Muleskinner

Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Drew Woolery: Muleskinner Mavericks quarterback Zach Miller found a hole in the Mules' defense and race into the end zone in the final minute.

Media Credit: Drew Woolery: Muleskinner The Mules let Zach Miller and the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks snap the Mules seven game winning streak on homecoming.

Media Credit: Drew Woolery: Muleskinner The Mules and their fans witnessed a 12-point lead evaporate in less than four minutes.

There was a parade in the morning, a chill in the air and a lot of excitement for the afternoon football game between the Mules and the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks.

Students, faculty, staff and alumni came to Walton Stadium to watch the Mules play a good, 60-minute football game and come away with a win. The fans were satisfied, but for only 59 minutes and eight seconds.

The Mules, 6-3 and 4-3 in the MIAA, blew two 12-point leads to fall to the unranked Mavericks, 38-33. All was well until the Mules allowed Mavericks' senior quarterback Zach Miller to run for a 43-yard touchdown with less than a minute to spare.

What could be more damaging from the game is that the Mules, who are now ranked seventh in the NCAA-II Super Regional Four with two games left in the season, might have watched its playoff hopes die with Miller's touchdown.

"We were expecting one thing, and they came out and did another thing," said Adrian Singletary, a senior linebacker. "Their quarterback is an amazing player. He has great speed, great size. He made a couple of people miss and made an amazing play."

The Mules' defense, led by Singletary, junior safety Mike Stevenson and senior safety Ryan Nesbitt with nine tackles each, had a tough time containing the Mavericks ground attack.

On the other hand, the Mules' offense had trouble starting their own running game. Senior running back Glen Milner was held to just 55 rushing yards on 15 carries. It was Milner's sixth straight game of not getting 100 or more yards rushing.

"I'm still considered one of our key play-makers," Milner said, "but when you're down, running the ball is kind of hard if you're trying to come back."

After trying to put together another comeback, the Mules left the field in complete shcok.

The mood in the locker room was filled with heartbreak and despair as the Mules now know they will need help from other teams in order to be one of the top six teams in the region.

"It was just quiet [in the locker room]," Milner said. "It was no place to be."

The Mules were so emotionally, physically and mentally drained that coach Willie Fritz spared them a postgame speech in the locker room.

"I just told them don't point any fingers, don't hang each other and I'll see you tomorrow" Fritz said. "The last thing I wanted out guys to do is start pointing fingers. That's what losers do."

Teaching his team how not to be losers and how to bounce back from a tough loss has been pivotal for Fritz this year. Already, the Mules have put the Homecoming defeat out of their heads, and are looking forward to Saturday's Senior Day game when they host Missouri Western.

"We've lost five straight to them [Missouri Western], so we're definitely going to try to bounce back and turn it around," said senior quarterback Eric Czerniewski. "Offense has to come out and play fast and play hard, and the defense is going to have to shut them down like we know we can."

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