•    The Washburn Ichabods will look for their third-straight win as they travel to Warrensburg, Mo., to take on the Central Missouri Mules. It will be UCM's homecoming game and it will be the second of three homecoming games on the road for the Ichabods. Washburn was Missouri Southern's homecoming game and will be Central Missouri's homecoming game on Nov. 5 in Edmond later this season.
•    The Ichabods (5-2, 5-2 MIAA) are coming off a 30-14 win over Missouri Southern after scoring two touchdowns on special teams, one on defense and one on offense.
•    The Mules received votes in the latest AFCA Top 25 Poll and were ranked 15th in the d2football.com.
•    UCM (5-2, 5-2 MIAA) rolled to a 56-7 win over Missouri Southern last time out.
•    Washburn is part of a four-way tie for third place in the MIAA standings with Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State and Central Missouri. Northwest Missouri is 7-0 and Emporia State is 6-1.
•    The Ichabods will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak to the Mules and a three-game losing slide in Warrensburg.
•    The Ichabods' last win in the series was a 36-21 win on Sept. 26, 2009 in Topeka and their last win in Warrensburg was on Sept. 16, 2006 in a 14-10 win.
•    The Mules lead the all-time series 25-18-2 overall and lead 13-7 all-time in games played in Warrensburg.
•    Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig picked up career win No. 101 at Washburn in the win over the Tigers moving him past Charlie Finley from Missouri S&T into fourth on the MIAA all-time coaching wins chart. Chuck Broyles (Pittsburg State - 198) is first followed by Mel Tjeerdsma (Northwest Missouri - 183) and Jerry Partridge (Missouri Western - 148).
•    The Ichabods have had 56 plays of longer than 20 yards this season including 15 more than 40 yards.
•  On the ground, the Ichabods are averaging 4.5  yards per carry on first down, 4.7 yards per carry on second down and 3.4 yards per carry on third down … on fourth down the Ichabods are averaging 0.0 yards per carry on 10 attempts.
•    When passing, Washburn is 26 of 55 on first down, 26 of 58 on second down, 34 of 80 on third down and 3 of 7 on fourth down.
•    The Ichabods are last in the MIAA in penalties with 61 for 579 yards averaging 82.7 yards per game … Washburn is 10th in opponent penalties at 47 for an average of 57.1 yards per game.
•    Bryce Chavis' 83-yard punt return against Fort Hays State was the longest by an Ichabod since Jaime Myers returned on 85 yards at Emporia State on Nov. 16, 2013.
•    The last time the Ichabods scored touchdowns in all three phases of the game prior to accomplishing the feat against Fort Hays State last time out was on Nov. 8, 2014 against Northeastern State.
  Washburn Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig . . .
•    was named head coach of the Ichabod football program Dec. 28, 2001.
•    is 101-66 (.611) in his 15th season as the Ichabod head coach.
•    is 83-56 (.603) against the MIAA.
•    has led the Ichabods to three NCAA Playoff appearances and two bowl appearance championships.
•    led the Ichabods to the 2005 MIAA regular season outright championship.
•    led the Ichabods to the program's first 10-win season and their first NCAA or NAIA playoff game victory in school history with a win over Abilene Christian during the 2011 season.
•    is Washburn's all-time winningest football coach with 101 wins.
•    is 3-9 against Central Missouri.
 
Central Missouri head coach Jim Svoboda . . .
•     has a record of 52-24 (.680) in his sixth season leading the Mules.
•     in third place on Central Missouri's career wins list.
•     his .680 winning percentage entering the 2015 season is the fourth-highest for a UCM coach.
•     has coached the Mules to 83 school offensive records and 21 MIAA offensive records during his tenure.
•    is 4-0 against Washburn.
  •    This season, a different Ichabod senior will be wearing the No. 9 jersey which was worn last season by Brandon Bourbon, who passed away earlier this summer.
•    In the opening game against Northeastern State, Mickeel Stewart rushed for 53 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown.
•    Bryce Chavis wore No. 9 against Northwest Missouri.
•    Against Lindenwood, James Brania-Hopp wore No. 9 and had one catch for 25 yards and a tackle on special teams.
•    Long-snapper Zach Downing wore No. 9 this past week and recorded a tackle on special teams.
•    Against Pitt State, quarterback Derek McGinnis wore No. 9 and passed for 260 yards and two touchdowns.
•    Anthony Daniels, Jr. wore No. 9 against Missouri Southern and had one catch.
•    Saul Monteon wore No. 9 against Fort Hays State.         
