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| 9/4/2009 8:51:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| OPENING DRIVE: UCM wide out Jamorris Warren runs 27 yards after receiving a pass from Mules quarterback Eric Czerniewski, giving Central Missouri a 7-0 lead. |
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Mules march past Missouri S&T Miners
Corey Edwards
Sports Editor
COREY EDWARDS
Sports Editor
It used to be the miners that would ride the mules - Thursday night, the mules rode the miners to near exhaustion.
The University of Central Missouri Mules (2-0) combined for 582 yards on offense en route to a 50-13 home win over Missouri Science and Technology (0-1).
UCM quarterback, Eric Czerniewski, duplicated last week's performance, once again throwing for four touchdowns, this time in limited action.
The Mules raced out to a quick lead, using only 78 ticks off the clock before Jamorris Warren caught a screen and raced 27 yards to paydirt.
The Mules' touchdown was set up by a 43-yard opening-kickoff return by former Warrensburg Tiger Zain Gower.
"We just executed really well," Gower said. "Everyone got on their guy and blocked well. All I had to do is run fast and we got in good field position."
The Mules added two more touchdowns before the end of the first quarter after running back Anthony Stewart scored from 11 yards out and Warren tallied his second score on a five-yard pass from Czerniewski.
The extra point was blocked after the Mules' third touchdown, giving the team a 20-0 advantage.
Gower, who sat out last week with a leg injury, was in the game during a second quarter goal-line situation and found room between the tackles to notch his first touchdown of the season, giving UCM an insurmountable 27-0 lead.
"I didn't even get touched," Gower said. "My line blocked that perfect and I didn't have to do a whole lot. Everyone on the line did their assignment.
"We couldn't underestimate anyone," Gower said. "We came in treating (Missouri S&T) like they were Northwest, Pitt or UNO. We just wanted to beat them like we want to beat all those teams."
Missouri S&T picked up their first score with just over four minutes left in the half, but the extra point attempt failed, and the Miners came away with only six points.
The Mules never relented, and after a Seth Mason 31-yard touchdown reception, Central Missouri hit the locker room at halftime with a 33-6 lead.
Czerniewski's night came to an end, in the third quarter, after completing a final touchdown strike to Stewart, giving the Mules a 40-6 lead.
Czerniewski finished with a near perfect 19-for-22 effort on the night, that included four touchdowns and 279 yards in the air.
"We did a good job at keeping the drives going," Czerniewski said. "There is always room for improvement but overall the offense did pretty well tonight."
Gower, playing with the second team unit for a portion of the second half, scored once again with 11 minutes left in the game, to push the lead to 47-6.
The Mules added their first field goal of the season, with 8:14 to play in the game.
Playing against the defensive reserves in the fourth quarter, Missouri S&T scored once more, rounding out the scoring to 50-13 in the Mules' win.
"I think we played 77 guys tonight," Mule head coach Willie Fritz said. "So everybody but two or three guys got the opportunity to get in. It is always good to be able to reward these guys."
Stewart (58 yards), Tywon Hubbard (57 yards) and Gower (47 yards) fueled a UCM running attack that mounted 218 yards on the ground.
"I am fine with it," Gower said about the Mules running-by-committee philosophy. "I love my teammates and if we can all get in the end zone it is fine with me."
DeMarco Cosby led the team in receptions with six for 114 yards.
The Mules will now travel to Emporia, Kan. on Sept. 12 for a 1 p.m. contest against Emporia State.
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