•     The Washburn Ichabods return home to face Pittsburg State in a battle of 3-1 teams on Saturday in Yager Stadium … kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
•     The Ichabods (3-1, 3-1 MIAA) are coming off a 47-44 win over Nebraska-Kearney in three overtimes in the longest game in school history … the win moved the Ichabods to 4-5 in overtime games and was Washburn's first since a 27-24 overtime win over Fort Hays State on Oct. 4, 2014 in Topeka.
•     The Gorillas (3-1, 3-1 MIAA) have won their last three games after a season-opening loss to then No. 20-ranked Central Missouri 34-27 in Pittsburg … Saturday's game will be the second-consecutive road contest for the Gorillas after beating Lindenwood 50-19 last time out in St. Charles, Mo.
•     The Gorillas lead the all-time series 62-23-1, with the Ichabods six of the last 10 … Washburn won 28-21 in Pittsburg last season while the Gorillas won the last meeting in Topeka 42-0.
•     Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig will be going for win No. 100 in his career at Washburn … his 99 wins are the most by any coach at Washburn and tied for fifth all-time in MIAA coaching wins with Red Wade who coached at Truman from 1951-66.
•     Chuck Broyles from Pittsburg State is the all-time winningest MIAA coach with 198 wins followed by Mel Tjeerdsma from Northwest Missouri with 183 who have both retired. Current Missouri Western head coach Jerry Partridge has 147 win and former Missouri S&T (Rolla) coach Charlie Finley recorded 100, which is fourth all-time in the MIAA. With the win over Lindenwood two weeks ago Schurig passed former Central Missouri coach Willie Fritz who had 97.
•     Schurig spent eight years as a graduate assistant and full-time assistant at Pittsburg State from 1993-2001 prior to coming to Washburn.
•     The Ichabods have had 31 plays of longer than 20 yards this season including five more than 50 yards.
•  The Ichabods are averaging 4.3 yards per carry on first down, 5.0 yards per carry on second down and 2.9 yards per carry on third down … on fourth down the Ichabods are averaging -4.4 yards per carry on three attempts.
•  When passing, Washburn is 13 of 27 on first down, 19 of 37 on second down, 20 of 46 on third down and 0 of 4 on fourth down.
  Washburn Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig . . .
•     was named head coach of the Ichabod football program Dec. 28, 2001.
•     is 99-65 (.611) in his 15th season as the Ichabod head coach.
•     is 81-55 (.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 99 wins.
•     is 7-6 against Pittsburg State.
 
Pittsburg State head coach Tim Beck . . .
•     has compiled a 56-20 (.733) career record is in his seventh season as head coach at Pitt State. 
•     led his alma mater (PSU, '88) to the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championship three seasons ago, earning national coach of the year honors from Liberty Mutual, the Don Hansen Football Committee and FieldTurf™.
•     became the school's 14th all-time head football coach in December 2009, after serving for 23 seasons as an assistant coach for the Gorillas including 16 years as the team's offensive coordinator from 1994-2009.
•     is 2-3 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 will wear No. 9.
  •     The Ichabods held the Lopers to -3 passing yards in the first quarter and to only 27 in the second quarter as the Lopers finished with 203 for the game.
•     Cody Heiman leads the team with 38 tackles with 21 solo stops adding 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks with an interception and seven passes defended … he needs 12 tackles to reach 200 total tackles for his career.
•     Austin Tillman is second on the team with 36 tackles after recording a career-high 13 against the Lopers last time out.
•     Corey Ballentine had a career-high two tackles for loss against the Lopers
•     Trey Parker tied a career-high for tackles with seven last time out against Lindenwood.
•  Spenser Matthews leads the Ichabods with five tackles for loss for 15 yards and has 2.5 sacks … he is ranked fourth in the MIAA in tackles for loss with 5.0 for 15 yards and he is fourth in sacks at 2.5 total.
•     Derrick McGreevy had a career-high six tackles last time out against the Lopers as did Trey Merritt with five.
•  The Ichabods have the fourth-best total defense in the league allowing 383.3 yards per game … Northwest Missouri leads the league with 208.0 yards per game and Pittsburg State is fifth allowing 398.0 yards per game.
•     Washburn is third in the league in rush defense allowing 129.3 yards per game trailing Northwest Missouri (68.3 ypg)  and Missouri Western (82.0 ypg).
