Central Missouri State University

2000 Mules' Football Fact Sheet - Game 5

The Game: Washburn University at CMSU, Sept.30, 2 p.m.; CMSU's Audrey J. Walton Stadium/Vernon Kennedy Field (10,000, natural grass), Warrensburg, Mo.; Family Weekend at CMSU.

The Mules (3-1-0): They lost to Pittsburg State University 23-20 Saturday in Pittsburg, Kan., marking their 19th straight loss to the Gorillas. Leading 20-10 going into the fourth quarter, the Mules missed a field-goal opportunity early in the period on a mishandled snap, then saw Pittsburg State rally to tie the game with 4:48 remaining. CMSU was stopped on a fourth-and-one at its own 39, then four plays later PSU's Gary Kral kicked his second 51-yard field goal of the contest to put the Gorillas ahead with 0:33 to play. The Mules drove to the Pitt State 33, but Ryan Ashcraft's 50-yard field goal attempt into the wind on the game's final play fell short. Red-shirt freshman Lee Thompson, after three straight 100-yard rushing games, was held to 47 yards on 14 carries by the Gorillas, but junior Manny Evans rushed for 137 yards on 25 tries. Thompson is third in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in rushing (92.3 ypg) this week, while Evans is fifth (86.7). As a team, the Mules are third in the league in rushing (209.5). Quarterback Cable Davis completed 18 of 27 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown against Pittsburg State. He is fourth in the conference in passing yards (177.8) and leads the MIAA in passing efficiency, completing 70.8% of his passes with nine touchdowns and just two interceptions. Marcus Thomas, who had three catches for 93 yards against PSU, leads the Mules' receivers with 16 catches for 328 yards and ranks third in the league. Linebacker Andy Sims leads CMSU in tackles with 23, after a team-high nine against Pittsburg State. Punter Kenny Zordani put his name in the Mules' record book with a school-record 74-yard punt against the Gorillas. It broke the previous mark of 73 yards by Danny Cox in 1990. Zordani's punting average of 42.3 yards would rank second in the MIAA, but he does not have the minimum number of punts to qualify for the stastistics.

The Ichabods (3-1-0, 1-1-0 MIAA): They lost to Missouri Western State College 23-13 Saturday in Topeka. The Ichabods had a 7-3 lead at halftime, but Missouri Western scored 20 straight points in the second half. Brandon Rainer rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown for Washburn. He is fourth in the MIAA in rushing this week with an average of 89.8 yards per game. The Ichabods lead the MIAA in rushing with an average of 261.5 yards per game. Red-shirt freshman quarterback Tyler Schuerman completed 11 of 17 for 220 yards and a touchdown against the Griffons. Schuerman ranks sixth in the MIAA in passing yards (128.5) and is also ninth in the league in rushing (68.0). Colon McNeal is Washburn's top receiver with 13 catches for 258 yards. Chris Simmons leads the Ichabods in tackles with 23.

The Coaches: Willie Fritz is in his fourth season at CMSU with a record of 23-14-0. The Mules were 7-4-0 last season after going 8-3-0 in 1998 and 5-6-0 in 1997. Fritz came to CMSU after four years as head coach at Blinn College (Texas), where he compiled a 39-5-1 record. His last two teams at Blinn each went 12-0-0 and won the junior-college national championship each year (1995, 1996). Fritz is 3-0-0 vs.Washburn. Tony DeMeo is in his seventh season at Washburn with a 26-41-0 record. He is 2-4-0 against the Mules.

The Series: Washburn leads the series 15-14 and there have been two ties. The Mules have won the last three meetings and five of the last seven overall. The Ichabods' last win in the series was a 23-7 decision in 1996 in Topeka. Washburn's last win in Warrensburg was a 37-21 verdict in 1995. The Mules are 8-3-0 against the Ichabods since they began MIAA competition in 1989.

Last Year: The Mules won 32-18 in Topeka. Washburn jumped out to a 15-0 lead, but the Mules outscored the Ichabods 26-0 in the second half. Jason Graham rushed for 138 yards on 28 carries for CMSU, while Colston Weatherington had five solo tackles, all of them sacks, and forced a fumble to set up a touchdown. Brandon Rainer rushed for 74 yards in 15 carries for Washburn, while Cody Snyder had six catches for 114 yards and two TDs.

Last Time in Warrensburg: The Mules won 20-14 in 1997. The game featured 10 turnovers, five by each team. CMSU dominated the fourth quarter, holding Washburn without a first down and allowing the Ichabods to run only two plays in Mules' territory in the period.

Mules' Injuries: The Mules did not have any serious injuries in the Pittsburg State game. Defensive tackle Brandon Stoker (knee), who was injured the previous week against Emporia State University, is probably out for the rest of the season. Linebacker Lloyd Thompson (ankle), who missed the PSU game, may be available for Saturday's game against Washburn.

Mules on Radio: KLRQ-FM (96.1) in Clinton, Mo., will broadcast the game live with Shawn Jones, Bob Jackson and Greg Hassler calling the action. Air time will be 1:30 p.m. KLRQ will also have the broadcast available on its Web site at http://www.klrq.com. The broadcast will also be available on the TEAMLINE telephone service by calling (800) 846-4700, then entering 3946 and following the instructions for credit-card billing.

Mules on TV: Metro Sports, a cable outlet based in Kansas City, Mo., is scheduled to broadcast Saturday's game on a tape-delay basis. The broadcast will be carried on Sunday, Sept. 24 at noon, and on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m., on those cable services in the Kansas City area that carry Metro Sports. CMSU's PBS station, KMOS-TV, will carry the taped broadcast on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at 10 p.m.

Next Game: The Mules play at Truman State University Oct. 7 in a 2 p.m. game. Washburn plays at the University of Missouri-Rolla Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.