Muleskinner

Issue date: 9/21/06 Section: Sports

Saturday began as a day of a promise.

It was Family Weekend at CMSU, a time where parents and siblings can come to campus and enjoy CMSU life with their child and brother/sister. The weather was beautiful, a little warm for a Saturday in Mid-September, but nonetheless, inviting.

Everything seemed in perfect harmony; that was until the Washburn Ichabods rolled into town and cast some dark truths that hung like a cloud over Audrey J. Walton Stadium.

After two consecutive weeks of rolling over non-conference cupcakes by a combined score of 130-0, the Mules ran into stiff competition Saturday, losing 14-10 to the defending conference champs in front of the nearly 10,000 people in attendance.

The first two games gave the Mules gaudy stats and perhaps a sense of false realization. The vaunted first-team offense played minimally in the first two contests, and it showed Saturday, as the team had to fight for a mere 10 points.

Most alarming was the team's inability to protect Toby Korrodi, allowing four sacks of the preseason All-American, forcing him to miss eight plays while being tended to.

For those who watched the game, you now get an understanding of what the team looks like without Korrodi. The squad goes from a conference contender to pretender.

The fact that the Mules were only able to muster 10 points against the Ichabods, whose defense sits in the lower half of the conference, has to be cause for alarm.
More alarming than the lack of point production, was the lack of any kind of running game.

The Mules managed 69 yards on 30 carries, good for a little more than two yards per rush. These numbers will make any game tough to win, let alone the conference opener against the defending champs.

The Mules' chances of winning the MIAA are directly linked to the team's ability to run the ball. Somebody has to step up, or future defenses will follow the Ichabods' plan of attack: Hit Korrodi, repeatedly.

Unfortunately, as quickly as these discrepancies are exposed, they can soon be easily hidden. The Mules head out on the road for the next two weeks to face conference doormat Truman State and newcomer Fort Hays State, both winless on the year.

The games should result in two more blowouts, as well as more padded stats. Games like these make it hard to dissect a problem.

The Mules did improve in one area, cutting team penalties from 11 in week two, to four Saturday.
For as poor as the offense looked, the defense continued to dominate the competition. After week 3, the Mules remain the No. 1 defense in the conference, after surrendering 14 points, good enough to win at home.

The Mules' defense got to Washburn quarterback Jordan Brill, sacking him three times, while holding the Ichabods to only 249 yards of total offense.

The Mules caught a break Saturday, as Western defeated Pitt. State 48-35, proving that hiccups are unfortunate, but not detrimental. CMSU has the ability to overcome the loss, but improvements must come quickly. Defense wins championships, but not if the offense can't score.

The Mules need to take the next two weeks against inferior opponents to fine tune, or it could be another year of lofty goals and disappointing results.

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