Mules Strike Early to Take Season Finale From UNK

Fifth-year quarterback Jordan Pachot threw for 434 yards and four touchdowns to power Central Missouri to a 52-18 win over Nebraska Kearney Saturday afternoon in Warrensburg.

This was the season finale for both teams. UCM (7-4, 6-3) has now won fourth straight over UNK (2-9, 2-7) and finished a perfect 6-0 at home.

Pachot, who began his career at FCS Southern Utah, directs an offense that came in averaging 37 points and 502 yards per game. The Mules had touchdown drives of 75, 80 and 91 yards and then added a 55-yard pick sick to make it 28-0 early in the second. Those first three scoring drives encompassed 21 plays with UCM punting just once on a nice late fall afternoon.

"I think our Super Bowl was last week; we didn't play well today. They are good on offense, got rolling and then we gave them seven points," said Loper head coach Ryan Held on the KRVN Radio post-game show. "There were times on offense we did some good things but I think the toll of the season kind of hit us."    

UCM out gained UNK 600-283 with Pachot finishing 33 of 42 and no interceptions. He wasn't sacked and rushed four times for 37 yards and a score (two yards). Veteran receivers Jack Pospisil (nine catches, 122 yards, one TD) and Jake Weber (seven catches, 73 yards) were his favorite targets with senior receiver Marlon Lindsey Jr. reaching the end zone twice. Finally, senior transfer back Damien Brown rushed for 94 yards and a TD.

"It's hard to simulate their offense; they do a good job. Play fast, spread you out and we tried a little bit of that today and that's what we want to do moving forward," said Held. "When the sun comes up tomorrow, it's on to 2027 and we've got a lot of work to do." ​

Junior QB Devin Tate (Oxnard, Calif.) tossed a 31-yard scoring strike to junior receiver Eddie Schultz (Montclair, Calif.) late in the second quarter and then sophomore kicker Kaden Kiernan (Kansas City) booted his 11th field goal of the year, a 21-yarder, right before half. Early in the fourth, UNK had one of its longest drives of the year, a 13-play, 79-yard march that took 6:68 off the block. Freshman back Derek Jones (Papillion-LaVista South) scored from five yards out and then reserve QB Ziggy Harper (Belle Glade, Fla.) hit tight end Kanon Cada (Wahoo) for a rare two-point conversion.

Tate completed 13 passes for 150 yards and had eight carries with Jones have a team-best 13 for 51 yards. Next, Schultz had five catches for 68 yards with true freshman receiver Bryce Lakers (Gretna) at four for 30. On defense, safety Gunnar Lym (Bennington) amassed 17 tackles, one of the top totals in recent history, as well as forcing and recovering a fumble.

In their final games as Lopers, backer Parker Wise (Kearney) and safety Kolten Tilford (North Platte) had seven tackles apiece with junior co-captain Marty Mormino (Omaha Westside) capping one of the best punting performances by a Loper. He posted a 48.3 average in seven attempts with two downed inside the 20 and the longest traveling 67 yards. On the year, Mormino finishes with a 44.1 average (D2-leading 74 attempts) and 29 boots landing inside the opponents' 20 (39%).

"It was a disappointing season. We had some games early that we really needed to get. For most of the year, we were competitive games but in some of those, you have to find a way to win," said Held. "Our culture is still good, and the seniors did a nice job of keeping this thing together."

UNK begins winter workouts in January 2027.