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TOPEKA, Kan. -- The No. 9 Washburn Ichabods held off a comeback by Northeastern State to come away with a 24-20 win over the RiverHawks. Washburn will be back in action on Sept. 22 at Central Oklahoma in the MIAA TV game of the week.

Devon Connors' interception of a Johnny Deaton pass with 1:34 remaining wrapped up the win for the Ichabods at the Washburn 48 yardline. The RiverHawks took over possession with a chance to win the game after the Ichabods missed a 42-yard field goalwith 1:42 to play. Washburn would run out the clock and wrap up the win improving to 3-0 on the season and 3-0 in MIAA play.

The RiverHawks took the opening kickoff and marched 53 yards in 11 plays as Drew Patton kicked Northeastern's first field goal of the season - a 46-yard make with 10:03 to play.

The Ichabods responded with a 60-yard drive covering eight plays when Mitch Buhler hit Tore' Hurst with a 9-yard touchdown strike in the back of the end zone with 7:37 to play in the first quarter as the ichabods took a 7-3 lead.

Northeastern returned serve and regained the lead as Deaton connected with Jermaine Sherman for a 46-yard pass with 5:03 to play in the first quarter as Patton added the extra point staking NSU to a 10-7 lead.

After the teams traded drives with no success, the RiverHawks were set to punt and Connors blocked it and reutrned it 26 yards for the score putting the Ichabods in front for good at 14-10 with 14:54 to play in the first half.

A 26-yard field goal by Jeremy Linn put the Ichabods up 17-10 with 5:53 to play in the first half. Washburn scored its final points of the half on a 1-yard run by Kameron Stewart right before the half with 32 seconds to play in the half stretching the Ichabod lead to 24-10. The score was set up by Adebayo Oladapo recording his second career interception at the NSU 17.

In the third quarter, the Washburn offense struggled recording two first downs and 46 yards on 14 plays while the RiverHawks had 123 total offensive yards as neither team scored in the third quarter.

NSU's Joel Rockmore pulled the RiverHawks to within seven at 24-17 with 10:43 with a 3-yard touchdown run. A three and out by the Ichabods returned the ball back to NSU and they scored with a 27-yard field goal by Patton with 7:09 remaining.

Following a punt by the Ichabods, the Washburn defense came up big as Tyler Ewy forced a fumble by NSU's Rockmore and it was recovered by Jaime Myers at the NSU 48.

Washburn missed a field goal on the ensuing possession setting up the Connors interception.

The RiverHawks outgained the Ichabods 423 to 286, but had two interceptions and a fumble.

Buhler finished 16 of 32 for 169 yards and a touchdown. Matt Kobbeman had five catches for 91 yards (all in the first half) and Hayden Groves had 19 carries for 52 yards.

Ryan Macken had a career-high 10 tackles with five solo and assisted stops. Bryce Atagi had 10 tackles as well.

Rockmore had 176 yards on 15 carries to lead NSU to lead the RiverHawks as they had 251 rushing yards. Deaton finished 17 of 39 for 172 yards and a touchdown with two inteceptions. Sherman finished with six catches for 84 yards and the one touchdown.

Defensively Langston Jones had 13 tackles to lead NSU.