Mules defense comes up big over Tigers

                The University of Central Missouri Mules defense forced five turnovers and fought their way to a 37-14 victory at Fort Hays State. Kendall Ricketts’ record breaking 59-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter iced the game for UCM. Ricketts fourth career return for a touchdown broke the Central Missouri and tied the MIAA record.
            Central Missouri jumped out to a 13-0 lead thanks to three first-half Tiger turnovers. The Mules failed to get in for touchdowns deep in FHSU territory and had six opening period drops contribute to stalled drives in the half.
            UCM scored its touchdown on the first drive of the game with an eight-yard pass from Toby Korrodi to Brooks Faddis. The Mules drove 70 yards in 11 plays for the touchdown. The first two Tiger turnovers came on their first two offensive plays from scrimmage. The first was a flea-flicker that saw Justin Brown pick-off his first pass of the season at around mid-field. Quarterback Shane Jackson fumbled the snap exchange on the first play of the next possession and Mules linebacker Adrian Singletary pounced on it (his first of two fumble recoveries). Fort Hays held UCM to field goals on both turnovers and answered late in the second quarter with a drive of its own, spanning over six minutes and 80 yards in 12 plays. Running back Jordan Hickel punched it in from three yards out as the Mules took a 13-7 lead into the break.
            UCM took its first drive of the second half 49 yards down the field and finished it off with a Ted Maxwell 13-yard touchdown grab. Central Missouri pinned the Tigers back on the next possession and forced them to punt. Linebacker Jake Weishaar broke through to block the punt and Ricketts recovered the carom to gain possession at the Fort Hays 11 yard-line. UCM could only manage to get two yards and settled for the third Spencer Webb field goal of the game to go up 23-7.
            The Mules moved down the field again on their next possession and had a first and goal situation but two dropped passes in the endzone forced them to attempt another field goal. Webb missed his second of the game from a short distance, leaving the doors open for the Tigers.
            FHSU took advantage of a fake punt conversion on fourth down and followed that with a 40-yard touchdown scramble from Jackson to cut the margin to nine.
            From there, Korrodi led the Mules down the field with a 47 yard completion to Maxwell followed by a 28-yard TD romp from Will Caldwell.
            Ricketts iced the game on the next possession when he nabbed the third interception of the game off a tipped pass by Layne Kreter.            
            Korrodi finished the day with 300 yards passing on 20-of-33 attempts and two touchdowns. It was his 10th consecutive game with a TD pass. Maxwell led had his second consecutive 100-yard receiving game with 111 on the day.