Kickoff
The No. 20-ranked Washburn Ichabods will open the 2012 season as they will play host to new MIAA foe Nebraska-Kearney at 6 p.m. on Aug. 30 in Yager Stadium. The two teams are both coming off second round NCAA appearances and 10-win seasons from the 2011 campaign.
Game story lines
• Washburn is having its first game of the season be at home since the 2008 season when the Ichabods topped Colorado Mines 27-3 on Aug. 28.
• The Ichabods are 71-43-6 all-time in season openers and they have gone 51-20-4 in home openers in Topeka.
• The Ichabods are 1-4 when facing Nebraska-Kearney in their first game of the season going 1-1 in openers in Topeka against the Lopers.
• The game with the Lopers will be the first meeting since Oct. 8, 1988 when the Ichabods won the CSIC match up 29-12 in Kearney.
• The last time the Lopers played in Topeka, the Ichabods won 28-0 on Oct. 10, 1987.
• Overall the Ichabods have won the last three games in the series outscoring the Lopers 81-15.
Coaches
Washburn head football coach
Craig Schurig . . .
• Named head coach of the Ichabod football program Dec. 28, 2001.
• Is 72-44 (.602) in his 11th season as the Ichabod head coach.
• Is 55-33 (.600) 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.
• Has recorded seven straight winning seasons for the first time in the program's history.
• 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 on Nov. 19.
• Is Washburn's all-time winningest coach with 72 wins.
• Has never faced Nebraska-Kearney.
• Played four years at Colorado Mines.
Nebraksa-Kearney head coach Darrell Morris . . .
• Is 92-39 entering his 13th season as the Lopers head coach.
• Is a 1983 Northwest Missouri graduate where he played quarterback.
• Has the second-highest winning percentage in Loper history (.702).
• Ranks third in school wins.
• Has led UNK to four RMAC titles and three NCAA berths.
• Has been a member of the Loper coaching staff since 1986.
Team Notebook
Quick Starts Key for Ichabods
• Under head coach
Craig Schurig, the Ichabods are 53-11 • Washburn was 8-1 when leading after the first quarter last season.
• Washburn is 51-12 when they score the first points of the ball game.
August Action
• The Ichabods are 4-2 in August action under head coach
Craig Schurig.
Red Zone Success
• In the 2009 and 2010 seasons the Ichabods have been outstanding in the red zone converting on a combined 101 of 113 trips into the red zone scoring 74 touchdowns with 27 field goals.
• In 2011 the Ichabods continued that trend scoring on 51 of 57 trips into the red zone with 40 touchdowns and 11 field goals. Opponents have scored 37 of 44 trips in the Ichabod red zone collecting 30 touchdowns with seven field goals.
Ichabods in season openers
• The Ichabods are 71-43-6 all-time in season openers and under head coach
Craig Schurig
• The Ichabods are 7-3 in the first appearance of the season and they have won the last four openers.
• The last Ichabod loss in the season lidlifter was on Aug. 25, 2007 when Washburn fell to No. 5-ranked Chadron State 34-24.
Ichabods in MIAA openers
• The Ichabods are 11-12 in MIAA openers.
• Washburn has gone 6-4 under head coach
Craig Schurig.
• The game against Nebraska-Kearney is the first time since the 1990 season the Ichabods had their first game count as a conference game. Washburn started the 1990 season with a 13-7 win over Missouri-Rolla on the road on Sept. 1.
Individual Notebook
Taylor Made
• Senior linebacker
Jahmil Taylor is the most-experienced Ichabod returning.
• He has started 32 games including the last 23 straight while appearing in 38 overall.
• He has 255 career tackles which is ninth all-time at Washburn.
• Was a second team all-MIAA pick in 2011.
• He needs four total tackles to move into eighth-place all-time on the tackle chart and six solo tackles to move into the top 10 on the solo tackles list.
Atagivision
• Junior inside linebacker
Bryce Atagi finished third last season with 101 tackles.
• He has started the last 15 consecutive games.
• A second team all-MIAA pick and third team all-region selection in 2011.
Hey Steve
• Senior offensive tackle
Steve Dieckhaus has started the last 28 games at Washburn.
• Has started two games at right guard, 13 at right tackle and 13 at left guard and will start this season at left tackle.
