• The Washburn Ichabods are back home in Yager Stadium for Saturday's game with No. 19-ranked Central Missouri as the Ichabods will take on a nationally-ranked opponent for the third-straight week.
• The Ichabods are coming off a 30-24 loss to then No. 17-ranked Fort Hays State on Sept. 15 in Hays. Washburn fell to a No. 6-ranked Northwest Missouri squad 38-17 on Sept. 6.
• Last time out for the Mules, they topped Missouri Western 51-14 after jumping out to a 21-0 lead 8:49 seconds into the game.
• The Ichabods will be looking to snap a six-game losing streak to the Mules and a three-game slide in Topeka.
• Washburn was topped by the Mules last season in Topeka 62-42 after Central Missouri broke a 42-all tie after three quarters scoring 24 points in the fourth en route to the win.
• The Mules are tied for first in the MIAA in scoring offense at 43 points per game and the third-ranked defense allowing 14.7 points per game.
• On the offensive side of the ball, the Mules are averaging 571.3 yards of offense a game which is seconds in the NCAA rankings behind Ferris State who is averaging 600.0 yards of offense a game … the Mules are also ranked fifth in the nation in passing offense at 337.3 yards per game.
  • The Ichabods are looking to snap a six-game losing slide to the Mules.
• Central Missouri leads the all-time series 27-18-2 and have gone 13-11-2 against the Ichabods in Topeka.
• The last win in the series by the Ichabods came on Sept. 26, 2009 in Topeka in a 36-21 win.
• The Ichabods and the Mules did not play during the 2012 and 2013 seasons because of 14 MIAA schools who played football.
• The 62 points scored by the Mules in last season's 62-42 loss in Topeka on Oct. 21 was the most scored by either team in the series.
• Washburn is 7-14 against the Mules in games played in Warrensburg.
  Washburn Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig . . .
•  was named head coach of the Ichabod football program Dec. 28, 2001.
•  is 111-76 (.599) in his 17th season as the Ichabod head coach.
•  is 92-65 (.603) against the MIAA.
•  has led the Ichabods to three NCAA Playoff appearances and four bowl appearances and three bowl 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 111 wins.
•  3-11 against Central Missouri.
 
Central Missouri head coach Jim Svoboda . . .
• has a record of 67-29 in his ninth season leading the Mules.
• is 119-48 overall in his 16th season as a head coach with a previous stop at Nebraska Wesleyan with assistant coaching positions at Eastern New Mexico, Northwest Missouri, UCLA and Montana State.
• is third place on Central Missouri's career wins list.
• has coached the Mules to 86 school offensive records and 21 MIAA offensive records during his tenure.
• is 6-0 against Washburn.
  • Through three games, the Ichabods have had a pretty balanced offensive attack with 103 run plays and 106 pass plays … on third down and long (anything over seven yards) the Ichabods have ran the ball five times and passed it 29 times this season.
• The Ichabods are ranked seventh in the MIAA in third down conversions moving the chairs on 17 of 49 attempts and defensively the Ichabods are third in the MIAA in opponent third down conversions limiting foes to 14 of 44 attempts for a 32 percent average.
• Washburn is ranked seventh in the MIAA in penalties averaging 6.3 per game for 57 yards while opponents are averaging 5.1 penalties per game and 37.7 yards per contest.
• Washburn is eighth in the MIAA in time of possession averaging 28:46 per game.
• Heath Tucker is fifth in the nation in forced fumbles averaging 0.67 per game.
• Austin Tillman is ranked eighth in the nation in total tackles at 12.3 per game and Derrick McGreevy is ranked 11th in the nation at 12.0 tackles per game.
• Perry Schmiedeler is ranked 17th in the nation with 1.33 field goals per game.
• Derrick McGreevy's 242 tackles (for his career, not a single game — that would be a record) is tied for 15th on the all-time chart at Washburn.
• Austin Tillman's 230 career tackles sit 17th on the all-time chart at Washburn.
  •  29.5  Career kickoff return average by Corey Ballentine which is first all-time at Washburn and fourth on the active career leaders chart in NCAA Division II.
•  230  Number of points senior placekicker Perry Schmiedeler has scored in his career to move into fifth on the all-time scoring chart at Washburn needing 21 more to pass Sam Sissom who had 250.
• 63  Number of return yards of both of Austin Tillman's two career interceptions returning the second one for a touchdown against Fort Hays State last time out.