  •    Cody Heiman leads the team with 60 tackles with 29 solo stops adding 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks with two interceptions and 10 passes defended adding a 60-yard fumble recovery against Missouri Southern for a touchdown … he went over the 200-career tackle mark against Missouri Southern and now has 210 at Washburn …Heiman is eighth in the MIAA in tackles.
•    Austin Tillman is second on the team with 51 tackles recording a career-high 13 against the Lopers earlier this season.
•    Akhmad Abdul-Razzaq is sixth in the MIAA in sacks and ranks 20 in tackles for loss … he is fifth on the Ichabods with 35 tackles.
•  Spenser Matthews leads the Ichabods with 8.0 tackles for loss for 22 yards and has 3.0  sacks … he is ranked seventh in the MIAA in tackles for loss and he is 10th in sacks at 3.0 total.
•  The Ichabods have the third-best total defense in the league allowing 381.3 yards per game … Northwest Missouri leads the league allowing 247.0 yards per game and Fort Hays State is second allowing 364.0 yards per game … Central Missouri has the fourth-best overall defense allowing 386.0 yards per game.
•    Washburn is second in the league in rush defense allowing 114.0 yards per game trailing Northwest Missouri (64.1 ypg) … Central Missouri is sixth in the MIAA in rush defense allowing  149.0 yards per game.
•  The Ichabods are second in the league in sacks with 18 for 85 yards … Fort Hays State leads the league with 24 sacks … Central Missouri has recorded 17 sacks for 111 yards.
•    Trevin Wiens is third on the team with 41 tackles including eight pass break ups and 10 deflections and has had back-to-back 10 tackle games tying a career-high.
•    Corey Ballentine is fourth on the team with 38 tackles and has 5.5 tackles for loss for 19 yards.
•    Derrick McGreevy tied a career-high with six tackles against the Tigers.
  •    Mickeel Stewart is seventh in the MIAA in rushing averaging 60.9 yards per game … he had a career-high 21 rushes for a career-high 108 yards against Missouri Southern.
•    Jake Horner is ranked ninth in the MIAA in receiving averaging 71.2 yards per game.
•    Derek McGinnis went over the 3,000-yard  career passing mark against Lindenwood … he has 3,843 yards … which is eighth on the all-time passing chart at Washburn … he needs 301 yards to move into seventh all-time … his 37 touchdown passes are fifth all-time on the Ichabod chart.
•    Bryce Chavis recorded two touchdowns for the fourth time in his career against Fort Hays State … he has 1,067 career receiving yards and 52 catches … his 67-yard touchdown reception against Fort Hays State was a career-long as were his 189 all-purpose yards.
•    The Ichabods are sixth in scoring offense at 32.6 ppg in the MIAA rankings and eighth in total offense at 405.1 yards per game.
•    Washburn has the fourth-best rushing offense in the league at 178.7 yards per game and they are ranked 10th in passing offense at 226.4 yards per game.
  •  Perry Schmiedeler is fourth in the MIAA in kick scoring at 7.4 points per game and ranked sixth overall in the MIAA in scoring.
•    Schmiedeler is second in the MIAA in punting with a 42.3 ypg average.
•    Schmiedeler set a career-high with six extra points against Missouri Southern … his 58 career extra points is 11th on the all-time chart at Washburn.
•    Schmiedeler's 44-yard field goal against Fort Hays State was a career-long.
•    Josh Wright's 50-yard kickoff return against Fort Hays State was a career-long.
  •    Central Missouri is 5-2 this season after topping Missouri Southern last time out 56-7 in Joplin last weekend.
•    Garrett Fugate leads the MIAA in passing at 299.3 yards per game completing 61 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions throwing for 2,095 yards.
•    Jalen Zachery is 11th in the MIAA in receiving at 67.6 yard per game with six touchdowns.
•    Dylan Albertson is third in the MIAA with three interceptions.
•    Overall the Mules are fourth in total offense in the MIAA at 475.4 yards per game and have the fourth-ranked defense allowing 386.0 yards per game.
•    The Mules also have the top-ranked passing attack in the league at 304.9 yards per game.
  Series Record: UCM leads 25-18-2
Streaks: UCM has won the last four
First Meeting: WU 6-0 (09/27/1902) in Topeka
Last Meeting: UCM 38-28 (10/10/2015) in Topeka
Last WU win: 36-21 (09/26/2009) in Topeka
Last UCM win: 38-28 (10/10/2015) in Topeka
Largest WU win: 34-0 (09/28/1963) in Topeka
Largest UCM win: 44-0 (10/11/2014) in Warrensburg, Mo.   