• An honorable mention all-MIAA pick in 2011.
Willie Will or Willie Won't
• Junior linebacker
Willie Williams is third-leading returning tackler with 83 in 2011.
Buhler . . . Buhler
• Sophomore quarterback
Mitch Buhler is the only signal caller returning from the 2011 season.
• He appeared in five games passing for 167 yards and one touchdown.
Payton's Place
• Senior wide receiver
Payton Iverson has played in 26 games at Washburn without a start.
• He led the team in 2011 with 14 special teams tackles.
It Hursts So Good
• Junior tight end
Tore' Hurst has started the last 15 games.
• Last season he had 38 catches or 591 yards.
• He tied for second on the team with eight touchdown receptions.
Washburn Walker
• Senior defensive end
Corey Walker has played in 26 games starting the last 12 games.
• He has played on both offensive and defensive lines.
• Had had eight tackles for loss last season.
True Freshmen In Uniform
• The Ichabods will have six true freshmen in uniform for the first game of the season. Of offense, quarterback
Jerame Littell, running back
Jordan Walker, wide receiver
Jordan Hart along with offensive lineman
Michael Miller and
Rayshawn Cato will be dressed.
• Defensively, linebacker
Cody Heiman is the only Ichabod who may see action.
About Nebraska-Kearney
• Reached the second round of the NCAA playoffs going 10-2 last season and 8-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
• Entering its 106th season of football.
• Graduated Jake Spitzlberger at quarterback - second leading rusher in school history, left tackle Stephen Goodin, who is with the New York Giants and cornerback Arthur Hobbs, with the San Diego Chargers.
• Return eight starters on defense.
• Defensively led by preseason All-Americans in safety Sam Kuck and Justin Thiel at tackle.
• Loper offense averaged 39.5 ppg averaging 519 yards in total offense a game in 2011.
• Will have a new offensive coordinator as Andy Siegal replaces Russ Martin who took the head coaching position at Colorado Mesa.
• Senior quarterback Kevin Romero attempted 41 passes in 2011 for the Lopers.
• Preseason return specialist and wideout All-American Tommy Flanagan had 1,193 all-purpose yards. He also punted for the Lopers.
Series history with Nebraska-Kearney
Series Record: UNK leads 14-6-0
Streak: WU has won the last three
First Meeting: UNK 19-14 (09/14/1963) in Kearney
Last Meeting: WU 29-12 (10/08/1988) in Kearney
Last WU win: 29-12 (10/08/1988) in Kearney
Last UNK win: 21-16 (11/09/1985) in Kearney
Largest WU win: 28-0 (10/10/1987) in Topeka
Largest UNK win: 55-6 (09/16/1967) in Kearney
Home Games: 3-7-0 • Away Games: 3-7-0 • Neutral Site Games: 0-0-0
Series History:
Last meeting with Nebraska-Kearney
Oct. 8, 1988 - The Washburn Ichabods scored 13 first quarter points and the first 29 of the game en route to a 29-12 win over Nebraska-Kearney at Foster Field.
Washburn opened the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Barry Griffiths to Phillip Brooks taking advantage of a Loper interception on their first play of their second drive.
Griffiths tossed his second touchdown pass of the quarter hitting Troy Slusser on a 30-yard strike as Washburn jumped out to a 13-0 lead.
Dave Ruder connected on a 24-yard field early into the second quarter and Dave Murphy caught Griffiths' third touchdown pass of the day as the Ichabods took a 22-0 lead into halftime.
Howard Holbrooks added to the Ichabod lead returning a Loper interception 72 yards with 4:37 to play in the third quarter.
UNK added a touchdown with 9:57 to play in the game and a punt return 75 yards for a score. Both PAT attempts were no good.
Griffiths finished 19 for 36 for 269 yards and three scores and Slusser had six catches for 114 yards. Dash Wandix had 14 carries for 37 yards and six catches for 68 yards.
Wade Dennis had nine tackles to lead Washburn.
Last time out for Nebraska-Kearney
Kearney, Neb. - The Wayne State University (Mich.) Warriors scored the game's first 31 points, and forced six turnovers, to beat 4th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney, 38-26, Saturday afternoon in an NCAA Division II second round playoff game at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium.
