1950 - Mirza Shrine Bowl
December 2, 1950
at Pittsburg, Kansas

Breaking loose in the final quarter, the Central Missouri Mules came from a 14-7 deficit to defeat the Pittsburg State Gorillas 32-21 in the first Mirza Shrine Bowl at Pittsburg, Kan. The Mules capitalized on two Pittsburg State fumbles and two pass interceptions to score four touchdowns in the fourth quarter. UCM was up 32-14 with :45 left when Ted Hoffman scored on a 90-yard pass. It was one of two passes the Gorillas’ completed (in 11 attempts).

The Mules, meanwhile, picked off four passes. In the third quarter, PSU seemed to be driving for a touchdown when the Mules recovered a fumble and drove for Kelly Meyer’s score-tying one-yard plunge early in the fourth quarter. Central Missouri scored three-more times in the period, once on a Dick Volkmer to Bill Ray touchdown pass (their second TD connection of the game). Johnny
Gieringer rumbled 40-yards for another score, and Kenny Webster sprinted 64 yards for the Mules’ final tally of the game.

While Pittsburg State struggled converting through the air, the Mules completed 14-of-22 passes against the stiff Kansas wind. The Gorillas did chalk up 417 yards on the ground, to 371 for UCM The game was played as a benefit for the Shrine crippled children’s hospital in St. Louis.

Central Missouri 32,
Pittsburg State 21
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final
Pittsburg State (5-5) 7 0 7 7 -- 21
Central Missouri (8-3) 0 7 0 25 -- 32
Team Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CMSC PSC
First Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 15
Rushing (Yards). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 417
Passing (Att-Comp-Int.) . . . . . . . 22-15-0 2-11-4
Passing Yards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 90
Total Offense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487 507
Fumbles-Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 2-2
Punts (Avg.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35.0 2-23.0
Penalties-Yards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0 2-15
 

1968 - Mineral Water Bowl
November 30, 1968
at Excelsior Springs, Missouri

A tough defensive game saw the Central Missouri Mules fall 10-0 to the Doane College Tigers in the 20th Annual Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo.

More than 7,000 fans descended on Excelsior Springs to witness defense against defense, as neither team could muster much of an attack. On a damp, slick day the only points came in the
second and fourth quarters for Doane, out of Crete, Neb. Doane came in having gone a combined 28-0-1 the previous three seasons and ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA College Division polls.

Ron Sallier put the Tigers on the board first on a 38-yard run just before the half. Doane added a field goal in the final period. Central Missouri did come away with two of the
three individual player awards. Senior safety Larry Moore earned the Defensive Player of the Game, while All-MIAA defensive end Herb Robinson was named Lineman of the Game. The entire Mules’ defense could have been honored. Doane came into the game leading the
nation with 457.1 yards and 52.9 points per game. Against CMSC, though, the Tigers managed just 256 yards and 10 points.

Larry Johnson led the Mules rushing attack with 50 yards on 16 carries. Steve Eckinger saw firsthand why Doane was the sixth-ranked defensive team in the country (allowing just 138 yards and 2.9 points per game. He lost 18 yards on nine attempts, including sack yardage, and completed just 5-of-19 passes for 61 yards. Clark Frost caught two of Eckinger’s aerials for 43 yards. Sallier was named Offensive Player of the Game for Doane.

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final
Doane (10-0) 0 7 0 3 -- 10
Central Mo. (7-2-1) 0 0 0 0 -- 0
Attendance: 7,000

Team Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DC CMSC
First Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 7
Rushing (Yards). . . . . .  . . . . . . 151 59
Passing (Att-Comp-Int.) . . . .. . . 24-7-1 19-5-2
Passing Yards . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 61
Total Offense . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  256 120
Fumbles-Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 0-0
Punts (Avg.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9-38.0 12-38.6
 

1970 - Pecan Bowl
December 12, 1970
at Arlington, Texas

Just two seasons after appearing in their first NCAA-sanctioned bowl game, the Mules got back to the postseason. This time it was the prestigious Pecan Bowl in Arlington, Texas. The opponent: the No. 1 ranked Arkansas State University Indians.
Arkansas State came away with a 38-21 win, and with it the NCAA Midwest College Division title.

The Pecan Bowl was one of only four College Division Championship games representing a section of the United States.
The Indians were appearing in their third consecutive Pecan Bowl after winning the Southland Conference and posting a 10-0 regular season record. The Mules, meanwhile, were coming off a 9-1 regular season and the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association co-championship.

UCM made a statement on the Indians’ opening drive. After Arkansas State drove to the Mules’ one-yard line, Earnie Harris and Gary Simpson stopped ASU’s Calvin Harrell on fourth-and-one. The Indians got on the board first on a 37-yard field goal with 4:30 left in the first quarter. They added a touchdown pass before Steve Eckinger and Reggie James connected to make it 10-7, Arkansas State. The Indians, though, answered with another
touchdown pass and a 17-7 lead with 1:28 left in the half. A third Arkansas State aerial on the Indians’ second possession of the second half, made it 24-7.

It marked the first time all year the Mules had been scored on in the third quarter. The Mules fell behind 31-7 when Russ Weber’s punt was blocked and recovered in the end zone.
Harrell’s touchdown and the ensuing extra point made it 38-7 before the Mules finally were able to get back on the scoreboard.

After recovering an ASU fumble, the Mules made it 38-14, as Eckinger found Ron Culp.
The Mules final score came with just :38 remaining in the game. Taking advantage of another
Arkansas State fumble, Ira Clemons hit pay dirt. Eckinger completed 22-of-44 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns, and the Mules’ ballcarriers tacked on 110 yards and a score.

