2016 Central Missouri Mules football
NCAA Division II First Round, L 31–48 at Harding
Conference	Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
Ranking
Coaches	No. 20
Record	9–3 (9–2 MIAA)
Head coach	Jim Svoboda (7th season)
Offensive coordinator	John McMenamin (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Wes Bell (1st season)
Home stadium	Audrey J. Walton Stadium
Seasons ← 2015 2017 →

2016 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 1 NW Missouri State $^		11	–	0					15	–	0
No. 10 Emporia State ^		10	–	1					11	–	2
No. 21 Central Missouri ^		9	–	2					9	–	3
Fort Hays State #		7	–	4					8	–	4
Pittsburg State		7	–	4					7	–	4
Washburn #		7	–	4					7	–	5
Missouri Western		4	–	7					4	–	7
Central Oklahoma		3	–	8					3	–	8
Lindenwood		3	–	8					3	–	8
Missouri Southern		2	–	9					2	–	9
Northeastern State		2	–	9					2	–	9
Nebraska–Kearney		1	–	10					1	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant # – bowl participant (Wahsburn - Mineral Water Bowl, Fort Hays State - C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl) Rankings from AFCA Poll

The 2016 Central Missouri Mules football team represented the University of Central Missouri as a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) the 2016 NCAA Division II football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Jim Svoboda, the Mules compiled an overall record of 9–3 with a mark of 9–2 in conference play, placing third in the MIAA. Central Missouri advanced to the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs, where the Mules lost in the first round to Harding. The team played home games at Vernon Kennedy Field at Audrey J. Walton Stadium in Warrensburg, Missouri. ^[1] 2016 was the 120th season in program history. ^[2]

Preseason

The Mules entered the 2016 season after finishing with an 8–3 record, overall and in conference play, last season under Svoboda. ^[3] On August 2, 2016 at the MIAA Football Media Day, the Mules were chosen to finish in second place in both the Coaches Poll and Media Poll. ^[4]

On August 15, the American Football Coaches Association released the Preseason Division II Poll, ^[5] landing Central Missouri at No. 20. ^[6]

On August 22, D2football.com released its Top 25 poll, ranking Central Missouri 10th. ^[7]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance
September 1	7:00 p.m.	at Pittsburg State	No. 20	Carnie Smith Stadium Pittsburg, KS	W 34–27	9,311
September 8	7:00 p.m.	Fort Hays State	No. 16	Audrey J. Walton Stadium Warrensburg, MO	W 34–17	7,279
September 17	6:00 p.m.	at Missouri Western	No. 14	Spratt Stadium St. Joseph, MO	W 38–34	6,533
September 24	1:00 p.m.	Emporia State	No. 13	Audrey J. Walton Stadium Warrensburg, MO	L 31–37 2OT	7,995
October 1	5:00 p.m.	at No. 1 Northwest Missouri State	No. 22	Arrowhead Stadium Kansas City, MO	L 17–42	15,349
October 8	1:00 p.m.	Nebraska–Kearney		Audrey J. Walton Stadium Warrensburg, MO	W 36–16	6,637
October 15	6:00 p.m.	at Missouri Southern		Fred G. Hughes Stadium Joplin, MO	W 56–7	2,526
October 22	1:30 p.m.	Washburn		Audrey J. Walton Stadium Warrensburg, MO	W 29–27	9,138
October 29	1:00 p.m.	Central Oklahoma		Audrey J. Walton Stadium Warrensburg, MO	W 48–28	3,895
November 5	2:00 p.m.	at Northeastern State	No. 25	Doc Wadley Stadium Tahlequah, OK	W 59–21	3,250
November 12	1:00 p.m.	Lindenwood	No. 24	Audrey J. Walton Stadium Warrensburg, MO	W 35–7	3,673
November 19	1:00 p.m.	at No. 5 Harding*	No. 20	First Security Stadium Searcy, AR ( NCAA Division II First Round)	L 31–48	2,107
*Non-conference game Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^[8]

Game summaries

Pittsburg State

Central Missouri at Pittsburg State

1 2 3 4 Total • #20 Central Missouri 0 7 20 7 34 Pittsburg State 10 3 0 14 27 Date: September 1 Location: Smith Stadium, Pittsburg, KS Game start: 7:00 pm CDT Elapsed time: 3:07 Game attendance: 9,311 Game weather: Clear, 72 °F (22 °C) Referee: Dwight Neibling

Fort Hays State

Fort Hays State at Central Missouri

1 2 3 4 Total Fort Hays State 0 7 0 10 17 • #16 Central Missouri 14 3 14 3 34 Date: September 8 Location: Walton Stadium, Warrensburg, MO Game start: 7:00 pm CDT Elapsed time: 2:51 Game attendance: 7,279 Game weather: Cloudy, 78 °F (26 °C) Referee: Danny Harris

