GAME 1: SBU BEARCATS (6-5 in 2009)
vs CENTRAL MISSOURI MULES (8-3 in 2009)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 28 • 6:00 PM
PLASTER STADIUM • BOLIVAR, MO
RADIO: KBFL 99.1 FM (Josh Thompson, play-by-play)
INTERNET AUDIO: via Radio Springfield
LIVE STATS: via Sidearm

2010 FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE NOW AVAILABLE:  Purchase | Online
2010 SEASON OUTLOOK

GAME NOTES:  SBU NOTES | UCM NOTES

BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The 2010 campaign gets underway Saturday night, when the SBU Bearcats host the Mules of Central Missouri. The Bearcats enter 2010 with a point to prove. Coming off their first winning season in eight years, fourth year coach Keith Allen's squad is out to prove that last season wasn't a fluke. “We challenged our kids -- let's show these people that we're getting better every year. The product on and off the field has been improving since 2007,” he said. After starting 0-4 in 2009 playing one of the toughest opening stretches in Division II, the Bearcats won six of their final seven games for their first winning season since 2001.
   
The centerpiece of the Bearcat attack is senior QB Steve Gachette. Gachette holds 16 school records and was named the D2football.com All-Independents Offensive Player of the Year, Football Gazette's All-Super Region Four Third Team and was a regional finalist for the Harlon Hill Award, which honors the nation's top Division II football player. In 2009, Gachette completed 61.6% of his passes for 3015 yards and a school record 28 touchdowns, while he ran for 975 net yards and eight touchdowns on the season. His 3990 total offensive yards easily surpassed his school record of 3360 yards, set in 2008. SBU also was fifth nationally in total offense (482 yds per game).
   
Junior Thad Everson was second to Gachette in 2009 with 659 rushing yards on 133 carries and six touchdowns. Everson is being pushed by sophomore Justin Duhaney, who ran for 323 yards on 66 carries. Junior Charles “CJ” Johnson led the team with 766 yards and tied with former 'Cat Johnnie King for the team lead with 51 grabs and eight scores. A key set of tackles anchor the offensive line, in junior left tackle Michael Wormley and sophomore right side Derrick Okafor.
   
The Bearcat secondary should be a strength for the team. Junior cornerback Anthony Wiggins is the top returning tackler, with 62 stops in 2009, while senior Clayton Davis is also back, along with several redshirts with a year in the program under their belt. Up front on defensive, the 'Cats have several key pieces returning including Ino Vitale, Casey Smith and Will Ramirez, Jr.
   
Several newcomers looking to make an impact for the Bearcats include wide receivers D.A. Allen, Chuck Mason and Curtis Calvin, offensive lineman Ivory Watson, and defensive backs Chris Hawkins and Chris Muhammad.

THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Keith Allen has already engineered a significant turnaround, moving the 'Cats from 0-11 his first year as interim coach, to 5-6 in 2008, to the winning record of 6-5 in 2009. Allen served as defensive and recruiting coordinator before being named head coach in 2007. His past coaching experience has included stops at San Jose State, Quincy, TCU and Oklahoma.

Jim Svoboda is in his first season as the head coach at Central Missouri. He spent 10 seasons as the offensive coordinator at Northwest Missouri from 1994-2003, and won two national championships. His overall record is 52-19 as a head coach, all at Nebraska Wesleyan from 1987-93. UCM leads the all-time series 20-2 and has won the last 18 meetings. SBU's lone wins in the series came in 1989 and 1990. Last season in Warrensburg, UCM rallied for a 39-28 win in the opener for both teams.

SCOUTING THE MULES
The 2009 UCM Mules went 8-3 and just missed out on an NCAA playoff berth. This year's squad returns several important components, including honorable mention All-American tight end DeMarco Cosby and honorable mention All-American all-purpose back Anthony Stewart, who led the team with 866 rushing and 714 receiving yards while scoring 16 times. Quarterback Eric Czerniewski became the all-time leading passer in school history in yards, touchdowns and completions. Defensive lineman P.J. South was a first team All-MIAA honoree while center Nate Stoffel earned second team honors.
     
The Mules return 15 starters (including 7 offense) and and 24 seniors. Svoboda has altered the look of the already potent Mule offense, and the UCM defense will also have a different look under new defensive coordinator Jack Curtis, switching from a 4-2-5 scheme to a 4-3 defense.