For the seventh time this fall, UNK had at least three or more turnovers in game. Today's three interceptions and three lost fumbles led to 21 Warrior points.
“We've fought turnovers all year long. I think that came back and got us,” said UNK head coach Darrell Morris. “We just spotted them way too many points.”
After Wayne took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in 12 plays to take a 7-0 lead, Warrior senior safety Jeremy Jones picked off Loper senior QB Jake Spitzlberger (Lakewood, Colo.) on UNK's first offensive play.
Jones, who came in with a team-high six picks, zigged and zagged his way down the field for a 47-yard TD and a 14-0 lead.
On the Lopers next possession, they fumbled on second down to give the Warriors possession at the UNK 27 yard line. However, the Kearney defense stiffened and got the ball back on downs.
UNK then went down the field on its third drive, only to punt after failing to covert 3rd and 7 from the Warrior 48-yard line. The UNK defense recorded another stop and Wayne was forced to punt from its end zone.
With winds gusting over 50 miles per hour, the Lopers were looking at good field position. However, the punt instead bounced off a UNK player and Wayne recovered the loose ball. This turnover, luckily, led to no points as Wayne missed a 36 yard field goal.
The tough breaks continued as, on UNK's fourth drive, a 2nd and 7 pass from the Warrior 45-yard line bounced off a Lopers hands and into the hands of Jones. He was again hard to bring down as he brought the ball back 66 yards to the Kearney four-yard line.
On the next play, sophomore RB Toney Davis scored.
Jones struck again on the next Kearney drive as he picked off another ball that bounced off a Loper receiver. He brought this pick back 31 yards to the Kearney 26-yard line.
Three players later, on 3rd and 10, Warrior QB Mickey Mohner found senior WR Troy Burrell for a short gain and he raced almost untouched for a 28-0 lead.
Wayne's final first half points came after a short punt that gave them the ball at the Loper 33-yard line. Sophomore Stefan Terleckyj nailed a 43-yard field goal with 2:07 left in the second quarter.
UNK's offense got on track in the second half as it produced four TD's in seven drives. Two of the scoring drives came in the game's final minute with the last one coming afer the Loper recovered an onside kick.
While Kearney moved the ball better, the Warriors stopped the Lopers to start the third quarter as a 4th and 9 pass from Spitzlberger fell incomplete at the WSU 33-yard line.
Kearney then fumbled on its next drive as Wayne junior defensive end Greg Haase hit Spitzlberger at the WSU nine-yard line. This marked Haase's second forced fumble of the game.
Thanks to a big second half, UNK ran 94 offensive plays for 434 yards. With an average field position of its own 45-yard line, Wayne didn't have a lot of long drives and thus ended up with 68 plays for 329 yards.
Individually, Spitzlberger ran 25 times for 92 yards and one TD and was 19 of 40 for 230 yards, one TD and three INT's. He finishes the year with 1,077 rushing yards, the 13th 1,000-rushing yard season in school history.
In his final collegiate game as well, senior RB Rustin Dring (Kearney) had 25 carries for 101 yards and one TD along with four catches for 28 yards.
Junior Adam Lehner (Hastings) had one of his best days as a Loper as he caught seven balls for 88 yards and a TD. Also, junior Tommy Flanagan (Golden, Colo.) had five receptions for a team-high 90 yards.
Wayne carried the ball 51 times for 207 yards and three TD's. UNK came in giving up 79.9 yards on the ground and had allowed only four rushing scores all season.
Senior RB Josh Renel finished with 26 carries for 121 yards and two scores with Davis at 22 carries for 69 yards. In the passing game, Mohner was 8 of 17 for 122 yards, one TD and no INT's.
Of note, Wayne technically lost two fumbles but they came on two on-sides kick plays in the final minute.
Defensively, junior safety Sam Kuck (Central City) had eight solo stops among his game-high 13 tackles with Grand Island natives Kellen Werner (11) and Pete Kropp (eight) having big efforts.
Up front, sophomore DT Sandi Stanback (Boys Town) and junior Justin Thiel (Adams Central) each made seven tackles.
Last time out for Washburn
PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabod football season came to an end with a 31-22 loss at No. 7 Pittsburg State in the second round of the playoffs. The Ichabods finished the season with a school-record 10 wins wrapping up the season 10-3.
