The UCM Mules (8-2, 6-2 in the MIAA) survived three first-half turnovers and a 10 point deficit to secure a 27-17 Senior Day win over Missouri Southern. UCM struggled early in the game. The Mules fumbled on three of their first four offensive possessions. The Mule offense finally got on track in the second quarter when junior quarterback Eric Czerniewski connected with senior wide receiver Bobby Guillory on a 47 yard touchdown pass.

UCM would finally seize control of the game when Czerniewski plunged in from one yard out to put the Mules ahead to stay 13-10. Guillory struck again out of the "Wild Mule". The senior got solid blocking and ran in from 33 yards out to put the Mules up 20-10. Junior running back Anthony Stewart finished the game in style with a 35 yard touchdown run to give UCM the winning margin.

It wasn't the prettiest football game I've ever seen, but the bottom line is a win is a win. The Mules made the big plays in all three phases when they needed to have them. They faced adversity and manage to pull together and find a way to win.

I need to make one thing clear though. UCM cannot make the mistakes that they made against Missouri Southern next week in Maryville. Northwest will jump all over those fumbles, turn them into touchdowns and UCM will find themselves in a huge hole. UCM will have to limit their penalties and turnovers in order to have a chance to pull the upset.

Scouting Northwest Missouri
The Bearcats are led by veteran Head Coach Mel Tjeerdsma. Northwest returns three starters on offense, eight on defense and one specialist. The Bearcats will feature a Multiple Spread Offense and a 4-3 Defense.

The Northwest offense is guided by sophomore quarterback Blake Bolles. Bolles has thrown for 2,783 yards and 31 touchdowns. Senior running back LaRon Council leads the Bearcat rushing attack with 1,092 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The receiving corps is led by sophomore Jake Soy. He has 55 catches, 959 yards and 19 touchdowns. Northwest has eight other players with 12 or more catches on the season.

Sophomore linebacker Chad Kilgore the Bearcat defense. He has 63 tackles on the season, two for loss. Senior defensive end Sean Paddock leads the team in sacks with 5 1/2. Paddock has only played in six games this season due to injury but, he's expected to return this week. Defensive backs junior Ryan Jones and junior Justin Welch are tied for the team lead in interceptions with four.

Keys to the Game
I think there are three keys to the Mules winning this football game. The first two are basic football. UCM has to control line of scrimmage on both sides of the football. This will be a challenge since Northwest usually builds their team around solid plan upfront on both sides of the ball. Second, UCM must win the turnover battle.

Finally, the Mules have to get off to a good start. They've struggled with this at certain points during the season. They can't let the Bearcats get rolling early. The Mules also have to continue to finish games strong.