Opening Notes
•     The Washburn Ichabods will hit the road for the first time as they will travel to Kearney, Neb., to face the Lopers in a 7 p.m. kick from Cope Stadium on Sept. 11. It will be the home opener for the Lopers.
•    The Ichabods are coming off a 44-38 loss to Lindenwood in Yager Stadium on Sept. 4 snapping an Ichabod six-game season-opening game winning streak.
•     The Lopers lost to No. 1 Northwest Missouri 31-7 on Sept. 4 in Maryville.

 'Bods and Ends
• The Ichabods are making their second-straight visit to face the Lopers on the road. Washburn won last season in Kearney 58-13 in the first game of the season.
• Washburn's blocked punt for a touchdown by Peter Pfannenstiel in the first quarter against Lindenwood was the first once since Isaac Wright scored on a 15-yard blocked punt return against the Lopers last season.

 Coaching Staffs
Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig . . .
• was named head coach of the Ichabod football program Dec. 28, 2001. 
• is 87-52 (.602) in his 13th season as the Ichabod head coach. 
• is 69-42 (.630) 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 ten-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 during the 2011 season.
• is Washburn's all-time winningest coach with 87 wins.
• is 2-0 against Nebraska-Kearney.

Nebraska-Kearney head coach Darrell Morris . . . 
•     is 98-55 overall in his 15th season as a head coach.
• is 0-2 against Washburn.

 Ichabod Offensive Notes
•     Senior running back Version needs 928 rushing yards to become the all-time leader …  has also rushed for 27 touchdowns and has two of the top three single-game totals in school history.
•     Senior quarterback Mitch Buhler has made 21 starts at Washburn passing for 4,165  career yards and 44 touchdowns … his 44 TD passes are fourth all-time at Washburn and his 316 career completions are sixth … the 49 passing attempts was a career-high for Buhler against Lindenwood as were his 26 completions.
•     Junior running back Sean McPherson has rushed for 981 yards in his career.
•     Senior DaJuan Beard became the 12th Ichabod to catch at least 100 passes and he now has 131 catches which is fifth all-time at Washburn … his 1,948 yards is seven all-time at well at Washburn … he caught three touchdown passes for the third time in his career and did it for the first time since the 2011 season.
•     Senior Dylan Ready has played in 33 games on the offensive line and has started at left tackle, left guard and right tackle on the offensive line.
•    Junior Connor Crimmins has appeared in 23 games adding 26 catches for 387 yards … Crimmins, who also plays baseball for the Ichabods, is switching from No. 14 to No. 19 to honor former Ichabod baseball coach Steve Anson … his seven receptions and 90 receiving yards were also career-highs.
•     Junior Cameron Brown is moving back into the starting line up this season at center after starting 10 games at right guard in 2012. 
•     Junior Sam Eickhoff has started eight career games at fullback appearing in 17 games.
•     Junior wide receiver Jordan Hart is back after playing in pats of five games last season … he has 32 catches for 642 yards and seven touchdowns in his career.
•     Sophomore running back Donnie Lockhart III received a medical redshirt after recording 26 carries for 120 yards and three touchdowns last season.
•     Junior Jordon McCallister is starting at left guard and made three starts in 2013 appearing in eight games overall.
•     Sophomore Michael Miller was an honorable mention all-MIAA pick after starting 11 games at left guard … this season he is moving to right tackle.
•    Senior Matt Buhler had a career-high four catches for a career-high 58 yards against Lindenwood.

 Ichabod Defensive Notes
• Senior safety Calvin Kenney has played in 31 games making 26 starts tallying 165 tackles with 100 solo stops with four interceptions.
• Sophomore defensive end Akhmad Abdul-Razaq moves into a starting defensive end position after recording 23 tackles last season appearing in 11 games.
• Senior defensive tackle Bryan Dale has appeared in 35 games … he has recorded 42 career tackles.
• Senior defensive end Alex Dowty has appeared in 26 games with 43 tackles.
• Senior defensive tackle Tyler Ewy has made 14 starts including 11 in 2013 appearing in 29 games with 49 tackles and 9.5 career tackles for loss.
• Sophomore defensive back Zach Franklin appeared in 11 games last season and is scheduled for the start on Thursday … the nine tackles against Lindenwood was a career-high.
• Sophomore linebacker Cody Heiman is back to the defensive side of the ball after rushing for 426 yards and 91 carries with six touchdowns in 2013 …he played the first four games on defense and has made two starts at linebacker. … his nine tackles against Lindenwood was a career-high.
• Senior defensive back Dwayne Joseph has made seven starts recording 51 tackles with 36 solo stops in his career.
• Junior linebacker Mark Kolmer is another Ichabod moving from offense to defense as he's played in 22 career games with six starts adding 26 tackles … he made six starts at fullback last season … his seven tackles against Lindenwood was a career high.
• Junior safety Jaime Myers has made 12 starts playing in 23 games with 63 tackles and three interceptions … he has 900 all-purpose yards including a career-high 187 against Lindenwood last time out.
• Junior safety Shay Wooten moves into a starting safety role recording 67 career tackles appearing in 23 games.