Missouri Western

Central Missouri at Missouri Western

1 2 3 4 Total • #14 Central Missouri 14 10 7 7 38 Missouri Western 10 7 10 7 34 Date: September 17 Location: Spratt Stadium, St. Joseph, MO Game start: 6:00 pm CDT Elapsed time: 3:00 Game attendance: 6,533 Game weather: Sunny, 79 °F (26 °C) Referee: Craig Helser

Emporia State

Emporia State at Central Missouri

1 2 3 4 OT 2OT Total • Emporia State 7 3 7 7 7 6 37 #13 Central Missouri 0 7 0 17 7 0 31 Date: September 24 Location: Walton Stadium, Warrensburg, MO Game start: 1:00 pm CDT Elapsed time: 3:40 Game attendance: 7,995 Game weather: Sunny, 80 °F (27 °C) Referee: John Steiger

Northwest Missouri State

Central Missouri at Northwest Missouri State

1 2 3 4 Total #22 Central Missouri 7 7 0 3 17 • #1 Northwest Missouri State 7 14 7 14 42 Date: October 1 Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO Game start: 5:00 pm CDT Elapsed time: 2:49 Game attendance: 15,349 Game weather: Cloudy, 70 °F (21 °C) Referee: Dwight Neibling

Nebraska–Kearney

Nebraska–Kearney at Central Missouri

1 2 3 4 Total Nebraska–Kearney 0 6 3 7 16 • Central Missouri 7 20 9 0 36 Date: October 8 Location: Walton Stadium, Warrensburg, MO Game start: 1:00 pm CDT Elapsed time: 2:54 Game attendance: 6,637 Game weather: Sunny, 60 °F (16 °C) Referee: Brian Moore

Missouri Southern

Central Missouri at Missouri Southern

1 2 3 4 Total • Central Missouri 14 28 7 7 56 Missouri Southern 7 0 0 0 7 Date: October 15 Location: Hughes Stadium, Joplin, MO Game start: 6:00 pm CDT Elapsed time: 2:52 Game attendance: 2,526 Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 77 °F (25 °C) Referee: Craig Helser

Washburn

Washburn at Central Missouri

1 2 3 4 Total Washburn 3 17 0 7 27 • Central Missouri 13 13 0 3 29 Date: October 22 Location: Walton Stadium, Warrensburg, MO Game start: 1:30 pm CDT Elapsed time: 3:10 Game attendance: 9,138 Game weather: Clear, 65 °F (18 °C) Referee: Lonnie Brickman

Central Oklahoma

Central Oklahoma at Central Missouri

1 2 3 4 Total Central Oklahoma 14 0 7 7 28 • Central Missouri 0 13 21 14 48 Date: October 29 Location: Walton Stadium, Warrensburg, MO Game start: 1:00 pm CDT Elapsed time: 3:07 Game attendance: 3,895 Game weather: Sunny, 70 °F (21 °C) Referee: John Steiger

Northeastern State

Central Missouri at Northeastern State

1 2 3 4 Total • #25 Central Missouri 21 10 14 14 59 Northeastern State 0 0 7 14 21 Date: November 5 Location: Wadley Stadium, Tahlequah, OK Game start: 2:00 pm CDT Elapsed time: 2:50 Game attendance: 3,250 Game weather: Sunny, 70 °F (21 °C) Referee: John Adams

Lindenwood

Lindenwood at Central Missouri

1 2 3 4 Total Lindenwood 0 0 0 7 7 • #24 Central Missouri 0 14 7 14 35 Date: November 12 Location: Walton Stadium, Warrensburg, MO Game start: 1:00 pm CST Elapsed time: 2:52 Game attendance: 3,673 Game weather: Sunny, 50 °F (10 °C) Referee: Danny Harris

Harding—NCAA Division II First Round

Central Missouri at Harding

1 2 3 4 Total #20 Central Missouri 14 10 7 0 31 • #5 Harding 7 21 13 7 48 Date: November 19 Location: First Security Stadium, Searcy, AR Game start: 1:00 pm CST Elapsed time: 2:39 Game attendance: 2,107 Game weather: Sunny, 53 °F (12 °C) Referee: Joe Horn

Personnel

Coaching staff

Along with Svoboda, there are 13 assistants.