The Ichabods were the first team to score on the rainy and windy day as the Ichabods won the opening toss and deferred to kick with the end to start the game. The Ichabods held the Gorillas to no yards on their first drive and on the ensuing punt, the ball sailed through the punter's hands for an Ichabod safety. The Ichabods would then take the free kick and march 46 yards on eight plays scoring when
Dane Simoneau hit
Matt Kobbeman on a 17-yard touchdown pass putting the Ichabods up 9-0 with 10:32 to play in the first quarter. The Ichabods held the Gorillas to 36 yards in the first quarter.
The Gorillas would score their first points on a Mandel Dixon 1-yard run to pull Pitt State within 9-7 with 10:41 to play in the opening half. After a three-and-out by the Ichabods the Gorillas took over at their own 39-yard line. On Pitt State's third down play,
Bryce Atagi picked off Zac Dickey and returned the ball 50 yards for a Washburn touchdown putting the Ichabods up 16-7 with 7:58 to play in the half.
On the Gorillas' next drive, Dixon scored his second touchdown for the Gorillas with 4:27 to play in the half cutting Washburn's lead to two at 16-14 with 4:27 to go in the half. Pitt State would add another score when Dickey hit Andrew Castaneda for a 38-yard touchdown score putting the Gorillas infront of the Ichabods 21-16 entering the halftime break.
In third quarter after the teams traded punts, Pitt State would go on an 11:14 drive eating up the clock adding to the Gorillas' lead at 24-16 with 1:26 to go in the quarter.
Again the teams traded punts and the Ichabod drove down to the Gorillas 1-yardline midway through the quarter, but Washburn was denied on four plays and the Gorillas took over possession. The Gorillas then drove 97 yards in seven plays capped by a Jason Spradling rush with 2:59 to go in the game.
The Ichabods added the final score of the game when Simoneau connected with
Tore' Hurst on a 17-yard crossing route cutting the lead to 31-22 after the extra point missed. The onside kick was recovered by the Gorillas and they ran out the clock improving to 10-1 on the season setting up a regional final contest with Northwest Missouri after the Bearcats defeated the top seeded Midwestern State 38-31.
Simoneau finished 14 of 40 with two touchdowns and 216 passing yards.
Justin Cooper was limited to 22 yards on the ground on 17 carries while Hurst led the Ichabods with four catches for 69 yards and one score.
Jahmil Taylor and
Casey Curran each had 17 tackles (11 assisted).
Bod bullets . . .
• The Ichabods have not played their first game of the season at home since Aug. 28, 2008 when they beat Colorado Mines 27-3.
• Washburn will alternate home and away games for the entire 2012 season.
Washburn football history
Washburn is 510-550-44 (.482) in the 122nd year of Ichabod football.
A win for Washburn over Nebraska-Kearney would . . .
• lift the Ichabods to 511-550-44 in their football history.
• be the Ichabods' fourth-straight win over Nebraska-Kearney.
• make the Ichabods 7-14 all-time against the Lopers.
• move the Ichabods to 12-12 in MIAA openers.
• move the Ichabods to 8-3 in season openers under head coach
Craig Schurig.
• move the Ichabods to 72-43-6 in their first game of the season.
A loss for Washburn to Nebraska-Kearney would . . .
• drop the Ichabods to 510-551-44 in their football history.
• snap an Ichabod three-game winning streak over the Lopers.
• make the Ichabods 6-15 all-time against the Lopers
• drop the Ichabods to 11-13 in MIAA openers.
• drop the Ichabods to 7-4 in MIAA openers under head coach
Craig Schurig.
• drop the Ichabods to 71-44-6 in their first game of the season.
Ichabods in the national polls
The Washburn Ichabods were tabbed No. 20 in the AFCA preseason top 25 poll. Washburn has been ranked in the top 25 in the last 13 polls and has received votes in 39 of the last 40 polls by the American Football Coaches Association. Washburn was listed at No. 25 in the d2football.com preseason media poll.
Up next
Washburn will travel to Fort Hays State on Sept. 8 to face the Tigers at 7 p.m. Washburn's next game in Yager Stadium will be Sept. 15 when the Ichabods will take on another new MIAA foe in Northeastern State at 6 p.m.