 Ichabod Special Team Notes
• Sophomore Justin Linn returns after being honored as a first team all-MIAA kicker in 2013 … he was a preseason all-American selection for this season by D2Football.com … he connected on his only attempt of 26 yards in the opener against Lindenwood.
• Senior Aaron Hummert has 137 punts for 5,588 yards averaging 40.79 yards per punt playing in 36 career games … his 40.79 career punting average is the best in school history.

 Know the Foe
• Nebraska-Kearney is led by senior left tackle Cole Manhart. The Highland Ranch, Colo., native made multiple All-America teams last season and was a unanimous first team All-MIAA performer in 2013.
• Junior quarterback Bronson Marsh only started five games last year for the Lopers but won the starting job out of fall camp. 
• Romero Cotton is UNK's most experienced returning running back. The junior switched numbers from No. 28 to No. 11 during the offseason. He was an all-MIAA performer last year, recording five touchdowns and 801 yards. During the winter season, Cotton won the NCAA Division II wrestling title at 197 pounds.
• The Loper offensive line will also be a strong point fo rthe 2014 season. Along with Manhart, UNK has seniors Pete Trausch, Brett Douglas and Cody Wheeler. Left guard Jake Spies is a junior that made 11 starts last season.
• UNK has only two returning players last year that played wide receiver in Dalton Sealey and Darren Mason. Three transfers and a pair of position changes will fill out the rest of the receiving corps for the Lopers.
• Defensively, sophomore linebacker Tyke Kozeal had a school-record 118 tackles last fall and was an honorable mention MIAA performer.
• Defensive end Matt Bowman had 131 career tackles, 23 for losses.
• UNK lost the first four games of the 2013 season before rebounding to win 3-of-4 midway.

 Series Notes with Nebraska-Kearney
Series Record: UNK leads 14-8-0
Streak: WU has won the last five
First Meeting: UNK 19-14 (09/14/1963) in Kearney
Last Meeting: WU 58-13 (09/05/2013) in Kearney
Last WU win: 58-13 (09/05/2013) in Kearney
Last UNK win: 21-16 (11/09/1985) in Kearney
Largest WU win: 58-13 (09/05/2013) in Kearney
Largest UNK win: 55-6 (09/16/1967) in Kearney 

 Last Meeting with Nebraska-Kearney
(9/5/13) KEARNEY, Neb. -- The Washburn Ichabods opened the 2013 season with a 58-13 win over Nebraska-Kearney at Cope Stadium in Kearney. 
Washburn wasted little time getting on the board to start the season as Sean McPherson scored on a 7-yard run capping its season-opening drive of eight plays and 64 yards putting Washburn up 7-0. After the teams traded turnovers, Washburn's Justin Linn hit the first of his three field goals on the night with a 23-yard score set up by a fumble recovery by D.J. Wakes putting washburn up 10-0 with 5:28 to play in the first quarter.
The Lopers would take their next possession and drive to the Ichabod 16 yard line but was stopped at the WU 16 on a fourth and one with Wakes ended the drive.
After a Washburn punt, UNK would take advantage of a fourth down conversion on a fake punt and go on to score but the extra point hit the right goal post. Washburn used a quick strike when Mitch Buhler hit Jordan Hart for a 68-yard touchdown score stretching the Ichabod lead to 17-6. 
Neither team would score until the combination of Buhler to Hart struck again with a 55-yard completion on a 1-play drive putting the Ichabods up 24-6 going into the half.
In the third quarter, the Lopers took the opening kickoff and was held to a three and out and on the UNK punt Isaac Wright broke through the line and blocked the punt and then scooped it up and scored from 15-yards out adding to the Ichabod 31-6 lead.
The Lopers fumbled on their next drive and the Ichabods took advantage as Buhler used a shovel pass to Kameron Stewart and he rumbled in from 28-yards out moving the lead to 38-6.
After another UNK turnover, who had seven in the game, Linn connected on a 51-yard field goal, which was one shy of the school record pushing Washburn's lead up to 35 at 41-6 with 8:47 left to play in the third quarter.
Wakes recorded an interception to go with his fumble recovery setting up a 40-yard field goal by Linn with 3:58 to play in the third quarter as the Ichabods would lead 44-6 at the end of the third quarter. After another UNK fumble, Washburn's Noel Phillips wrapped up a three-play drive with a 5-yard score with 10:50 to play in the game.
UNK punted on its ensuing possession, but would pick off a Washburn pass for their first score since the first score since the second quarter cutting the lead to 51-13.
Washburn wrapped up the scoring in the game with a 10-play, 75-yard drive when Donnie Lockhart III scored on a 1-yard plunge with 4:09 left in the game.
Buhler finished the game 16 of 29 for 273 yards and three touchdowns as Hart finished with three catches for 150 yards and the two scores. DaJuan Beard had five catches for 41 yards and two punt returns for 42 yards. McPherson had 11 rushes for 69 yards and the one score.
Bryce Atagi led the Ichabod defense with nine tackles and Cameron Jackson had six. Willie Williams had four tackles and two interceptions.
Overall each team had 22 first downs and the Ichabods finished with 168 rushing. Washburn finished with 352 yards passing and 520 total offensive yards. The Ichabod defense limited the Lopers to 350 yards offense with 187 on the ground and 163 in the air.