Name	Position	Seasons at UCM	Alma Mater
Jim Svoboda	Head Coach	7	Northwestern (IA) (1992)
John McMenamin	Assistant Football Coach – Offensive Coordinator	2	Northwest Missouri State (2003)
Wes Bell	Assistant Football Coach – Defensive Coordinator	1	Emporia State (2003)
Chuck Clemens	Assistant Football Coach – Defensive Line	18	Truman (1988)
Hank McClung	Assistant Football Coach – Offensive Line	7	Eastern New Mexico (1986)
Kyle Westphal	Assistant Football Coach – Defensive Backs / Special Teams Coordinator	5	Simpson College (2005)
Sean Teter	Strength & Conditioning Coordinator	4	Kansas (2010)
Eric Eisenberg	Graduate Assistant – Linebackers	2	Central Florida (2014)
Trey Jackson	Graduate Assistant – Offensive Line	1	Central Missouri (2016)
Ian Toalson	Graduate Assistant – Tight Ends	1	Central Missouri (2016)
Ramond Hunter	Graduate Assistant – Defensive Line	2	Central Missouri (2015)
Jerry McNeal	Graduate Assistant – Football Operations	2	Missouri State (2014)
Brody Rohach	Graduate Assistant – Running Backs	2	Wayne State (2015)
Damon Paul	Volunteer Assistant – Wide Receivers	5	Northwest Missouri State (1984)
Reference: [9]

Roster

2016 Central Missouri Mules football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 1 Jaylen Zachery  Jr QB 2 Brook Bolles  So WR 4 Alex Strong  Sr WR 5 Andrew Bakker  Sr TE 7 Justus McMullen  Jr QB 10 Garrett Fugate  Sr QB 11 Eric Siebenshuh Jr QB 12 Brendon Zachery  Fr QB 14 Kyle Bradley Fr WR 15 Wesley Thomas Jr WR 16 Tyler Jones  Sr WR 19 Kyle Echols  Jr RB 21 Gabe Vandiver  Sr RB 23 Spencer Stein  Sr RB 24 Xavier Washpun Jr RB 29 Steven Ford  Fr RB 30 Marquel McNac Jr RB 32 Devante Turner Fr WR 38 Franklin Hunt Fr TE 48 Zach Davidson Fr OL 53 Graham Baucom Fr OL 54 Chris Gomez  Jr OL 55 Derrick Puni  Jr OL 59 Nate Farnsworth Fr OL 60 Jake Heckler  Fr OL 61 Terrence Pryor  Fr OL 63 Brian Timmons Fr OL 66 Jesse Brookus, Jr. Fr OL 67 Dylan Scheirich Fr OL 68 Connor Hill  Fr OL 70 Jamar Grant Fr OL 71 Kane Barker Jr OL 72 Layne Fischer  Jr OL 73 Michael Hicks Fr OL 74 Markus Zimmerman  So OL 76 Cal Hegman  Fr OL 77 Drew Oberle  Fr OL 78 Nick Warren  So WR 80 Tyus Franks  Fr TE 82 Charles Smith  So WR 83 Udell Hyde  So WR 84 Jovante Siglar Jr TE 85 Seth Herbert  So WR 86 Hunter Allee  Fr TE 87 Tyler Nugent  Jr TE 88 Grant Bengtson  So TE 93 Brice Renner  Fr TE 94 Adam Bax Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 3 Tavion Vaughn  Sr DB 6 Tevin Teamer  Jr DB 8 Diaron Rhodes  Jr LB 9 J.R. Alexander Sr DB 13 Blake Cooper  Fr DB 17 Jordan Conaty  Jr DB 18 Justin Biermann  So LB 22 Mark Cushing Jr LB 25 Marques Cooper  Fr DB 26 Monteze Latimore  Jr DB 27 Jordan Dickson  So DB 28 Brian Smith Sr DB 31 Tanner Kanak  So DB 33 Jontrell Mitchell Fr DB 35 Dylan Albertson  So LB 37 Ezra Boyd  So LB 39 Alex Lackey  Jr LB 40 John Embrey Fr LB 41 Jack Crown  Sr DB 42 Jackson Newman  So LB 43 Tyson Holcombe  Jr DL 44 Connor Flagel Jr DB 45 James Willis  So LB 49 Austin Miller Jr LB 51 Rick Pesek  So LB 52 Kenny Jacobs  Jr LB 56 Michael Tannehill  So LB 57 Amel Cofield  So DE 58 Tony Casados  Jr DL 62 Ubong Udom Fr DL 64 Dalainey Taala  So DB 81 Kareem Sanders  Fr DL 90 Triphinue Taylor  Fr DE 91 Jordan Hardwick  Fr DL 92 Tony Leachman  Fr DL 96 Irana Moore Fr DL 97 Josh Powell  Fr DL 98 Wyatt Hendrix  Fr DL 99 Dalen Winston Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K/P 34 Logan Offner  Fr LS 46 Garrett Cline Jr K 47 Billy Greco  So K 69 Jordan McFarlen  So P 95 Ryan Tanner Sr	Head coach Jim Svoboda Coordinators/assistant coaches See coaching staff Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: 2016-08-12

References