  (10/10/2015) TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods lost a hard-fought battle to Central Missouri falling 38-28 to the Mules.
Washburn scored the first points of the game when Derek McGinnis hit Anthony Daniels on a 34-yard touchdown pass with 7:36 to play in the opening quarter staking the Ichabods to a 7-0 lead. However the Mules would score the next 17 points of the game in a five-plus minute stretch building a 17-7 lead of their own.
The Ichabods (3-3, 3-3 MIAA) cut the lead to three at 17-14 after McGinnis scored from 1-yard out with 2:46 to play in the first half, but the Mules took the ensuing kickoff 77 yards in nine plays to take a 24-14 lead going into the halftime break.
Central Missouri went up 31-14 with 8:31 to play in the third quarter, but again Washburn came back with a touchdown drive capped by Jake Horner pulling in a 26-yard reception from McGinnis with 6:14 to play in the third quarter.
The Mules (4-2, 4-2 MIAA) when up by 17 after a 3-yard run by Markel Smith with 10:24 to play in the game.
Washburn pulled within 10 at 38-28 with 40 seconds to play when Daniels caught his second touchdown pass of the game on a 30-yard score from McGinnis, but the onside kick failed and the Mules ran out the clock picking up the win.
Peter Pfannenstiel led the Ichabods with a career-high 15 tackles with seven solo stops adding a tackle for loss and Cody Heiman had 12 with seven solo stops. Alec Steuber had six tackles adding two sacks and two tackles for loss with two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. As a team the Ichabods recorded 14 tackles for loss and five sacks.
Hayden Groves led the Ichabods on the ground with 74 yards on 14 carries and Bryce Chavis had eight catches for 81 yards. McGinnis finished 22 for 50 for 264 yards and three touchdown passes.
Markel Smith led the Mules with 77 yards. Garrett Fugate finished 24 of 38 for 295 yards and one score. Jaylen Zachary had seven catches for 107 yards. Tevin Teamer had eight tackles along with Alex Lackey to lead the Mules.
  JOPLIN, Mo. (Oct. 15, 2016) -- Mules Football scored touchdowns on all six first half drives and racked up 672 yards of total offense in the game en route to a 56-7 rout of Missouri Southern on Saturday night at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.
The Mules (5-2, 5-2 MIAA) forced a punt on Missouri Southern's (1-6, 1-6 MIAA) first drive of the game then marched 79 yards in 11 plays to grab a 7-0 lead on Marquel McNac's five-yard touchdown run. The Lions answered right back with a 75-yard drive of their own to tie the game. TJ Fleeton hit Jordan Morrison for a two-yard score to tie the game.
It didn't take long for the Mules to regain the lead as Garrett Fugate hit Kyle Echols for a 12-yard score to cap an 8-play, 54-yard drive to give the Mules a 14-7 lead. Early in the second quarter the lead grew to 21-7 when Fugate found Wesley Thomas for a six-yard score. It was Thomas' first touchdown reception as a Mule.
Fugate accounted for three more scores in the second quarter to give the Mules a 42-7 halftime advantage. He hit Alex Strong for a five-yard score to make it 28-7 then found Echols again, this time from 21 yards out, before running one in from three yards out to give UCM the 35-point halftime cushion.
The lead grew to 49-7 late in the third quarter when Brook Bolles hit Jovante Siglar for a 26-yard score. Siglar laid out in the end zone to make the spectacular diving catch. The final score of the game for UCM came late in the fourth quarter when Kadeem McIntosh scored his first career touchdown on a four-yard rush on fourth and goal. It capped an 11-play, 99-yard drive and gave the Mules the 56-7 final.
Fugate led the way with 370 yards of total offense and accounted for five touchdowns. He was 22-of-36 for 275 yards with four scores and an interception while also rushing for 95 yards and a score on nine carries.
McIntosh carried 10 times for 66 yards and a score, while Gabe Vandiver totaled 65 yards on 14 carries. Thomas led the receiving corps with five catches for 57 yards and a score while Strong had 38 yards on five catches and a TD. Echols totaled 41 yards and a TD on three receptions. Jaylen Zachery had 58 yards on three catches.
Defensively, Kolesen Crane and Monteze Latimore had six tackles apiece. Crane also had a half a tackle for loss. Rick Pesek had five stops and a half a tackle for loss, while Jackson Newman had five tackles and a TFL and Justin Biermann added five stops as well. The Mules held MSSU to 259 yards of total offense.
Fleeton was 17-of-30 for 134 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Missouri Southern. Scott Lathrop finished with 12 catches for 101 yards. Josh Hadley led the MSSU rushing attack with 31 yards on eight carries.
