• Adobe Acrobat .PDF file
• Microsoft Word .DOC file

---

Mules Defense Stars in MIAA Opener
vs. Truman State

Mules defense puts the clamps on Truman State Quarterback
(Photo by Dave Kopp)

The University of Central Missouri Mules used stifling defense to hand the Truman State Bulldogs their first loss of the season on Saturday afternoon and pulled away late for a 27-7 victory. The Mules held the Bulldogs to 160 yards of offense and out-rushed them 198-to-50 in the outing.

The UCM (2-1, 1-0 MIAA) win was its first to open MIAA play since 2003. The Mules also opened the game strong, scoring on the second drive on a Glenn Milner rush from 13 yards out. He bowled over two Bulldogs on his way to the endzone, capping a six-play, 46 yard drive.

The Bulldogs (2-1, 0-1 MIAA) would try and answer a couple drives later but the UCM defense stopped them on fourth down to get the ball back with 5:52 remaining in the first half on its own 29. The other half of the Mules rushing attack, Jeremy Braden, galloped down the field for a 39-yard run to put them in position to extend the advantage but a halfback pass by Justin Gore was intercepted in the endzone to halt the threat.

Three plays later, the Mules defense got the ball back when linebacker Adrian Singletary chased down TSU quarterback Matt Ticich, sacked him for a 12 yard loss, and forced a fumble that Dallas Bryant recovered at the Bulldog nine-yard line. The Mules failed to convert again though, as Marcelo Velazquez missed a field goal attempt from 22 yards out with 36 second remaining in the half.

The Bulldogs got back even with the Mules early in the second stanza by converting a big play from the defense. UCM quarterback Eric Czerniewski was sacked by Kyle Supianoski, forcing a fumble that TSU recovered at the Mules 17 yard line. Truman found the goal line three plays later when Ticich hit Ryan King from 12 yards out, making it 7-7.

The Mules tried to answer on the next possession but Velazquez missed wide right from 42 yards out for the third failed opportunity of the day by the UCM offense. As they had done all day though, the UCM defense held strong and got the ball back in its own territory on a fourth down stop. The Mules held Ticich, who threw for a conference record 493 yards last week, to 16-of-41 for 110 yards and four sacks. Junior John Wood led a UCM defensive line that got pressure on him all day long.

The Mules coaching staff made a change at quarterback with 1:45 remaining in the third quarter, bringing in junior Stinson Dean. The move would pay off in only his second possession as the Mules took advantage of great field position on a punt return by wideout Anthony Parks in the fourth quarter. Dean completed his first two passes of the drive and got UCM down to the Truman 10 yard line before Milner took over from there and toted one in from seven yards out to put the Mules up 14-7.

After a quick three-and-out by the UCM defense, Dean drove the Mules 60 yards in seven plays for another score, this time from Braden. A bad snap on the extra point made it 20-7, Central Missouri. The UCM defense came up big again on the next possession as Ryan Nesbitt stripped the ball from wide receiver Albert Coker and recovered it at the TSU 17.

Braden nearly converted that directly into a score but a holding penalty had the TD called back. He looked as if he was going to coast into the endzone a couple plays later but he fumbled the ball through the goal line from the four to give the Bulldogs the ball on their own 20.

After forcing the Bulldogs to go three-and-out on the next possession, Wood made a big tackle on fourth down and one to give the Mules the ball with only 3:08 remaining on the TSU 29. Milner ran it four times and plunged in from seven yards out to ice the game with only 1:00 left.

He led the Mules with 109 yards on the ground and three touchdowns while Braden finished with 86 yards and a score. Czerniewski went 9-of-17 for 85 yards while Dean was 5-of-6 for 62 yards. Kendall Ricketts led the UCM defensive charge with nine tackles while Singletary had eight stops (2.5 for loss), a sack, a forced fumble, and a pass break-up.