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Last weekend, the
Central Missouri Mules hit the road for the first time in the 2008
season. The 24th ranked Mules opened their MIAA season
in Kirksville, Mo. against Truman State on a brand-new playing
surface at Stokes Stadium. UCM escaped with a hard-fought 31-28 win,
moving them to 3-0 overall.
This game reminded
me of a heavyweight fight. Both teams appeared to have their
opponent on the ropes multiple times, but the other team would fight
back and land a haymaker of their own. Every time Truman would get
close to taking over the game, the Mules had an answer. I think any
time a team is able to win on the road in the conference, it's a
good win.
I would have liked
to have seen the Mules put Truman away up 24-7, but that's life in
the MIAA. Truman's passing attack will cause problems for a lot of
teams. However, the Mules’ defense stepped up and made the plays
when it counted.
Now, the Mules must
get ready for an unhappy Washburn team coming to Walton Stadium
after a loss at Fort Hays State last Saturday. This game has turned
into quite a rivalry in recent years, so the Mules will have to be
ready to play Saturday afternoon.
Scouting the
Ichabods
Washburn (2-1, 0-1)
is led by seventh-year head coach Craig Schurig. The Ichabods
return six starters on offense and defense and one specialist.
Washburn will feature a West Coast-Pro Set offense and a 4-4
defense.
Washburn opened
their season with a victory over Colorado Mines. They then defeated
Division I FCS member Missouri State in Springfield.
The Ichabods'
offense is led by sophomore quarterback Jake Iverson. Iverson has
completed 46 passes for 682 yards and five touchdowns. Iverson
likes to spread the ball around. Five receivers have six or more
catches on the season. Junior wide receivers Brad Cole and Joe
Hastings have 10 catches apiece. Senior running back Brandon Walker
leads the Ichabod ground game with 244 yards and two touchdowns.
Junior linebacker
Michael Krajicek leads the defense in tackles with 26, three for
loss and one blocked kick. Sophomore free safety Casey Curran is
second with 25 tackles and one interception. Senior linebacker
Bruce Ringwood has 22 tackles and one quarterback sack. Junior
linebacker Zach Watkins has 22 tackles and a team-leading two
interceptions.
Keys to the Game
I think there are
four keys to winning this game for the Mules. First, UCM needs to
win the turnover take-away margin. This is a key for every football
game no matter what level. Second, the special teams cannot allow a
blocked kick. When Truman blocked a punt last week it changed the
entire momentum of the game. Third, the defense needs to take away
the Washburn running game and make them one-dimensional. Finally,
the Mules' offense needs to continue to score early to get the crowd
involved and use the home-field advantage.
In addition, the
UCM fans need to make themselves a factor in this game. They need
to make a lot of noise when Washburn is on offense and make it
difficult for the Ichabods to communicate. I ask the fans to bring
a friend or five and pack Walton Stadium on Saturday!
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by David Rohrbach
