UCM Wins Live United Texarkana Bowl

TEXARKANA, Ark. - Central Missouri football ended it's season on a high note, winning in grand fashion over Southeastern Oklahoma, 48-21, in the Live United Texarkana Bowl. The win puts the Mules record at 8-4, their most wins since the 2011 season. It is also the team's first win in a bowl game under Head Coach Jim Svoboda and their third in program history, evening their bowl game record at 3-3.

Coming into the game, senior LaVance Taylor needed 60 yards to become UCM's all-time leader in all-purpose yards. Taylor racked up 351 combined yards to become the first Mule to eclipse 6,000 career all-purpose yards, setting a new career record at 6,231 yards. Taylor picked up a game-high 264 yards and one touchdown on the ground, while also catching three passes for a team-best 87 yards, including a 75-yard catch and run to put UCM up 34-7 midway through the third quarter and was awarded the Live United Texarkana Bowl MVP for his efforts. He finishes his career No. 2 all-time at UCM in rushing with 3,941 yards, 54 yards shy of the school record.

UCM got on the board early and often, scoring on their first three drives of the game. The Mules took the game's opening drive and marched 52 yards in eight plays to set up a Will Mondragon 32-yard field goal for the game's first points. The lead was short lived however, as Southeastern answered with a touchdown on their first possession when Ryan Polite hit paydirt from six yards out.

The Polite touchdown was the only score the UCM defense allowed in the first half, as they quickly regained the lead and never looked back. Senior quarterback Hayden Hawk hit Cullen Rosine for an eight-yard touchdown to cap an 11-play 75-yard scoring drive. The TD was the first of four for Hawk on the afternoon, the fourth time in his career he's thrown for at least four scores and the first in 2014.

The Mules offense continued to roll in the second half. They scored two more touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters. UCM scored on their first two possessions of the third quarter. Touchdowns by Kyle Echols and Taylor put the Mules up 34-7. Hawk threw his final touchdown pass of the afternoon with just over 10-minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, a seven-yard strike to Tristan McClelland. Sean Gorman completed the scoring with a one-yard TD rush, his second score of the season.

Hawk finished the afternoon completing 84% of his passes (21-of-25) for 280 yards and the four touchdowns. He spread the ball around, completing passes to eight different receivers, four of whom caught touchdown passes. Senior Anthony Kirkwood led the Mules receiving group with five catches for 46 yards.  Overall the Mules finished with 625 yards of total offense, their second time this season with at least 600 yards of offense. They outgained the Savage Storm by 207 yards, 625-to-418.

Defensively, senior Alex Perlin led the charge with a game-high-tying 12 tackles. The Mules created two turnovers with a pair of interceptions by Kenny Mings and J.R. Alexander. They also got to the Savage Storm quarterback for four sacks for 29 yards. Raymond Hunter, Alex Lackey and Russell Allen each had one sack apiece.

Polite, the Savage Storm quarterback finshed his afternoon throwing for 258 yards, completing 22-of-44 pass attempts. He also led SE Okla. with 88 yards on the ground, including all three touchdowns. Anthony Foster finished with a game-high 108 receiving yards on six catches and Thomas Curry chipped in with 12 tackles on defense.

(Courtesy of UCM Athletic Department)