 Last time out for Nebraska-Kearney
(9/4/2014) Sophomore running back Phil Jackson II ran for three touchdowns and the Northwest Missouri State defense held Nebraska-Kearney in check in a 31-7 victory Thursday night at Bearcat Stadium in Maryville.
This was the season opener for both teams. Northwest, ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division II and coming off a 15-0 national champion season, now leads the all-time series with the Lopers by an 8-3 margin.
A crowd of 7,878 watched the Bearcats, now 32-2 at home since 2009, grab a 17-7 lead right before halftime as sophomore kicker Simon Mathiesen booted a 44-yard field goal.
The kick capped a nine play, 38-yard drive that featured a 3rd and 4 conversion at mid field. The Bearcats went 10 of 18 on 3rd downs for the game.
Jackson, who finished with 56 yards on 12 carries, broke a 7-7 tie when he scored from a yard out at the 5:44 mark of the second quarter. That was his fourth run of a 26-yard drive that was kept alive when junior QB Brady Bolles threw a 13-yard pass to senior receiver Korey Jackson along the sidelines.
Bolles, from Lincoln, finished 19 of 30 for 257 yards, one TD and one INT. He also was sacked three times for a loss of seven yards.
Northwest finished the scoring when they tallied two TD's in about a minute span midway through the 3rd quarter.
A seven play, 74-yard drive ended when Jackson broke several tackles and raced 25 yards for a score. The 'Cats then forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and, three plays later, Jackson scored from two yards out.
UNK's best offensive drive came late in the 1st quarter when junior back Romero Cotton (Hutchinson, Kans.) powered the team down the field, having runs of nine, 17 and 36 yards.
The 10-play, 78-yard drive ended when junior QB Bronson Marsh (Millard South H.S.) made a couple of slippery moves to reach the end zone from eight yards out on 3rd and goal.
Facing the nation's best defense, with All-Americans at several positions, UNK finished with 165 yards on 50 plays. Meanwhile, Northwest had 435 yards while running 30 more plays.
Cotton finished with 15 carries for 76 yards with Marsh scrambling 11 times for 48 yards and that one score. He also was 5 of 17 for 27 yards and one INT. Five different Lopers had a reception, including newcomers Allen Sampson (Tampa, Fla.), Kevin Lane (Carson, Calif.) and Kalen Woodyard (Ocala, Fla.).
The Loper defense forced four punts, got an INT from redshirt freshman safety George Brown (University City, Mo.) and had 8.0 tackles for loss, including three sacks for a loss of 15 yards.14105
Sophomore inside backers Tyke Kozeal (14) and Dexter Becker (10) led the way in tackles with junior corner Shai Harris (Glendale, Ariz.) at nine and junior safety Dillon Loschen (Columbus) making eight.
Finally, senior Davis Brendel (Denver, Colo.) averaged 44.4 yards on eight punt attempts and also ran nine yards for a first down on a fake punt. Kozeal also fooled the 'Cats, running six yards for a first down on another fake punt.
For Northwest, besides Bolles and Jackson II, receiver Bryce Young had eight catches for 144 yards, including a 65-yard scoring grab to start the scoring. The NW defense managed 8.0 TFL with seven different players having four or more stops.

