Bedford Mules Schedule Analysis

It’s now time for Frank to jettison to the corner of Jackman Road and Dean Road. Bedford is coming off of another postseason trip, but there are a lot of changes that have happened in Mule Country, including a new head coach in Mike Vicars. How does the schedule look? Let’s take a gander.

Aug 30 Sterling Heights Stevenson

Sept 6 Flushing

Sept 13 Ypsilanti

Sept 20 Ann Arbor Skyline

Sept 27 @ Ann Arbor Huron

Oct 4 Saline

Oct 11 @ Ann Arbor Pioneer

Oct 18 @ Monroe

Oct 25 @ Coldwater

Gut-check game: Saline. Vicars has had a lot of success in his coaching days in Ohio. Alas, so has Saline head coach Joe Palka. The Hornets have ruled the roost in the SEC Red Division since 2014, winning 28 consecutive conference games. Their last loss was, oddly enough, at Bedford on September 27, 2013. If the Mules want an opportunity to give Vicars a signature win in his first year, Week 6 would be the place to do it.

Trap Game: at Ann Arbor Pioneer. A week after hosting Saline, the Mules head Ann Arbor to face the Pioneers in Week 7. Even though Pioneer went 4-5 and got thrashed 43-7 by Bedford last season, the Mules escaped 29-27 in their last trip here in 2017. In addition, this game lies between the Saline game and a trip to Monroe in Week 8.

Snoozer: We hate to keep beating a dead horse from last season, but Ann Arbor Huron still has not won a game since October 3, 2014. The losing skid stands at 39 consecutive games. An added bonus: the last time the River Rats defeated the Mules was September 5, 2003.

Non-con Challenge: Flushing pays a visit to Temperance in Week 2. The Raiders went 7-3 last season, and have qualified for the playoffs in the last two seasons. Sterling Heights Stevenson may not look daunting after going 4-5, but the Titans played a murderer’s row of a schedule last season, and defeated the Mules in Week 1. Ypsilanti comes to town in Week 3 for an SEC crossover game. A trip to Coldwater concludes the regular season.

Notable: This will be the first meeting with Flushing for Bedford…This will mark the first time since 2014 where the Mules will not play a team from the state of Ohio. That was also the year that they last played Ypsilanti, and defeated the Grizzlies 21-14…The Mules will begin the year with four straight home games, but end with three straight on the road.

Thoughts from Frank: Year 1 of the Vicars era will not be easy from a schedule standpoint. Getting your first four games at home will be a benefit, but the last three on the road will leave little room for error if things start out rough.