Sports : UCM
Big second half earns Mules big road win
Oct 25, 2009, 12:52 PM
WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The No. 21 University of Central Missouri football Mules used a 35-point second half to get their first ever win at Al Caniglia Field against the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks, 49-31 on Saturday. It was also the first loss of the season at home for UNO.
Central Missouri (7-2, 5-2 MIAA) moved into a tie for second place in the MIAA with the win, and stayed alive for a playoff spot with two games to play.
The Mavericks (5-4, 4-3 MIAA) rushing attack dominated the first part of the game as freshman running back Levi Terrell led the way. He capped off the Mavs' first drive with a 10-yard scoring run.
The Mules offense stalled on its first three drives of the day, but it got a pickup from senior free safety Randy Shepherd at the end of the first quarter when he picked off a Greg Wunderlich pass in the middle of the field, and returned it 65 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to make it 7-7.
UNO answered on the next possession though, getting a 64-yard carry from Terrell to set up a five-yard scoring rush by backup quarterback John Teigland with 14:08 left before the break.
UCM used another turnover to set up the next score, and get the offense going. With 13:41 left, the Mavericks fumbled a punt and junior fullback Brent Boehringer recovered it at the UNO 46. Central Missouri used the ‘Wild Mule’ formation with senior Bobby Guillory to get in position for the tying score as he took it 21 yards on the first play. A 28-yard catch-and-run crossing route from junior quarterback Eric Czerniewski to Jamorris Warren tied it up at 14. The TD pass by Czerniewski was the 59th in his career, setting the all-time record in Central Missouri history.
Miscues plagued the rest of the half as the Mules' next two drives ended in interceptions, and UNO had a fumble and a blocked field goal. It was tied 14-14 at the break, and UNO out-gained the Mules 243-117, with only 24 yards rushing by UCM.
It didn’t start out well in the second half either, as Czerniewski was picked off for the third time in the game on the opening drive. Nebraska-Omaha took it 39 yards for a score in four plays to grab the 21-14 lead.
Central Missouri took the next drive down the field to tie it again, capped by a four-yard score from junior running back Anthony Stewart. A big 42-yard pass play to Warren set it up.
The Mules' red zone defense came up big on the next drive, stopping the Mavs at their 15 and forcing them to attempt a field goal from 32 yards out. It was wide left, and it gave the Mules the ball back on their own 20. Czerniewski hit junior wideout Adam Parks on play action for a 79-yard strike on the first play of the drive, then Czerniewski poked it in from a yard out to give the Mules their first lead at 28-21 with 1:05 left in the third.
Another hold in the red zone by UCM forced UNO into a field goal to make it a four-point lead, but the Mules offense was clicking, particularly the running game. A huge play on fourth down and one at the UNO 48 saw UCM go for it, and convert with a QB sneak on a second effort by Czerniewski. Guillory turned that into a touchdown from the ‘Wild Mule’, sprinting 35 yards up the middle after a juke on three Mav defenders in the backfield. That gave the Mules a 35-24 advantage with 9:24 left.
UCM got pressure on Wunderlich throughout the second half (three sacks), and it helped the Mules get a stop on fourth down during the next possession. UCM took it down the field to make it 42-24 on the ensuing drive, thanks to four carries from Stewart, capped by a 31-yard scamper for the score with 3:05 left.
The Mavericks got a TD with 1:06 left and then tried for the onside kick, but Guillory snagged it and ran it in from 36 yards away for his second kick return for a TD on the season.
Central Missouri finished the game with 387 yards thanks to several short fields, and scored TDs on the final five possessions of the game. The 49 points was the most for UCM against an MIAA team with a winning record since 2005 when the Mules tallied 83 against Pittsburg State. The Mules also followed that 24 yards rushing in the first half, with 109 in the second.
Warren had a career-high 98 yards receiving, while Parks got his first career 100-yard receiving day with 103 on the day.
Defensively, Kor’Ree Manson and Joseph Bangali each had nine tackles, while defensive end Mike Martin had two sacks against an offense that had allowed only five all season.