•  The Ichabods are second in the league in sacks with nine for 47 yards … Northwest Missouri leads the league with 10 sacks.
  •     Reigning MIAA Offensive Player of the Week Mickeel Stewart had career-highs of four touchdowns scored, 19 rushing attempts, 87 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns against the Lopers … he was the first Ichabod to score at least four touchdowns in a single game since Justin Cooper rushed for four against Abilene Christian in a first round NCAA playoff game on Nov. 19, 2011 … Stewart is third in the MIAA in scoring averaging 9.0 ppg and he is ninth in rushing yards per game at 51.5.
•     Horner is ranked third in the MIAA in receiving averaging 87.0 yards per game.
•     Derek McGinnis went over the 3,000-yard passing mark against Lindenwood … he has 3,225 yards … which is 10th on the all-time passing chat at Washburn …he needs 252 yards to move into ninth all-time … his 34 touchdown passes are fifth all-time on the Ichabod chart.
•     Bryce Chavis recorded two touchdowns for the third time in his career against Lindenwood with the second one coming on a 25-yard rushing touchdown … he has 909  career receiving yards and 61 catches.
•     The Ichabods are eighth in scoring offense at 26.3 ppg in the MIAA rankings and eighth in total offense at 384.7 yards per game.
•     Washburn has the sixth-best rushing offense in the league at 160.3 yards per game and they are ranked 10th in passing offense at 227.8 yards per game.
•     James Brania-Hopp had a career-high four catches for 36 yards against the Lopers.
•     Chris McGee, Jr., had a career-high 82 yards rushing against the Lopers and his 67 yard run was a career-long.
  •  Perry Schmiedeler recorded a career-high three field goals including a long of 39 yards against the RiverHawks and he scored a career-high 12 points with the three field goals and three extra points.
•  Perry Schmiedeler is 12th in the MIAA in kick scoring at 7.0 points per game.
•     Schmiedeler is third in the MIAA in punting with a 39.8 ypg average.
•     Schmiedeler tied a career-high with five extra points against the Lopers.
•     Kenyatte Harris, Jr., had three punt returns for 36 yards including a career-long 18 against the Lopers.
  •     Pittsburg State received votes in this week's AFCA Top 25 coaches poll.
•     Pittsburg State is 3-1 this season riding a three-game winning streak after dropping its opener with Central Missouri.
•     The Gorillas are 78-24 in their last 102 road games … in games played in Topeka the Gorillas are 32-12 … the Ichabods have won three of the last four played in Yager Stadium dating back to a 35-34 win in overtime on Oct. 1, 2005, which broke a 25-game losing streak to the Gorillas.
•     The Gorillas are averaging 462.2 yards per game while holding opponents to 398 yards per game of offense.
•     Pitt State has been outscored 40 to 31 in the third quarter, but have dominated the fourth quarter of games outscoring its opponents 42 to 10.
•     Thomas LePage is averaging 35.5 yards per game on the ground … quarterback John Roderique, who returned to the field after suffering an injury in the opener, rushed for 56 yards on 10 carries and completed 18 of 29 attempts with two touchdowns and one interception for 279 yards against Lindenwood.
•     Spencer Brown leads the team with 28 tackles.
  Series Record: PSU leads 62-23-1
Streak: WU won the last one
First Meeting: PSU 21-7 (10/08/1921) in Topeka
Last Meeting: WU 28-21 (09/19/2015) in Pittsburg
Last WU win: 28-21 (09/19/2015) in Pittsburg
Last PSU win: 42-0 (09/20/2014) in Topeka
Largest WU win: 55-3 (10/17/2009) in Topeka
Largest PSU win: 61-0 (10/28/1989) in Pittsburg
• Washburn has won six of the last 10 meetings.
• The Gorillas were ranked No. 4 in the nation in the 2015 win.
• Washburn is 12-32 in games played in Topeka against the Gorillas and 11-30-1 in games played in Pittsburg.
  •     There are two current coaches on the Ichabod coaching staff with ties to Pitt State.
•     Ichabod football strength and conditioning coach David Trupp was the defensive line and offseason strength and condition coordinator for the Gorillas from 1996 to 1998.
•     Ichabod defensive secondary coach LaRon Moore's uncle Ron Moore played at Pittsburg State and won the Harlon Hill trophy and went on to play in the NFL.
