Football | 8/26/2025 8:47:00 AM

• Preseason No. 22/24-ranked and defending Heritage Bowl Champion University of Central Missouri Mules Football is slated to open its 2025 season with a week zero game at Delta State in Cleveland, Miss., Thursday, Aug. 28, at 6 p.m. at Parker Field at McCool Stadium.
• The Mules are coming off a 2024 season that saw them compile an overall record of 9-3 and finish tied for third in the MIAA at 6-3. UCM advanced to the postseason for a second straight season, defeating the University of Texas Permian Basin, 39-37 in double overtime, in the Heritage Bowl Powered by RIOT on December 7 in Corsicana, Texas.
• With Central Missouri's 9-3 record in 2024 and 11-2 mark in 2023, the Mules posted at least 20 wins in two consecutive seasons for just the second time in program history.
• UCM welcomes back 11 starters from last season's team, including All-MIAA selections Jack Pospisil (WR), Hogan Wasson (WR), LaAngelo Bell (RB), and Austin Bressler (LB), in addition to Talon Sanders (DB), Michael Harris (DL), Isaac Montgomery (LB), Drew Kaufman (LB), Garrett Hormann (LB), Ethan Brown (P) and JT Miller (K).
• 2025 will be the 129th season in the history of Mules Football. UCM has played football every year since 1895, except for 1918 due to World War I.
• Central Missouri was voted fourth in both the 2025 MIAA Preseason Coaches and Media Polls released in late July by the conference office.

• Thursday's game will be broadcast live on "Your Country" 98.5 The BAR, "Good Time Oldies" 1450 KOKO and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler calling the action, former Mules Football Head Coach Jim Svoboda providing color commentary and Ryan Anderson on the sidelines.
• A pay-per-view webcast of the game will also be available via FloSports. Please visit UCMAthletics.com for a direct link to the webcast.

• Rushing: LaAngelo Bell (RB): 125 carries, 547 yards, 6 TDs, 19 long, 54.7 yards per game
• Receiving: Jack Pospisil (WR): 58 catches, 697 yards, 4 TDs, 45 long, 63.4 yards per game.
• Tackles: Austin Bressler (LB): 74 total, 26 solo, 48 assisted
• Tackles-for-Loss: Isaac Montgomery (LB): 5.5 tackles-for-loss for 25 yards
• Sacks: Isaac Montgomery (LB): 3 sacks for 21 yards
• Takeaways: Drew Kaufman (LB): 2 interceptions for 33 yards

• Mules Football welcomes 59 new student-athletes to their roster in 2025, including 36 high school freshmen and 23 transfers.
• In addition, UCM has seven new coaches for the 2025 season. New coaches include: Rich Wright (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line), Neil Novak (Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Backs), Vince Mayle (Wide Receivers), Jamal Morrow (Running Backs/Offensive Player Personnel), Dylan Graham (Tight Ends/Offensive Player Personnel), JaQuan Jenkins (Assistant Defensive Secondary) and Billy Musgrave (Assistant Defensive Line).

• Thursday's season opener at Delta State will mark the first-ever meeting on the football field between the Mules and Statesmen.

• Zach Zebrowski posted a one-yard rushing touchdown and then threw a two-point conversion pass to Derrick Rose to lift the No. 20-ranked Central Missouri Mules football team to a thrilling 39-37, double overtimes win over the University of Texas Permian Basin Falcons in the 2024 Heritage Bowl Powered by Riot on a wet Saturday, Dec. 7, at Community National Bank & Trust Stadium.
• Zebrowski was named the Heritage Bowl Most Outstanding Player after going 20-for-47 with two passing touchdowns and 262 yards through the air while posting a career-high 138 rushing yards on 29 carries and three rushing touchdowns, including what proved to be the game-winner.
• Central Missouri wide receiver Derrick Rose had a pair of touchdowns receptions on six catches and recorded 129 receiving yards, while running back LaAngelo Bell rushed for 38 yards on nine carries, and receiver Hogan Wasson added 66 receiving yards on five catches.
• Defensively for UCM, Austin Bressler posted a team-best six tackles, Reyjon Williams added five tackles including two tackles-for-loss for four yards, and Jevean Brown recorded five tackles, leading the Central Missouri defense.
• Trailing 28-21 with 6:46 to go in the fourth quarter, Zebrowski led a 14-play, 94-yard drive capped off by a 13-yard touchdown pass to Rose with 35 seconds remaining, tying the game, 28-28, and sending the contest into overtime.
• Both teams traded field goals in the first overtime, with Brett Grupe converting a 28-yard attempt for the Mules and UTPB's Angel Diaz connecting from 43 yards, sending the contest into a second extra frame.
• The Falcons scored on their first possession in double overtime but couldn't convert the two-point conversion, giving UCM the ball trailing 37-31, and setting up Zebrowski's game-winning touchdown.
• For the game, the Mules outgained the Falcons, 438 yards to 431 yards, including a 176-94 advantage in rushing yards. UTPB bested UCM in passing yards, 337-262, but Central Missouri posted a 29-24 advantage in first downs.
• Texas Permian Basin's Isaac Mooring went 27-for-51 with two touchdown passes and 337 yards, while Jeremiah Cooley tallied 125 receiving yards on 15 catches, leading the Falcons.

• The Mules are 265-188-13 overall and 2025 is their 93rd season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
• Under Josh Lamberson, Central Missouri is 14-3 at home.
• When UCM faces Colorado State-Pueblo in its 2025 home opener Thursday, Sept. 11, it'll mark the first Thursday night home opener and night home game for the Mules since 2022 when Central Missouri welcomed Washburn. The Mules opened their home schedule on Saturday afternoons in both 2023 and 2024 due to the Kansas City Chiefs playing their home opener on Thursday evenings both years.

• Central Missouri has scored in 350 straight games, a MIAA record.
• The streak dates to week three of the 1991 season.

• In the 129 seasons of UCM Football, the Mules have compiled a 604-538-51 record. Central Missouri has fielded a football team every year since 1895, except for 1918, when World War I occurred.
• The Mules have won 10 or more games six times in the history of the program and have posted 15 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 13 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, 80 Central Missouri football players have either been drafted or signed professional free-agent contracts.
• For the 2025 season, UCM has two former players in the NFL, as Davidson (Tight End - Buffalo Bills) and David Olajiga (Defensive Tackle - New England Patriots) are both on preseason rosters.

• The Mules are scheduled to host the preseason No. 6/7-ranked Colorado State-Pueblo Thunderwolves for their 2025 home opener and the annual "Get the Red Out" game Thursday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field in Warrensburg.