# 2016 Central Missouri Mules football team

The 2016 Central Missouri Mules football team represented the University of Central Missouri as a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) during 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. 2016 was the 120th season in program history.

## Preseason

The Mules entered the 2016 season after finishing with an 8–3 record, overall and in conference play, last season under Svoboda. 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.
On August 15, the American Football Coaches Association released the Preseason Division II Poll, landing Central Missouri at No. 20.
On August 22, D2football.com released its Top 25 poll, ranking Central Missouri 10th.

## Schedule

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

## Game summaries
### Pittsburg State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #20 Central Missouri | 0 | 7 | 20 | 7 | 34 |
| Pittsburg State | 10 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 27 |

### Fort Hays State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fort Hays State | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| • #16 Central Missouri | 14 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 34 |

### Missouri Western

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #14 Central Missouri | 14 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
| Missouri Western | 10 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 34 |

### Emporia State

| | 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 |

### 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 |

### Nebraska–Kearney

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska–Kearney | 0 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 16 |
| • Central Missouri | 7 | 20 | 9 | 0 | 36 |

### Missouri Southern

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • Central Missouri | 14 | 28 | 7 | 7 | 56 |
| Missouri Southern | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |

### Washburn

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Washburn | 3 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
| • Central Missouri | 13 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 29 |

### Central Oklahoma

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Central Oklahoma | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| • Central Missouri | 0 | 13 | 21 | 14 | 48 |

### Northeastern State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| • #25 Central Missouri | 21 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 59 |
| Northeastern State | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |

### Lindenwood

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lindenwood | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • #24 Central Missouri | 0 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 35 |

### Harding—NCAA Division II First Round

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #20 Central Missouri | 14 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| • #5 Harding | 7 | 21 | 13 | 7 | 48 |

## 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: ||||