Setting the scene. . .
The Washburn Ichabods (No. 25 AFCA/No. 18 d2football.com) will look to get back on to their winning ways as they will take on Central Missouri (20/19) in their third straight road contest on Sept. 27 with a 1:30 p.m. kickoff. The Ichabods (2-1, 0-1 MIAA) fell for the first time this season dropping a 17-7 decision at Fort Hays State. The Mules topped Truman 31-28 in Kirksville.

Game 4
Washburn (2-1, 0-1 MIAA) vs  Central Missouri (3-0, 1-0 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008
Time: 1:30 p.m. CST   
Site: Warrensburg, Mo.
Stadium: Walton Stadium   
Opened: 1928
Surface: SprintTurf (Artificial)   
Capacity: 10,500
Series History: UCM leads 20-17-2 … WU is looking for second straight win in Warrensburg.
WU Rankings (AFCA/D2football.com): WU (25/18), UCM (20/19)

Game Notes: Washburn | Central Missouri

Broadcast Information:
Television: None
WU Radio:  AM580 WIBW with Bruce Steinbrock (play-by-play), Mark Elliott (color analyst), Jan Lunsford (sideline). The broadcast begins 30 minutes before kickoff.
Streaming Video: Live online through themiaa.tv (free)
Internet: Live audio available through www.wusports.com
Live Stats: Available at http://www.ucmo.edu/athletic/live/football/xlive.htm

Ichabods on Radio . . .
The game will be broadcast live on WIBW AM 580 - the home of the Ichabods and Lady Blues. The game can also be heard on the internet at www.wusports.com by following the "Live Audio” links. Bruce Steinbrock will be the play-by-play voice of the Ichabods and former WU quarterback Mark Elliott will be the color analyst. Jan Lunsford will provide sideline insight for listeners on the field.

Tailgating information for Washburn Fans:
With a large crowd expected for the Mules football game against Washburn on Saturday, September 20, at Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field, Central Missouri athletics will be opening another tailgate lot at the corner of South St. and Holden St (Lots 1 and 26).  Washburn fans wishing to tailgate are encouraged to use this lot, which is northeast of Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field and east of the UCM Physical Plant Building.   
    These lots will be in addition to the usual tailgate lot north of the UCM Physical Plant on South Street (Lot 67), which has a section designated for Mule Train members and guests. All tailgate lots will be available starting at 11:30 a.m. until the start of the third quarter of the football game.
    There are guidelines that must be followed, however. The only entry and exit must be through the designated points and all alcoholic beverages must be placed in plastic cups that will be provided upon entry to the lots. Beverages cannot be taken from the lots. Possession or consumption of alcohol by persons under the age of 21 is not allowed.

The Coaches . . .
Washburn head football coach Craig Schurig was named head coach of the Ichabod football program Dec. 28, 2001. Schurig is 42-30 (.593) in his seventh season as the Ichabod head coach and he is 32-22 (.491) against the MIAA. He has led the Ichabods to two NCAA Playoff appearances in the last three seasons and to the 2005 MIAA Championship. Schurig is 2-4 against Central Missouri and 1-2 against the Mules in Warrensburg.
Central Missouri head coach Willie Fritz is in his 12th season as head coach at the University of Central Missouri. He is 85-40 as the Mules' mentor, 62-37 against MIAA opponents. His .677 winning percentage is third best in UCM football history, while his 85 career wins rank No. 1 in school history.
A 1983 graduate of Pittsburg State University, he currently ranks eighth in the MIAA in career wins, third among active MIAA coaches

