (63 - 61 pass, two rush) in UCM's 13 games last season. He also established new UCM and MIAA records for passing touchdowns (8), passing yards (615 yards) and total offense (673 yards) in a single-game in the Mules' 77-27 win over then No. 23-ranked Emporia State Oct. 21, 2023.
• The Mules set numerous offensive records in both the MIAA and NCAA-II in 2023 and averaged an NCAA Division II-best 49.4 points per game.

• Entering the 2024 season, the Mules roster will feature 37 true freshmen and 30 transfers.
• The Mules also welcome four new coaches for 2024 in Cornerbacks Coach Jarvis Harrod, Assistant Secondaries Coach and former UCM standout safety Codie Bell, Tight Ends Coach Cole McDowell and Linebackers Coach Zach McCarthy.
• Returning coaches for this season include 2023 MIAA and AFCA Division II Super Region III Coach of the Year Josh Lamberson, Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Coach Hayden Hawk, Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach Justin Bane, Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach Greg Jones, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Run Game/Offensive Line Coach Joe Holtzclaw, Defensive Line Coach/Alumni & Community Engagement Coordinator Dana Chambers, Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs Coach Adrian Duncan and Assistant AD for Football Operations/Player Personnel DeMarkco Butler.

• Saturday's contest at Central Oklahoma will mark the 12th meeting in the all-time series dating back to the first meeting in 2012. The Mules lead the series, 8-3. Last season, UCM defeated UCO, 41-17, in Warrensburg.

• Zach Zebrowski threw for 400 yards and five touchdowns and Arkell Smith tallied 152 yards and caught three touchdowns as the University of Central Missouri Mules football team stampeded past the Central Oklahoma Bronchos, 41-17, in the 2023 home opener at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field on Saturday, Sept. 9.
• Zebrowski went 36-for-55 for 400 yards and tossed five touchdown passes for the second straight game while Smith, a redshirt senior wide receiver from Carthage, Mo., caught nine passes, including three for TDs, for his 152 yards, pacing the UCM offense.
• Zebrowski's 400 yards passing marked the first time a UCM quarterback has thrown for at least 400 yards since 2021 when Logan Twehous tallied 400 yards at Missouri Western.
• Running back Marcellous Hawkins compiled 57 yards and scored a touchdown on 18 carries, respectively.
• Sharmari Reed and Wyryor Noil paced the Central Missouri defense, with Reed compiling a team-best eight tackles and one tackle-for-loss and Noil posting seven tackles and two tackles for loss, while Garrett Hormann tallied an interception and Cale Miller had a quarterback sack.
• For the game, the Mules outgained Central Oklahoma (1-1, 1-1 MIAA), 484 yards to 332 yards, including an impressive 400-196 advantage in passing yardage. The Bronchos won the ground game, outrushing UCM, 136-84.
• UCO quarterback Stephon Brown went 24-for-33 with an interception and 190 yards while rushing for a pair of touchdowns, leading the Bronchos.

• The Mules are 262-187-13 overall and 2024 is their 92nd season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Under Josh Lamberson, Central Missouri is 11-2 at home.

• Central Missouri has scored in 339 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 596-535-51 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 11 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.

• The Mules travel to Grand Rapids, Mich., for a non-conference game at Davenport Saturday, Sept. 21, at 11 a.m. CT.