 Last time out for Washburn
(9/4/2014) TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods scored the first 17 points of the game but lost in a shootout falling 44-38 to Lindenwood on Thursday night in Yager Stadium. 
After deferring the opening kickoff, the Ichabods forced a three-and-out and then Jarvis Harrod blocked the Lions' punt and Peter Pfannenstiel picked it up and ran 26 yards for the score. Washburn forced another punt on the Lions and next drive and needed seven plays to go up 14-0 after Mitch Buhler connected with DaJuan Beard for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 11 minutes to play in the first quarter. 
The two teams traded drives and Justin Linn hit a 26-yard field goal with 5:04 to play in the frame staking the Ichabods to a 17-0 lead. The Lions scored their first points when Marvin Byrd scored from five yards out cutting the lead to 17-7. Washburn pushed the lead back to 17 after Buhler and Beard hooked up again for a touchdown pass for 24 yards just before the end of the quarter. 
The Lions cut the lead to 10 at 24-14 on their first drive of the second quarter and then trimmed it to three at 24-21 with 3:25 to play in the first half. The Lions would go on to tie the score at 24 on a 40-yard field goal. 
The Ichabods regained the lead on another Buhler to Beard connection on a 3-yard strike with 5:27 to play in the third quarter. The Lions needed on a 97-yard kickoff return by Lavorrie Johnson. The Lions took the lead at 37-31 after an Ichabod turnover wiith just over a minute to play in the third quarter. 
Washburn regained the lead on a 14-yard pass from Buhler to Connor Crimmins at 38-37 with 14:09 to play in the game. However the Lions used a 13-play, 79-yard drive to go up 44-38 with 8:13 to play as the Ichabods were unable to retake the lead. 
Vershon Moore led the Ichabods with 108 rushing yards and Buhler finshed 26 for 49 with four touchdown passes. Crimmins had seven catches for 90 yards and Beard finished with six catches for 57 yards and three scores. 
Defensively Washburn was led by Cody Heiman and Zach Franklin who head had nine tackles. Calvin Kenney had seven adding an interception and Mark Kolmer had seven tackles as well. 
As a team Washburn outgained the Lions 451 to 319 recording 26 first downs compared to 18 for the Lions. The Lions finished with 13 points of Ichabod turnovers turning out to be the difference in the game. 

 Washburn Football History
Washburn is 525-558-44 (.480) in the 124th year of Ichabod football. 

 A win for Washburn over Nebraska-Kearney would . . .
• lift the Ichabods to 526-558-44 in their football history.
• be the Ichabods' sixth-straight win over the Lopers and the second-straight in Kearney.
• make the Ichabods 9-14 all-time against the Lopers.
• move the Ichabods to 1-1 in MIAA play.
• snap a four-game losing streak dating back to last season.

 A loss for Washburn to Nebraska-Kearney would . . .
• drop the Ichabods to 525-559-44 in their football history.
• be the Lopers' first win over the Ichabods since a 21-16 win in Kearney on Nov. 9, 1985.
• drop the Ichabods to 8-15 all-time against the Lopers.
• be the Ichabods' fifth-straight loss dating back to the 2013 season … the longest streak by an Ichabod team since the first five games of head coach Craig Schurig's coaching career at Washburn in 2002.

 A look back at the loss to Lindenwood . . .
• the loss dropped the Ichabods to 525-558-44 in their football history.
• was the first win by Lindenwood over the Ichabods.
• dropped Washburn's record to 2-1 against the Lions.
• was the Ichabods' fourth-straight loss dating back to the 2013 season … the longest streak by an Ichabod team since the first five games of head coach Craig Schurig's coaching career at Washburn.
• Washburn fell to 74-44-6 all-time in season openers and dropped to 52-21-4 when their opening game was played at home.
• Washburn had its streak of six-stragith season-opening wins snapped.
• Was the first loss in a season opener since falling to No. 5-ranked Chadron State on Aug. 25, 2007 in a 34-24 loss.

 Ichabods in the National Polls
WACO, Texas -- The Ichabods fell did not receive any votes this week after the loss to Lindenwood after receiving votes in the preseason poll released on Aug. 18.
Under head coach Craig Schurig, the Ichabods have been ranked or have received votes in the AFCA poll 52 times and have been ranked in the top 10 15 times. Washburn has received votes in or been ranked in 10-consecutive AFCA preseason polls.

 Up Next
The Ichabods will return home to face top 25 foe Pittsburg State at 2:07 p.m. on Sept. 20 in the MIAA TV Game of the Week. It will also be Family Day as well at Washburn. The meeting will be the first for the Ichabods and the Gorillas since the 2011 season.