The Mules will host Missouri Southern Saturday in the final home game of the year at 1:30 p.m. from Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field. The Lions come in off a road upset of No. 12 Missouri Western this week.
Central Missouri (7-2, 5-2 MIAA) moved into a tie for second place in the MIAA with the win, and stayed alive for a playoff spot with two games to play.
The Mavericks (5-4, 4-3 MIAA) rushing attack dominated the first part of the game as freshman running back Levi Terrell led the way. He capped off the Mavs' first drive with a 10-yard scoring run.
The Mules offense stalled on its first three drives of the day, but it got a pickup from senior free safety Randy Shepherd at the end of the first quarter when he picked off a Greg Wunderlich pass in the middle of the field, and returned it 65 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to make it 7-7.
UNO answered on the next possession though, getting a 64-yard carry from Terrell to set up a five-yard scoring rush by backup quarterback John Teigland with 14:08 left before the break.
UCM used another turnover to set up the next score, and get the offense going. With 13:41 left, the Mavericks fumbled a punt and junior fullback Brent Boehringer recovered it at the UNO 46. Central Missouri used the ‘Wild Mule’ formation with senior Bobby Guillory to get in position for the tying score as he took it 21 yards on the first play. A 28-yard catch-and-run crossing route from junior quarterback Eric Czerniewski to Jamorris Warren tied it up at 14. The TD pass by Czerniewski was the 59th in his career, setting the all-time record in Central Missouri history.
Miscues plagued the rest of the half as the Mules' next two drives ended in interceptions, and UNO had a fumble and a blocked field goal. It was tied 14-14 at the break, and UNO out-gained the Mules 243-117, with only 24 yards rushing by UCM.
It didn’t start out well in the second half either, as Czerniewski was picked off for the third time in the game on the opening drive. Nebraska-Omaha took it 39 yards for a score in four plays to grab the 21-14 lead.
Central Missouri took the next drive down the field to tie it again, capped by a four-yard score from junior running back Anthony Stewart. A big 42-yard pass play to Warren set it up.
The Mules' red zone defense came up big on the next drive, stopping the Mavs at their 15 and forcing them to attempt a field goal from 32 yards out. It was wide left, and it gave the Mules the ball back on their own 20. Czerniewski hit junior wideout Adam Parks on play action for a 79-yard strike on the first play of the drive, then Czerniewski poked it in from a yard out to give the Mules their first lead at 28-21 with 1:05 left in the third.
Another hold in the red zone by UCM forced UNO into a field goal to make it a four-point lead, but the Mules offense was clicking, particularly the running game. A huge play on fourth down and one at the UNO 48 saw UCM go for it, and convert with a QB sneak on a second effort by Czerniewski. Guillory turned that into a touchdown from the ‘Wild Mule’, sprinting 35 yards up the middle after a juke on three Mav defenders in the backfield. That gave the Mules a 35-24 advantage with 9:24 left.
UCM got pressure on Wunderlich throughout the second half (three sacks), and it helped the Mules get a stop on fourth down during the next possession. UCM took it down the field to make it 42-24 on the ensuing drive, thanks to four carries from Stewart, capped by a 31-yard scamper for the score with 3:05 left.
The Mavericks got a TD with 1:06 left and then tried for the onside kick, but Guillory snagged it and ran it in from 36 yards away for his second kick return for a TD on the season.
Central Missouri finished the game with 387 yards thanks to several short fields, and scored TDs on the final five possessions of the game. The 49 points was the most for UCM against an MIAA team with a winning record since 2005 when the Mules tallied 83 against Pittsburg State. The Mules also followed that 24 yards rushing in the first half, with 109 in the second.
Warren had a career-high 98 yards receiving, while Parks got his first career 100-yard receiving day with 103 on the day.
Defensively, Kor’Ree Manson and Joseph Bangali each had nine tackles, while defensive end Mike Martin had two sacks against an offense that had allowed only five all season.
The Mules will host Missouri Southern Saturday in the final home game of the year at 1:30 p.m. from Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field. The Lions come in off a road upset of No. 12 Missouri Western this week.