Last time out for the Ichabods . . .
HAYS, Kan. -- The No. 18 Washburn Ichabods fell 17-7 to the Fort Hays State Tigers. With the loss, the Ichabods fall to 2-1 on the season dropping their MIAA opener dropping to 0-1.
The Tigers scored first in the game as Jacobb Irving took a reverse 88-yards around the right side putting FHSU up 7-0 after the Ichabods had pinned the Tigers at their own 4-yard line after a Washburn punt. Late in the second quarter after the Ichabod defense forced the Tigers to punt, the Ichabods fumbled the return setting the Tigers up on the Washburn 11-yard line. Three plays later, the Tigers punched it in the end zone for their second score as Anthony Dickson picked up a 7-yard reception from Mike Garrison putting the Tigers up 14-0.
In the half, the Ichabods picked up 158 yards of offense while the Tigers recorded 182 with 88 coming on one play.
The Ichabods got on the board as Brandon Walker scored from 2-yards out capping a 9-yard drive which was set up by the Washburn defense after Zach Watkins intercepted a Garrison pass at the 16 and returned it seven yards.
With the Ichabods trailing 14-7, Walker ripped off a 30-yard run around the right side, but a holding penalty wiped out the score and on the next play Allen Walker picked off a Jake Iverson pass. After the Ichabod defense forced the Tigers into a three and out, Nathan Rausa nailed a 48-yard field goal with 7:34 to go in the game.
The Ichabods were limited to 23 yards on their next 15 plays as time ran out on the Ichabods.
Walker finished with 60 yards rushing for the Ichabods and Iverson was 16 of 42 for 202 yards with one interception. Joe Hastings had six catches for a career-high 76 yards.
Bruce Ringwood had 10 tackles as did Ray Trice who added two sacks for 13 yards, a tackle for 16 lost yards and a fumble recovery.
The Ichabod defense held the Tigers to 190 total offensive yards including limiting Fort Hays State to eight yards in the second half. Washburn had 16 first downs compared to 10 for the Tigers while holding FHSU to 46 yards of passing in the game.

About the opponents . . .
The Mules are 3-0 this season and 1-0 after topping Truman 31-28 last time out on Sept. 13. The Mules two non-conference wins came against Minnesota State in a 29-9 game on Aug. 28 and vs Arkansas Tech on Sept. 4 in a 49-13 win.
Glenn Milner leads the Mules offense on the ground averaging 104.7 yards per game - which ranks fifth in the MIAA per game. Milner had five touchdowns against Arkansas Tech on Sept. 4. Eric Czerniewski has connected on 64 percent of his passes (55 of 86) with one interception and eight touchdowns. His leading receiver has been Edgar Givens who is averaging 62.3 yards per game (18.7 yards per catch) and three touchdowns.
Karl Parker leads the Mules defense with 18 tackles.

Last time out for the Mules . . .
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. -- Junior QB Eric Czerniewski tossed two touchdown passes, and junior DB LaVance Dotson's interception return for a score helped seal a 31-28 victory for the 24th-ranked Central Missouri Mules over the Truman Bulldogs Saturday night (Sept. 13) at Stokes Stadium.
Czerniewski's TD passes to senior RB Glenn Milner for 29 yards snapped a 7-7 tie in the second quarter, and his 12-yard connection to sophomore FB Brent Boehringer in the third period gave the Mules (3-0, 1-0 MIAA) a 24-7 lead. He finished the game 17-of-29 for 162 yards and no interceptions.
The Bulldogs (1-1, 0-1 MIAA) started to mount a comeback thanks to a third-quarter blocked punt. Junior OLB Eric Sternberg blocked UCM junior P Jordan Hofer's boot, which was scooped up sophomore RB Anton Bernard at the Mules 43 and returned for a touchdown to cut the gap to 24-14 with 3:25 remaining in the quarter.
After forcing a UCM punt on the next possession, Truman marched 90 yards on 14 plays, with senior QB Matt Ticich finding junior WR Albert Coker for a 7-yard TD catch as the Bulldogs edged within three points with 9:43 left in the game. Ticich was 6-of-8 on the drive for 78 yards.
The Mules were able to get some breathing room with five minutes left. The Bulldogs were trying to escape from deep in their own territory when Dotson picked off Ticich at the Truman 37, and scored to give UCM a 31-21 lead.
Truman went 75 yards in just seven plays to get within three, as junior RB Phil Kenney cashed in from a yard out with 2:53 left. Ticich was 4-of-5 through the air on the drive for the other 74 yards, and finished the game 27-of-48 for 379 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
The Bulldogs would not have a chance to get the win, as the Mules ran out the clock on their ensuing possession.
Kenney added a pass reception for a TD -- he had seven catches for 127 yards -- and senior TE Ryan King also added seven grabs for 93 yards. Truman out-gained the Mules, 408-297.
Milner gave UCM a 7-0 lead with a 1-yard TD run, and finished with 128 rushing yards on 25 carries. Sophomore TE DeMarco Cosby led the Mules with five catches for 62 yards.
Senior LB Mike Dillon had nine tackles (three solos) to pace Central Missouri, while junior Matt Burel made 10 tackles (one solo, one for loss) to pace Truman.