•     On the Gorilla coaching staff, assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Dave Wiemers played both quarterback and pitched at Washburn during the 1989-90 seasons earning his BS degree in 1990.
•     For the Gorillas, junior tight end Andy Otting's dad Eric played for the Ichabods from 1985-88 and was a second team all-CSIC selection in 1988 earning honorable mention honors in 1987.
  (09/19/2015) PITTSBURG, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods picked up their second-straight regular season win in Pittsburg and the first since 2011 as they knocked off the No. 4-ranked Gorillas 28-21 on Saturday night in Pittsburg.
The Ichabods took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 75 yards in seven plays going up 21-7 with 12:33 to play in the third quarter.
The Gorillas responded with an 8-play 33-yard drive after an onside attempt by the Ichabods came up short with 9:58 to play in the third quarter cutting Washburn's lead to 21-10.
The Ichabods came back with a touchdown of their own on a 10-play, 82-yard drive on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Derek McGinnis to Connor Crimmins in the back of the end zone for a 28-10 lead with 6:04 to play in the third quarter.
Again the Gorillas came back with a score on an 8-play drive covering 78 yards trimming the Ichabod lead back to 28-18 after the 2-point conversion was completed.
After trading punts back and forth twice, the Gorillas cut the Ichabod lead back to seven at 28-21 after a 28-yard field goal with 7:12 to play in the game.
Washburn was forced to punt on its next drive and the Gorillas took over at the Pitt State 39. They completed a fourth and 22 for a first down moving the ball to the Ichabod 21 yard line. After a short rush to the Ichabod 18, the Gorillas had back to back incomplete passes and on a fourth down and six from the Ichabod 17, the pass was high and the Ichabods ran out the clock with a knee picking up the win.
The Gorillas took the early lead as they marched down the field after taking the opening kickoff going 68 yards on five plays needing only 2:06 to light the scoreboard for the home team infront of a Family Day crowd.
The Ichabods got on the board on a 1-yard touchdown leap by Brandon Bourbon with 3:20 to play in the first quarter tying the score at 7-7. The drive covered 10 plays and 76 yards and took 4:52 off the clock.
Neither team would score until the Ichabods took a 14-7 lead with four seconds to play in the first half on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Derek McGinnis to Anthony Daniels wrapping up the scoring in the first half.
Bourbon led the Ichabods with 143 rushing yards on 18 carries averaging 7.9 per carry and one score. Hayden Groves finished with 48 on nine carries.
McGinnis finished 23 of 38 for 283 yards and three scores completing passes to seven different receivers led by Anthony Daniels and Bryce Chavis who each had six catches. Daniels finished with 107 yards and one score and Chavis had 80 and one score. Crimmins had 39 yards and one score.
Defensively the Ichabods were led by Alec Steuber who had eight tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Shay Wooten, Peter Pfannenstiel and Cody Heiman all had seven. Heiman also had an interceptions return for 40 yards and a pass break up.
  (9/24/2016) ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The Pittsburg State University football team scored the first 13 and the final 23 points of the game en route to a lopsided 50-19 road win over Lindenwood University Saturday (Sept. 24).
Sophomore quarterback John Roderique completed 18 of 29 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns in his return from a hand injury that sidelined him since the final play of the first quarter in Pitt State's season opening loss to Central Missouri. He also carried the ball 10 times for a game-high 56 yards while accounting for 335 yards of total offense.
The Pitt State defense registered three interceptions, including a pick six by junior linebacker Ethan Fugitt in his first career start for the Gorillas. PSU also scored a special teams safety when LWU's long snapper shot the ball out of the back on the end zone on a third quarter punt attempt.
Junior Austin Panko sparked the Gorillas with a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter and he added an 81-yard scoring reception from Roderique in the second quarter. He finished the game with five catches for a career-high 134 yards receiving.
Senior Levi Copelin also posted his fourth straight 100-yard receiving game with eight grabs for 126 yards. He hauled in a 48-yard scoring grab from Roderique which staked the Gorillas to a 27-13 lead with 8:29 to play in the second quarter.
