Mules football team captains vs. Washburn
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Saturday Afternoon MIAA Contest at No. 19 Nebraska Kearney Up Next for Mules Football

Game 4: Central Missouri (0-3, 0-3 MIAA) at No. 19 Nebraska Kearney (2-1, 2-1 MIAA)
Saturday, Sept. 24 | 1 p.m. | Kearney, Neb. (Cope Stadium/Foster Field)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 98.5 The BAR
TV: MIAA Network (PPV)

Live Stats | Live Audio | Game Notes (PDF)
SCENE SETTER
  • Central Missouri Mules football (0-3, 0-3 MIAA) is scheduled to travel to Kearney, Neb., for a MIAA contest at No. 19-ranked Nebraska Kearney (2-1, 2-1 MIAA) Saturday, Sept. 24, at Cope Stadium/Foster Field.
  • UCM is coming off a 24-7 loss at No. 2 Northwest Missouri Saturday, Sept. 17, in Maryville, Mo., while the Lopers posted a 21-13 victory at Washburn Saturday in Topeka, Kan.
  • 2022 marks the 125th season in Mules football history.
  • In the MIAA Football Preseason Polls, UCM was picked in a tie for seventh in the coaches' poll and ninth in the media poll. Nebraska Kearney was tabbed second in both preseason polls.
ON THE AIR
  • Saturday's game will be broadcast on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar, the new 107.9 FM and warrensburgradio.com with Greg Hassler calling the action and Corrine Benedict serving as the analyst and sideline reporter.
  • The game will also be webcast online through Central Missouri's Blueframe 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.
MULE LEADERS
  • Offense: With three games in the books, the Mules are paced offensively by redshirt sophomore quarterback Cedric Case (52-for-96 with 2 INT, 563 yds, 4 TD, 78 long, 187.7 yds/game, 61 yds rushing, 1 rushing TD), redshirt senior running back Xavier Jackson (10 catches, 162 yds, 1 TD, 55 long, 54 yds/game) and redshirt sophomore running back Avian Thomas (20 carries, 88 net yds, 20 long, 29.3 yds/game).
  • Defense: Through three games, UCM is paced defensively by redshirt sophomore defensive back Noah Blair (32 tackles [20 unassisted/12 assisted], 2 TFL/3 yds, 2 INT/31 yds, 2 breakup) and redshirt senior linebacker Travis DeGrate (18 tackles [5 solo/13 assisted], 2 TFL/6 yds, 0.5 sacks/4 yds). Linebackers Cale Miller and Isaac Montgomery, and defensive back Jeremiah Flores each have one interception, and defensive back Jordan Scruggs has a team-best four pass breakups.
  • Special Teams: Redshirt junior kicker Sam Knowlton is 2-for-4 in field goals converted, hitting a season-long 42-yarder at Pittsburg State...Redshirt freshman punter Ethan Brown has 21 punts for 882 yards with an average distance of 42 yards and a long of 57.
SERIES HISTORY
  • Saturday's contest in Kearney, Neb., will be the 12th meeting in the all-time series going back to the first meeting in 1960. UCM leads the series, 8-3, including a 4-1 advantage in Kearney, Neb. Last season, Nebraska Kearney posted a 31-28 win over Central Missouri in Warrensburg.
LAST TIME OUT VS. NEBRASKA KEARNEY
  • TJ Davis scored on a one yard run with 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give the No. 16 Nebraska Kearney Lopers a 31-28 comeback win over the University of Central Missouri Mules football team Saturday, Sept. 25, at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
  • The Mules trailed the Lopers, 24-21, with just under eight minutes to go in the fourth before quarterback Logan Twehous engineered a five-play, 68-yard drive capped off by a 26-yard touchdown pass to Cam Saunders with 6:01 on the clock, putting UCM in front, 28-24.
  • Nebraska Kearney responded, however, and manufactured what turned out to be the game-winning drive – 10 plays, 70 yards in 2:42 – punctuated by Davis's one-yard scamper into the endzone with 22 ticks left in the game, giving UNK the 31-28 victory.
  • In his first start of 2021, Twehous went 25-for-44 with 312 yards passing and threw for three touchdowns while also rushing for 39 yards on seven carries.
  • Saunders paced the Mules receiving efforts, scoring a pair of TDs on eight receptions with 138 yards. Arkell Smith caught his first-career touchdown pass and added 58 yards through the air, while Trevor Twehous found the endzone and had 26 yards.
  • Koby Wilkerson rushed for 84 yards on 15 carries, leading Central Missouri on the ground, respectively.
