MulesCentral - Mules Report

Okay, so this Central Missouri team has not lived up to pre-season expectations. Some will even point out that even with a victory this Saturday, the Mules will post the worst record since Willie Fritz’s inaugural season. So why the title, “A Lot to Play for”? Because there is. Here’s what UCM is playing for:
WINNING TRADITION
A win Saturday will ensure a 9th consecutive winning season for Central Missouri.
BRAGGIN’ RIGHTS
A win will cement this team (and group of accompanying seniors) as the only Mules team to beat the Gorillas in back to back years since the Gorillas moved to the MIAA in 1989.
REVENGE
A win will most likely knock the Gorillas out of the post-season; something they’ve done to the Mules on two or three occasions in Willie Fritz’s era.
PRIDE
This group of Mules has shown something that some teams of the past have not always shown...that they NEVER stop playing.

I suppose the list could go on, but there’s already sufficient ammunition above for any player, coach, or fan to know that a real dog fight is on tap for this Saturday down in Pittsburg Kansas. I’m NOT going to go into a lot of detail about how certain players will do what to whom or get into all the match-ups where an advantage or perhaps a challenge may lie. I WILL state the obvious in what to watch for (for those not so familiar with these teams) and something that will inevitably tell the tale of the final outcome.

Race is just a few hundred yards shy of breaking Brian Shay’s NCAA record (for all levels) for career yardage. Pitt State must win for this to happen as Race will need another game or two in the post-season to accomplish it. Expect heavy doses of the Warrensburg Native in his final regular season game as a college football player. He must not turn the ball over for the Gorillas to have a chance.

RUSHING                 Team  Cl  G  Att  Yds   Avg TD Long Yds/G
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 1. Race,Germaine....... PSU  SR 10  228 1452   6.4 23   62 145.2
 2. Omon,Xavier......... NWMS JR  9  226  982   4.3 16   33 109.1
 3. White,Jeremiah...... MWSU SR 10  204 1011   5.0  9   37 101.1
 4. Caldwell,Will....... UCM  SR  8  107  625   5.8  6   37  78.1
 5. Ko,Seville.......... ESU  SO 10  158  726   4.6  4   48  72.6
 6. Newman,Ronnell...... MSSU SO 10  128  611   4.8  4   36  61.1
 7. Ticich,Matt......... TSU  SO 10  155  603   3.9  9   41  60.3
 8. Hickel,Jordan....... FHSU JR 10  179  587   3.3  5   19  58.7
 9. Nicholson,Moine..... SBU  SR  8  103  427   4.1  4   18  53.4
 10.Burns,Jamison....... MWSU SR 10   79  526   6.7  7   97  52.6

Korrodi is still moving up the charts of the most prolific passers in the NCAA record books. This will be Toby’s last game before he gets his chance to join Race in the ranks of the elite in the NFL. Toby’s stock has been rising according to many NFL scouts as he has thrown for over 2,500 yards and 26 TDs and just 4 INTs having a receiving corps with a record number of dropped passes on the season. Look for TK to have a field day against the Gorilla secondary. His receivers must catch the ball for the Mules to win.

PASSING AVG/GAME        Team  Cl  G Att Cmp Int  Pct.  Yds TD Avg/G
 ------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. Korrodi,Toby........ UCM  SR 10 289 189   4  65.4 2547 26 254.7
 2. Hinspeter,Adam...... MSSU SO 10 351 236  10  67.2 2363 15 236.3
 3. Mathews,Josh........ NWMS JR 10 241 156   5  64.7 2271 19 227.1
 4. Ticich,Matt......... TSU  SO 10 318 159   9  50.0 1888 11 188.8
 5. Clardy,Robert....... SBU  SR  9 183 120   6  65.6 1371 10 152.3
 6. Landess,Matt........ MWSU SR  8 165  82   8  49.7 1125  7 140.6
 7. Purkeypile,Ben...... ESU  SO 10 199 107   7  53.8 1333 15 133.3
 8. Waters,Geno......... PSU  FR  9 105  72   5  68.6 1140 13 126.7
 9. Jackson,Shane....... FHSU JR 10 223 123  12  55.2 1199  6 119.9
 10.McCoy,John.......... SBU  SO 10 158  84  11  53.2 1077  8 107.7

I have avoided making predictions (in the Mules Report) all year but will make an exception for the final game of the 2006 season.

First, for some additional perspective, Midwestern State University Head Coach Bill Maskill told me after last Saturday’s win to, “Ask my friend Willie to come through for him next week against the Gorillas”. Midwestern State, like Pittsburg State, sits at 8-2 on the season and will be fighting for their Southwest Region playoff lives against a 9-1 Abilene Christian team on Saturday. Just a quick note, Coach Maskill has won some MIAA titles himself a few years back as the head coach for Southeast Missouri State, and has played numerous games against both Central and Pitt State.

Next, to lend a little credibility to my own personal insight into the MIAA, a quick snapshot on game predictions I’ve made for the past 3 weeks in the forums of MulesCentral.com…

I think Willie and his staff will like what I’m about to say. And now for the prediction...

Germaine Race has a good day, but not a great one, as the Mules D bends but does not break. Central, with no time to spare, has found a couple of guys who can catch the ball. Subsequently, Korrodi gets to show scouts, one final time, he’s the best QB in Division II college football. Korrodi takes advantage of the game film from Arrowhead and shreds the Pitt State secondary for 5 passing TDs, while the ground game tacks on 2 more. The Mules show the Gorillas they have their number, keep braggin’ rights for another year, and the final score is…

Sometime on Sunday afternoon, after church, I expect Coach Bill Maskill will call Coach Willie Fritz and say… “Thanks Willie!" Probably something the rest of us should consider too?

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