Arkansas State 38,
Central Missouri 21
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final
Central Missouri (9-2) 0 7 0 14 -- 21
Arkansas St. (11-0) 3 14 7 14 -- 38
Attendance: 9,500

Team Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CMSC ASU
First Downs . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . 20 211
Rushing (Yards). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 216
Passing (Att-Comp-Int.) . . ... . . . 44-22-3 20-14-3
Passing Yards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 293
Total Offense . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 336 509
Fumbles-Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . 1-1 3-3
Punts (Avg.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31.0 2-40.0
Penalty Yard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 71
 

2001 - Mineral Water Bowl
December 1, 2001
at Excelsior Springs, Missouri

A 9-2 regular-season record led the Mules to the 36th Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo. There, the Mules captured a 48-17 win over Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference runner-up Minnesota-Duluth. The bowl win marked the first time in school history a Mules team had reached 10 victories.

The Mules jumped out to a 20-0 lead on the Bulldogs after one quarter. Todd Devoe grabbed two touchdown passes, one from junior wide receiver Don Robinson on a flanker option for 39 yards and the other from Dennis Gile that went for a Mineral Water Bowl-record 99 yards. In between, Lee
Thompson was able to cash in from 10 yards. UMD rallied to cut the Mules lead in half just
minutes into the second quarter. After getting a 75-yard return on the kickoff following Devoe’s second touchdown, the Bulldogs scored on a two-yard run by running back Andrew Bungum.

Minnesota-Duluth then executed an onside kick and recovered at the UMD 45. The Bulldogs settled for a 37-yard field goal by Chad Gerlach to make it 20-10 with 12:27 left in the first half. The Mules had an answer, going 71 yards in six plays, with Mike Carter catching a Gile pass for a nine-yard score. UMD linebacker Adam Skinner picked up a Gile fumble and put the Bulldogs back within 10 on a 32-yard return to make it 27-17.

Duluth returned the favor when UCM’s Greg Zerr scooped up a fumble by Tim Battaglia and ran 19 yards to make 34-17, where it stood at halftime. UCM wrapped up the scoring with Thompson scoring on a 5-yard run, and Joey Robinson returning an interception 80 yards for a score. Devoe set a bowl record with 163 receiving yards and earned Offensive MVP honors. Joey Robinson had three pass breakups to go with his interception return to pick up the Defensive MVP.

 
Central Missouri 48,
Minnesota-Duluth 17
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final
Central Missouri (10-2) 20 14 7 7 – 48
Minnesota-Duluth (9-3) 0 17 0 0 – 17
Attendance: 3,592

Team Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UCM UMD
First Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 17
Rushing (Att./Yards) . . . .  . . . . 33-183 49-58
Passing (Att-Comp-Int.) . . . . . . . 27-13-1 28-13-2
Passing Yards . . . . . .  . . . . . . . 302 130
Total Offense . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . 485 188
Fumbles-Lost . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . 2-1 3-1
Punting (Number-Avg) . . . . . . .  2-39.0 8-39.9
Penalties-Yards . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40 5-45
 

Central Missouri had such a good experience in the 2001 postseason, the Mules made an extra effort to advance in 2002. And advance they did, earning their first ever trip to the NCAA Division II Playoffs. A thrilling 23-20 overtime victory at MIAA-rival Pittsburg State University ensured the Mules their first berth in the D-II playoffs and, while the outcome was not what Central faithful had hoped for (a 49-28 loss at the University of Northern Colorado), it set the stage for the Cardinal & Black to move among the elite teams in the NCAA Division II ranks.

After the opening kickoff went into the end zone for a touchback, UCM needed just 22 seconds to get on the board, as Don Robinson launched a pass to a wide open Todd Devoe, who raced the rest of the way untouched for the score.
After stopping the Bears on three-and-out on their own 24 yard line, the Mules’ Pat Nussbeck squirted through to block the punt, and when Devoe scooped it up and ran in, it was 14-0 Central Missouri.

The Mules defense again held and forced UNC to punt, and UCM again struck quickly, as Dennis Gile hit Mike Carter for a 76-yard pitch and catch and a 21-0 Central Missouri lead.
But then UNC woke up, scoring 28-unanswered points to take a 28-21 halftime lead. Eric Nelson scored on receptions of 29 and 54 yards from Mark Passard, Ron Scott plunged over from a yard out, and Adam Matthews went 23 yards for a score.

In the second half it was more of the same, as Passard connected with Brad Pyatt from 21 yards out at the 12:08 mark of the third quarter, and then hit Nelson on a 51-yard screen pass. UCM finally got back on the board with 13:54 to go in the ballgame, as Nate Thomas took a UNC punt 79 yards up the right side line to give the Cardinal & Black some hope.

But then Nelson stuck a dagger in the Mules’ heart, as he needed just one play on Northern
Colorado’s next possession to go 70 yards to make the final score 49-28. Devoe nabbed eight passes for 150 yards and a score to lead the Mules

Northern Colorado 49,
Central Missouri 28
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Final
Central Missouri (10-2) 21 0 0 7 - 28
Northern Colorado (11-1) 7 21 14 7 - 49
Attendance: 4,121

Team Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UCM UNC
First Downs . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . 10 23
Rushing (Att./Yards) . . . . .  . . . . . . 28-64 48-364
Passes Att-Comp-Int . . . . . . . . . . 28-14-1 27-14-0
Passing Yards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 326
Total Offense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309 690
Fumbles-Lost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-0 0-0
Punting (Number-Avg). . . . . . . 12-37.2 7-29.1
Penalties-Yards  . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35 1-5