Series Notes . . .
Saturday's meeting is the 40th meeting in the series. The Mules lead the series 20-17-2. The Ichabods have won two of the last three meetings after falling last season 28-14 in Topeka. Prior to the Ichabods back to back wins in 2005 and 2006, the Mules had won eight straight.
Series Record: UCM leads 20-17-2
First Meeting: WU 6, UCM 0 (1902)
Last Meeting: UCM 28-14 (9/22/08) in Topeka
Last WU win: 14-10 (9/16/06) in Warrensburg
Last UCM win: UCM 28-14 (9/22/08) in Topeka
Largest WU win: 34-0 (9/28/1963) in Topeka
Largest UCM win: 37-0 (11/7/1998) in Topeka

Last Meeting with Central Missouri . . .
(Sept. 22, 2007) TOPEKA, Kan. -- Junior RB Glenn Milner scored three touchdowns and the Central Missouri defense picked off four passes to grab a 28-14 win over Washburn Saturday afternoon in Yager Stadium at Moore Bowl.
Milner scored on runs of 6 and 21 yards in the first half to give the Mules (3-1, 1-1 MIAA) a 14-7 lead with 11:15 to go in the second quarter. An interception by sophomore DB Adrian Chapman set up the go-ahead score by Milner, who finished with 119 rushing yards on 28 carries.
Sophomore RB Justin Gore made it a 14-point UCM advantage to finish off a 71-yard, 13-play drive with a 5-yard scoring run with 14 seconds in the second period to make it 21-7.
The Central Missouri defense held Washburn (2-2, 1-1 MIAA) to only 16 offensive plays in the first half, forcing four punts to go with the interception.
The only Ichabods touchdown in the first 30 minutes came on a 49-yard interception return by senior DB Cary Williams which game WU a 7-0 lead at the 8:57 mark of the first period.
Milner made it 28-7 with 8:11 remaining in the third quarter on a 3-yard run. Sophomore QB Stinson Dean was 4-of-4 passing for 55 of the 78 yards on the drive -- he finished the day 15-of-25 for 173 yards with two interceptions.
Dean's second interception, returned 5 yards by senior LB Aaron Hicks with 4:50 left in the third quarter, set up Washburn's only offense TD of the game. Senior QB Jordan Brill completed three passes in a row, the last being a 6-yard scoring toss to sophomore WR Dramegeon Powers with 1:52 remaining in the period.
Washburn could get no closer, as Brill was limited to five fourth-quarter passing yards on 1-of-6 attempts with two interceptions. He was 7-of-18 on the day for 79 yards with the four picks.
The Mules defense limited the Ichabods to 142 total yards, and 1-of-10 on third-down conversions. Junior LB Adrian Singletary had seven tackles (four solos) to lead the defense. Senior DB Kendall Ricketts added six stops (four solos) and joined Chapman, and senior DBs Bruce Williams and Justin Brown with interceptions.
Sophomore LB Zach Watkins had 20 tackles (eight solos) for Washburn.
   
Washburn Football History . . .
Washburn is 485-542-44 in the 118th year of Ichabod football.

A win for Washburn would . . .
lift the Ichabods to 486-541-44 in their football history … be the second straight win for the Ichabods in Warrensburg … give the Ichabods an 18-20-1 all-time series record with the Mules …  even the Ichabods' MIAA record at 1-1.

A loss for Washburn would . . .
drop the Ichabods to 485-542-44 in its football history … give the Ichabods a 17-21-1 all-time record with the Mules … drop the Ichabods to 0-2 in MIAA play for the first time since the 2003 season when the Ichabods opened the season with four straight conference losses.

Tigers Final Notes . . .
The loss – dropped the Ichabods to 37-23-3 all-time against the Tigers … snapped a three-game winning streak over the Tigers … was the first loss in Hays since a 37-29 setback on Sept. 14 in Craig Schurig's first season at Washburn … dropped the Ichabods to 0-1 in MIAA action for the first time since the 2003 season when the Ichabods lost at Emporia State 35-28 in overtime.
 