  (10/15/2106) TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods scored touchdowns in all three phases of the game picking up a 30-24 win over Fort Hays State on Saturday afternoon in Yager Stadium.
The Ichabods (5-2, 5-2 MIAA) jumped on the board first with their special teams touchdown of the day when Cody Summers scored on a fake field goal from 26-yards out capping Washburn's first drive of the game as Washburn went up 7-0 with 10:28 left in the first quarter.
After the teams possessions, including the Ichabods turning it over on downs inside the Tiger 2-yard line. After three plays gaining one yard, Tiger quarterback Jacob Mezera was sacked by Akhmad Abdul-Razzaq and Austin Tillman recovered it into the end zone scoring the Ichabod defensive touchdown putting Washburn up 13-0 after the missed extra point.
Washburn's offense joined the scoring with a 67-yard touchdown strike from Derek McGinnis to Bryce Chavis for a score on the fourth play of the fourth quarter as the Ichabods increased their lead to 20-0 with 13:27 remaining in the first half.
The Tigers (5-2, 5-2 MIAA) scored on their next possession cutting the Ichabod lead to 20-7 needing eight plays and 67 yards to trim the Ichabod lead.
After the Ichabods came up empty on their next drive, the Tigers cut the lead to 20-14 on a 58-yard touchdown pass from Mezera to Shaquille Cooper with 6:30 to play in the half.
Washburn's Perry Schmiedeler added a career-long 44-yard field goal on Washburn's next possession putting Washburn up 23-14 with 4:49 left in the second quarter wrapping up the scoring in the first half.
The Ichabod special teams scored their second touchdown of the day when the Tigers were stopped on their first drive of the half and were forced to punt. Chavis recorded his first punt return for a score with an 83-yard scamper extending the Ichabod lead to 30-14.
Neither team would score until 1:32 left in the Tigers wrapped up a 55-yard drive scoring trimming Washburn's lead back to 30-17. Washburn was outgained 159 to 29 in the third quarter.
In the fourth, both teams were scoreless until the Tigers finished off the scoring with 52 seconds to play. The ensuing onside kick attempt by the Tigers was recovered by Curtis Whitten and the Ichabods would run out the clock picking up their 10th-straight win over the Tigers in Topeka.
Reigning MIAA Defensive Player of the Week Trevin Wiens led the Ichabods with 10 tackles. Cody Heiman had nine tackles with a half sack, a tackle for loss, an interception and a pass break up while Abdul-Razzaq had seven tackles with two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss for 24 yards and a forced fumble which set was recovered for an Ichabod touchdown adding two pass break ups. Overall the Ichabods had nine tackles for loss for 47 yards and three sacks for 24.
Wesley Collins led the Ichabods with 57 yards rushing and McGinnis was 8 of 20 passes for 145 yards and one score.
Chavis finished with 101 receiving yards on four catches and one score and had 189 all-purpose yards in the game.
Washburn was outgained 433 to 299 in total yards and 24 to 17 in first downs.
  •    lift the Ichabods to 540-573-44 in their football history.
•    move the Ichabods to 6-2 on the season.
•    improve the Ichabods 19-25-2 all-time against the Mules.
•    snap a four-game losing streak to the Mules and a three-game losing slide in Warrensburg.
•    the Ichabods' last win in the series was a 36-21 win on Sept. 26, 2009 in Topeka and their last win in Warrensburg was on Sept. 16, 2006 in a 14-10 win.
 
  •    drop the Ichabods to 539-574-44 in their football history.
•    drop the Ichabods to 5-3 on the season.
•    be the fifth-straight loss to the Mules and drop the Ichabods to 18-26-2 all-time against Central Missouri.
•    be the fourth-straight loss in Warrensburg.
  •  Washburn is 539-573-44 (.484) in the 125th year of Ichabod football.
•  The Ichabods are ranked 15th in NCAA Division II history in wins.
•  The Ichabods have 12 conference titles with the last coming in 2005 in the MIAA.
•  Washburn has had 126 first team all-conference picks and 44 first team all-MIAA selections.
•  Washburn has had 78 all-American selections and 54 all-American picks since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 1989.
•  Five Ichabods have been picked in the NFL Draft.
  WACO, Texas -- The Ichabods did not receive votes in the first regular season poll of the 2016 season. Under head coach Craig Schurig, the Ichabods have been ranked or have received votes in the AFCA poll 55 times and have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 15 times.
  Washburn home to face Missouri Western for the Ichabods' homecoming game in Yager Stadium with a 1 p.m. kickoff.