Mules drop the ball against Bearcats

                For the first time this season, the University of Central Missouri Mules didn’t have a lead in the second half of a football game. The undefeated and second-ranked Northwest Missouri Bearcats ran the ball 47 times and held the lead the entire game on their way to a 31-14 win.
            Neither team could capitalize on turnovers in the first quarter to get a score but the Bearcats (9-0, 7-0 MIAA) got on the move in the second. They drove 70 yards in six plays and capped it with a 13-yard strike from Josh Matthews to Abe Qaoud with 13:45 remaining in the half.
            The Mules (4-5, 2-5 MIAA) answered a few minutes later when cornerback Randy Shepherd picked off a Matthews pass and returned it to the 14-yard line. From there, Toby Korrodi broke another UCM record with a scoring toss to Jason McCartney, making it his 14th consecutive game with a touchdown pass. The Central Missouri kicking woes continued though, as Spencer Webb missed the extra point. 
            The Bearcats took their next drive 65 yards and punched in a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Peterson. They got a field goal as the half expired to make it 17-6 at the break.
            The Northwest Missouri defense was as advertised in the outing, holding the Mules rushing game to 57 yards on the ground and picking off Korrodi three times. Central Missouri did all it could to help them though, as Mules receivers dropped nine passes in the game.
            The Bearcats put the game out of reach in the second half with the next two touchdowns on drives of 70 and 68 yards. The final score was a 40-yard bomb to E.J. Faulkner with 14 minutes left in the game. Central Missouri got the next score on a blocked punt by Jake Weishaar. Kendall Ricketts recovered it in the endzone and the Mules converted the two-pointer to cap the game scoring.
            Ricketts ended the day with a fantastic defensive performance, despite the loss. He had a team season-high 19 tackles with an interception to prevent a touchdown and the recovery for a touchdown. He also added two tackles for loss in the outing.
            Offensively, Korrodi threw for 273 yards and the Mules tallied 330 yards total. The Bearcats were led by Xavier Omon with 166 yards on the ground while Matthews rolled up 224 and three touchdowns with a couple INT’s.