  • Defensively, Codie Bell tallied eight total tackles, while Tyron Taylor added seven tackles, and Chima Dunga and Travis DeGrate both ad six tackles, leading the Mules.
  • Davis threw for a pair of touchdowns, going 13-for-20 with 225 yards, while also rushing for 51 yards and scoring a pair of touchdowns on 21 attempts.
  • Damien Cearns rushed for 79 yards on eight carries to pace the Loper ground game.
  • Darius Swanson had 11 total tackles, leading the Nebraska Kearney defense.
  • The Mules out-gained the Lopers for the game, 490 to 456, but UNK was able to post a 33:42 to 26:18 advantage in time of possession and went 4-for-4 in the red zone.
ABOUT THE LOPERS
  • The Nebraska Kearney Lopers are 2-1 overall and in the MIAA after going on the road and knocking off Washburn in Topeka, Kan., Saturday, Sept. 17, 21-13.
  • The Lopers are ranked 19th in the latest D2football.com Top-25 poll and 25th in the most recent AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll.
  • Three games into the season, reigning MIAA Offensive Player of the Year and Nebraska Kearney redshirt senior quarterback TJ Davis leads the MIAA and all of college football (NCAA football's four divisions and NAIA) in rushing yards by a QB with 342. He has 65 carries with three TDs and is averaging 114 yards rushing per game.
  • UNK leads the conference and ranks sixth in all of NCAA Division II in rushing offense with 280.3 yards per game.
THE MULES IN MIAA PLAY
  • UCM is 0-3 in MIAA action entering Saturday's contest at Nebraska Kearney.
THE MULES AT HOME
  • The Mules are 251-186-13 overall and 2022 will be their 90th season playing home games at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.
  • Under Josh Lamberson, Central Missouri is 0-1 at home.
SCORING STREAK CONTINUES
  • Central Missouri has scored in 317 straight games.
  • The streak dates to week three of the 1991 season.
A LOOK AT THE 2022 MULES
  • Mules football welcomes back 12 starters from 2021, including All-MIAA offensive linemen Dan Sunderman and Kyle Linville, and wide receiver Arkell Smith.
  • Sunderman and Linville make up an experienced returning core for the UCM offensive line, with 2021 starters Ty Reynolds and Gabe Clark also back for 2022. All four started all 11 games for Central Missouri in 2021.
  • Smith is coming off a standout season in 2021, rolling up 673 yards on 42 catches with eight TDs in 11 games. Other returning wide receivers who had at least 10 catches in 2021 include Trevor Twehous (25 rec., 316 yds., 2 TD), Zion Perry (15 rec., 284 yds., 2 TD) and Malik Clayborn (13 rec., 136 yds., 2 TD).
  • Redshirt sophomore Cedric Case takes over as the starting quarterback for Central Missouri in 2022. Case, a native of Lincoln, Neb., saw action in two games for the Mules last season, going 10-for-16 with no interceptions, 159 yards and a touchdown. In Central Missouri's 77-35 win at Lincoln, Case compiled a career-best 117 yards, going 4-for-5 with an 85-yard TD pass to Zion Perry.
  • On the ground, UCM welcomes back one running back who had at least 35 carries last season in JD Kolb (36 att., 127 net yds., 2 TD).
  • Defensively, UCM welcomes back 2021 starters Travis DeGrate (40 tackles, 4 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 FR, 3 FF), Cooper Crane (31 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 FR), Clay Griffin (24 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack), David Olajiga (18 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 FR) and Azaiah Bello (8 tackles, 1 INT, 3 pass breakups).
  • On special teams, the Mules return 2021 starting punter Josh Reynolds (52 punts, 1,877 yards, 36.1 avg., 64 lg, 0 blk), kicker Sam Knowlton, long snapper Trace Staton and punt returner Jai Haynes.
MULES FOOTBALL HISTORY
  • In the 124 seasons of UCM Football the Mules have compiled a 580-529-51 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.
A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
  • Central Missouri has won a combined 233 MIAA conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
  • Last season, UCM captured two regional championships in men's golf and women's soccer, and five MIAA Championships - women's soccer, volleyball (regular season and tournament) and baseball (regular season and tournament).
  • Since 1983, the tenure of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 179 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
  • Central Missouri has won 10 national championships during Hughes' tenure (men's and women's basketball in 1984, baseball in 1994 and 2003, women's bowling in 2003, men's basketball in 2014, women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2015, and women's soccer and women's basketball in 2017 and 2018) and 12 national championships overall.
MULES IN THE PROS
  • 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.
ON THE HORIZON
  • The Mules return home to Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field to host Northeastern State Saturday, Oct. 1, at 1 p.m. for the annual UCM Family Weekend game.
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