WC Missouri News

The University of Central Missouri Mules football team will begin its 2025 season with a week zero game against Delta State on Thursday, August 28. The matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Parker Field at McCool Stadium in Cleveland, Mississippi. This contest marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Central Missouri enters the new season ranked No. 22/24 nationally and as the defending Heritage Bowl Champion. In 2024, the Mules finished with a 9-3 overall record and tied for third place in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) with a conference mark of 6-3. The team advanced to postseason play for a second consecutive year, securing a double-overtime victory over Texas Permian Basin, 39-37, in the Heritage Bowl Powered by RIOT.

"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."

With last year's performance combined with an eleven-win campaign in 2023, Central Missouri achieved back-to-back seasons of at least twenty total wins—a feat accomplished only once before in program history.

The Mules return eleven starters from last season’s roster. Key players include All-MIAA selections Jack Pospisil (wide receiver), Hogan Wasson (wide receiver), LaAngelo Bell (running back), Austin Bressler (linebacker), Talon Sanders (defensive back), Michael Harris (defensive lineman), Isaac Montgomery (linebacker), Drew Kaufman (linebacker), Garrett Hormann (linebacker), Ethan Brown (punter) and JT Miller (kicker).

This year’s squad features significant changes as well: fifty-nine new student-athletes have joined—thirty-six freshmen and twenty-three transfers—and seven new coaches are now part of Josh Lamberson’s staff.

Central Missouri was selected fourth in both preseason coaches’ and media polls released by the conference office this July.

Thursday’s opener will be broadcast live on "Your Country" 98.5 The BAR and "Good Time Oldies" 1450 KOKO radio stations as well as online via warrensburgradio.com. Greg Hassler will provide play-by-play commentary alongside former head coach Jim Svoboda as color analyst; Ryan Anderson will report from sidelines. A pay-per-view webcast is also available through FloSports.

The home opener for Central Missouri is set for September 11 against Colorado State-Pueblo at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field—their first Thursday night home opener since 2022. Under Coach Lamberson’s leadership since his arrival prior to the start of that season, UCM has gone fourteen-and-three at home.

Central Missouri holds an active scoring streak spanning three hundred fifty games dating back to week three of the 1991 season, which remains an MIAA record.

In its history stretching back to 1895—with only one missed season during World War I—the program has compiled over six hundred wins and captured or shared fourteen conference championships.

Two former Mules are currently listed on NFL preseason rosters: Zach Davidson plays tight end for Buffalo Bills; David Olajiga is with New England Patriots as defensive tackle.

Following their trip to Delta State this week Central Missouri will host Colorado State-Pueblo—ranked sixth/seventh nationally—for its annual “Get The Red Out” event next month.