Dre Holman, Ramsey Hamilton and Keynan Scheurich added scoring runs for Pitt State (3-1, 3-1 MIAA). Fugitt, Tyree Jefferson and Darrius White all made drive halting interceptions. Braxton Early also forced a LWU fumble that Fugitt recovered; and the Pitt State defense made a first quarter goal line stand by halting the Lions (1-3, 1-3 MIAA) on four plays from the PSU 4. Heath Wilson stuffed quarterback Mason Bendigo for a one-yard loss on a 4th-and-goal play from the PSU 1.
Bendigo completed just nine of 24 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. LWU reserve quarterback Allen Thigpen was three of four passing for 14 yards with an interception.
Fugitt made a team-leading eight tackles for Pitt State, which limited the Lions to 57 net rushing yards in the contest.
Connor Harris made a game-high 17 stops for Lindenwood, coming up one tackle short of breaking the NCAA all division career tackles record.
  (9/24/2106) KEARNEY, Neb. – The Washburn Ichabod football team picked up a 47-44 win in the longest game in Ichabod history outlasting Nebraska-Kearney in three overtimes at Cope Stadium on Saturday in Kearney, Neb., putting a downer on the Lopers' homecoming festivities.
The win, which moved the Ichabods to 3-5 all-time in overtime games, saw the Ichabods matriculate three Mickeel Stewart touchdowns in the extra sessions. Stewart's first was on a 13-yard touchdown run and tying the score after UNK scored on its first drive of the extra frames.
Stewart's second score came on a 25-yard touchdown reception from Derek McGinnis on the Ichabods' first play of the second overtime period. After the Lopers were held to a 36-yard field goal to start the third overtime, Stewart carried the ball the final 1-yard for the winning score en route to 42 total rushing yards in the overtime periods on eight carries. Stewart finished with 87 yards on the ground on 19 carries in the game.
The Lopers (0-4, 0-4 MIAA) scored on its first possession of the game taking advantage of a bad snap on the Ichabods' first punt of the day and then would score on a 10-yard run with 12:45 to play in the first quarter.
Washburn got on the board with a 22-yard field goal by Perry Schmiedeler capping a six-play, 74 yard drive. Schmiedeler scored the Ichabods' three other points in the first half when he hit a 33-yard field goal with 4:27 to play in the opening stanza as the Lopers took a 7-6 lead into the break. To start the third quarter, the Lopers marched 79 yards in six plays to go up 13-6, but the extra point was blocked by Cody Heiman keeping the Ichabods within a touchdown.
The Ichabods tied the score when Jake Horner pulled down a 37-yard touchdown pass from McGinnis and after the PAT by Schmiedeler the score was tied at 13-13 with 10:13 left in the third quarter.
Washburn (3-1, 3-1 MIAA) took the lead when McGinnis hit Carey Woods on a 19-yard touchdown strike across the middle of the field putting the Ichabods up 20-13 with 3:07 to play in the game.
Stewart put the Ichabods up 27-13 with 11:49 to go after scoring what would be the first of his four total touchdowns of the game. However the Lopers would score two touchdowns in the final 5:05 of the game including a game-tying score capping a 66-yard, 15-play drive in 2:56 which sent the game into overtime.
Stewart finished a game-high 87 yards on 19 carries and Chris McGee, Jr., finished with 82 yards on five carries.
McGinnis was 12 of 27 for 203 yards and three scores and James Brania-Hopp led the Ichabods with four catches for 36 yards while Horner had three catches for 85 yards.
Defensively Austin Tillman recorded a career-high 13 tackles with four solo stops while Cody Heiman finished with nine tackles with six solo stops, a forced fumble and a blocked extra point.
Washburn finished with 26 first downs overall picking up 195 yards rushing and passing for 203 for 398 yards of total offense. The Lopers, who lost their 15th straight game, finished with 389 total yards with 155 coming on the ground and 234 through the air.
  •     lift the Ichabods to 538-572-44 in their football history.
•     move the Ichabods to 4-1 on the season which would match last season's start after five games.
•     improve the Ichabods to 24-62-1 all-time against the Gorillas.
•     be the second-straight win over the Gorillas.
  •     drop the Ichabods to 537-573-44 in their football history.
•     drop the Ichabods to 3-2 on the season.
  •  Washburn is 537-572-44 (.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 heads back on the road as they will travel to Joplin, Mo., to take on Missouri Southern in a 3 p.m. start for the Lions' homecoming game. Washburn is back in Yager Stadium on Oct. 15 playing host to Fort Hays State.