WC Missouri News

The University of Central Missouri Mules football team is set to begin its Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) schedule with a road game against Missouri Western State University on Saturday, September 20. The matchup will take place at Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium in St. Joseph, Missouri, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.

Central Missouri enters the contest with an 0-2 record after a narrow 29-24 loss to then No. 13-ranked Colorado State Pueblo on September 11 at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field in Warrensburg. In that game, wide receiver Jack Pospisil broke the UCM single-game receiving yards record by accumulating 252 yards on 12 catches.

Reflecting on last season, the Mules finished with a 9-3 overall record and tied for third in the MIAA at 6-3. They advanced to postseason play for a second consecutive year and secured a double-overtime victory over the University of Texas Permian Basin in the Heritage Bowl Powered by RIOT.

The program has achieved back-to-back seasons with at least 20 wins only once before in its history, following an 11-2 mark in 2023. Central Missouri welcomes back eleven starters from last year’s squad, including All-MIAA selections Jack Pospisil (WR), Hogan Wasson (WR), LaAngelo Bell (RB), and Austin Bressler (LB).

This season marks the Mules’ 129th year of football, having fielded teams every year since 1895 except during World War I in 1918. Central Missouri was ranked fourth in both the preseason coaches and media polls released by the conference office in July.

Saturday’s game will be broadcast live on several radio stations including "Your Country" 98.5 The BAR FM and "Good Time Oldies" 1450 KOKO AM, as well as online via warrensburgradio.com. Greg Hassler will handle play-by-play duties alongside former head coach Jim Svoboda providing commentary and Ryan Anderson reporting from the sidelines. A pay-per-view webcast will also be available through TheMIAANetwork.com/UCMMULES.

Statistical leaders for UCM so far this season include Donovyn Omolo with 101 rushing yards and one touchdown; Jack Pospisil leading receivers with two touchdowns and an average of over 160 yards per game; Hogan Wasson contributing over 120 receiving yards per game; Drew Kaufman pacing defenders with fifteen tackles; Jalen Harris recording one sack; and Trenton Bell recovering two fumbles.

Jack Pospisil received recognition as MIAA Football Offensive Athlete of the Week for his performance against Colorado State Pueblo. He surpassed Zach Patterson’s previous single-game receiving yardage record set last season.

The team has added fifty-eight new student-athletes this year—thirty-six freshmen and twenty-two transfers—and seven new coaches have joined the staff: 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).

Saturday’s meeting between Central Missouri and Missouri Western will be their forty-first all-time matchup since first playing each other in 1975. The Mules currently lead the series by one win but lost last season’s contest to MoWest.

In their most recent outing against Colorado State Pueblo, Central Missouri led at halftime but was outscored after intermission despite outgaining their opponent by more than one hundred total yards.

Central Missouri holds an all-time home record of 265-189-13 at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field where they have played since their ninety-third home season began this year. Under current head coach Josh Lamberson, UCM is now fourteen wins to four losses at home.

The team continues its streak of scoring in three hundred fifty-two straight games—a conference record dating back to week three of the nineteen ninety-one season.

Historically, Central Missouri has compiled a program record of six hundred four wins, five hundred forty losses, and fifty-one ties across one hundred twenty-nine seasons. The team has won or shared fourteen conference championships—the most recent coming in twenty-twenty-three—and made thirteen postseason appearances including five NCAA Division II playoff berths.

Several former players are active professionally: Zach Zebrowski and Arkell Smith are playing for Edmonton Elks in Canada’s CFL while David Olajiga is part of New England Patriots’ practice squad roster. Tight end Zach Davidson was drafted by Minnesota Vikings in twenty-twenty-one—the twelfth Mule selected all-time—and eighty-one former players have signed professional contracts or been drafted overall.

Following Saturday's matchup against Missouri Western State University, Central Missouri returns home to face Missouri Southern on September twenty-seventh during Family Weekend at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.