The Ichabods in MIAA openers . . .
The Ichabods fell to 9-11 in MIAA openers since joining the conference. Against Fort Hays State, the Ichabods had their four game MIAA opening game win streak snapped. Under Schurig, the Ichabods are 4-3 in their first MIAA game of the season.

The Ichabods in the National Polls . . .
The Washburn Ichabods fell in both polls this week after the loss to Fort Hays State on Sept. 13. The Ichabods dropped to No. 25 in the American Football Coaches Association national poll from No. 18 and fell from No. 13 to No. 20 in the d2football.com national media poll. The Ichabods have been as high as No. 18 in the AFCA poll this season and No. 13 in the d2football.com poll in 2008.

Ichabods vs ranked opponents . .
   The Ichabods are 8-36 vs ranked Division II opponents after their win over No. 18 Pittsburg State on Nov. 3, 2007. The win over the then No. 14 ranked Colorado Mines in the 2005 opener was the first win over a ranked team on the road for the Ichabods and the win over then No. 5 Northwest Missouri was the Ichabods' highest win over a ranked opponent on the road.  The Ichabods' highest win ever over a ranked opponents is their 35-34 overtime win over Pittsburg State, who was ranked No. 4 before losing to the Ichabods on Oct. 1, 2005. Under head coach Craig Schurig, the Ichabods are 8-15 against ranked opponents since 2002. They are 6-7 since the 2004 season including a 3-1 record in 2005 and an 1-3 record in 2007.

Bods and Ends . . .
• The 42 passing attempts against Fort Hays State tied the most a Craig Schurig-coached team has attempted - Washburn attempted 42 at Missouri Western on Nov. 8, 2003 and against the Griffons again on Oct. 26, 2002.
• The Ichabods have not had a 100-yard rusher this season and a total of four games dating back to last season since an Ichabod running back has gone over the century mark (Terrence Lowe had 177 and Ra'Shawn Mosley had 145 - both against Southwest Baptist on Nov. 10, 2007).
• The 46-passing yards allowed by the Ichabod defense against Fort Hays State was the lowest total since Washburn gave up only 57 to Emporia State on Oct. 28, 2006. The game before, Washburn allowed only 14 to Truman in a rain-soaked game where the Bulldogs completed 1 of 4 passes.
• The last time an Ichabod defense held an opponent to under 200 yards in total offense was the same game against the Hornets when they allowed 168 yards on 54 plays.
• The 85 total rushing yards by the Ichabods against the Tigers was the lowest since 63 on 24 carries last season in the loss to Central Missouri on Sept. 22, 2007.
• Since 1961, the Ichabods are 2-4 on Sept. 20 and 1-1 against the Mules on that date.

Record Chasers . . .
Several Ichabods enter the 2008 season with top 10 career records on the line in different categories.
• Senior running back Brandon Walker moved into ninth on the career rushing chart with 1,783 yards trailing all-time leader Ra'Shawn Mosley with 3,416. Against Missouri State, Walker passed Bill Baker (1951-53) and Art Fletcher (1946-49) to move into ninth on the career chart. He needs 60 yards to pass Tyler Schuerman (2000-04) for eighth on the chart.
• Walker is also tied for ninth on the all-time career touchdowns scored chart with 23 (19 rush, 4 receiving). The all-time leader is Trent Hearn (2002-06) with 49 (48 rush, 1 receiving).
• Junior linebacker Zach Watkins has 265 career tackles, which is seventh on the all-time Washburn chart … he trails Grant Gould (2002-05) who had 459 career tackles on the top of the charts.
• Watkins' 148 career assisted tackles is fourth all-time at Washburn trailing Gould's 254.
• Senior defensive end Eric Lawrence has 32.0 career tackles for loss trailing Tony Scollieri (1994-97) who had 37.0 tackles for loss.
• Lawrence is fifth in all-time sacks at Washburn with 13.5 trailing Jim Butler (1985-87) who had 29.5 in his career.
• Bruce Ringwood is eighth in career tackles for loss with 23.

Up next . . .
Following the game with the Mules, the Ichabods will return home for the first time in more than a month when they Missouri Western on Family Day in Yager Stadium at 1 p.m.  on Sept. 27. After the game with the Griffons, the Ichabods will again hit the road for an Oct 4 date with Missouri Southern before returning home for homecoming festivities with Emporia State on Oct. 11.