Emporia State will open up the home portion of their football schedule on Thursday, September 10 against Central Missouri. The Mules are ranked 20th in the Division II pre-season poll. They are coming off of an 8-4 season and a bowl win. They are also returning 15 starters, but lost star running back LaVance Taylor. Taylor led the conference in rushing and the nation in all-purpose yards.
The Mules are led by Coach Jim Svoboda. Svoboda is 39-19 as the head man at UCM. Entering his sixth season, Svoboda has had winning records every season at UCM and has made three postseason appearances. Before coming to UCM Svoboda spent time coaching quarterbacks at FCS Division I powerhouse Montana State. From 2004-06, Svoboda coached the quarterbacks at Division I school University of California, Los Angeles.
The Mules open their season at 7 p.m. September 3 in Warrensburg, Missouri.