• 8/96   Number of catches and receiving yards by James Brania-Hopp against Fort Hays State which were both career highs.
•  5    Ranking on NCAA active career field goals chart of Perry Schmiedeler with 36. • The Mules are tied for first in the MIAA in scoring offense at 43 points per game and the third-ranked defense allowing 14.7 points per game.
• On the offensive side of the ball, the Mules are averaging 571.3 yards of offense a game which is seconds in the NCAA rankings behind Ferris State who is averaging 600.0 yards of offense a game … the Mules are also ranked fifth in the nation in passing offense at 337.3 yards per game.
• Devante Turner leads the Mules' rushing attack at 68.3 yards per game … overall the Mules average 234.0 yards a game on the ground.
• Jeremy Hunt is 33 of 51 passing for a 65 percent clip in two games with six touchdown passes and 290 yards per game filling in for preseason All-American Brook Bolles who was injured in the first game of the season against Fort Hays State … the Mules are averaging 337.3 yards per game passing.
• Kyrion Parker leads the Mules receivers with 10 catches for 233 yards and three touchdown receptions … Shae Wyatt and Ryan Sass each have eight catches.
• Placekicker Alex Langer leads the team in scoring with 33 points hitting 15 of 16 point after attempts and six of seven field goal attempts.
• Defensively the Mules have seven players with more than 10 tackles this season with Kolesen Crane recording 17 with 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack … the Mules have one interception this season and seven sacks overall with 21 tackles for loss allowing 259.7 yards per game.
  (Sept. 22, 2018) HAYS, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods were not able to overcome two special team miscues and four turnovers in a 30-24 loss to Fort Hays State.
With 1:09 to play in the game, Austin Tillman gave the Ichabods (1-2, 1-2 MIAA) life as he returned a FHSU (2-1, 2-1 MIAA) pass 63 yards for a touchdown cutting the Tiger lead to 30-23, but the Ichabods were called for an illegal block on the onside kick and the Tigers ran out the final 67 seconds to hang on for the win.
Washburn took the early lead as Perry Schmiedeler connected on a 43-yard field goal with 4:30 into the game staking the Ichabods to a 3-0 lead. The points pushed his career total to 230 moving him into fifth all-time at Washburn.
On the ensuing drive, the Tigers marched 75 yards in nine plays going up 7-3 with 5:47 to play in the first quarter and would stretch the lead to 14-3 with 1:19 to play in the first quarter. The first score was set up as the Ichabods fumbled a punt return setting up the Tigers at the WU 33 yard line.
Washburn cut the lead to 14-10 on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Blake Peterson to Jake Horner capping a 65-yard drive with 12:27 left in the first half.
The Tigers took advantage of another miscue on special teams as a roughing the kicker call on the Ichabods kept a Fort Hays State drive alive and the Tigers would go up 20-10 with 5:44 to play in the half after the extra point was blocked by Corey Ballentine.
Washburn was outgained 178 to 145 in the first half while the Ichabods were 1 of 8 on third down conversions.
To open the second half, the Tigers used a nine-play, 50-yard drive capped by a 42-yard field goal by Dane Brown as FHSU pushed its lead to 23-10 with 10:46 to play in the third quarter.
Neither team scored in the third quarter as they combined for 95 yards (32 for the Ichabods) and only five first downs.
The Tigers pushed the lead to 20 on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Mezera to Jacoby Williams with 9:45 to play taking advantage of an Ichabod turnover on the previous Ichabod series.
Washburn scored in the third quarter on a 1-yard dive by Hunter Browning taking advantage of a Tiger roughing the passer call with 6:30 to play in the game cutting the Tiger lead to 30-17.
Derrick McGreevy led the Ichabods with 16 tackles. Tillman finished with a sack and the 63 yard interception return for a score adding six tackles as did Heath Tucker.
Blake Peterson finished 12 of 26 for 124 yards and one score while rushing for a team-high 55 yards averaging 6.9 yards a carry.
James Brania-Hopp had eight catches for 96 yards to lead the Ichabods.
Overall, Washburn held the Tigers to 295 yards outgaining FHSU 299 to 295 overall. The Tigers had 19 first downs compared to 15 for the Ichabods. Both teams struggled on third down as they combined 7 of 33 conversions as Washburn was 4 of 17 overall. Washburn was called for eight penalties for 82 yards while the Tigers were whistled five times for 23 yards.
  • lift the Ichabods to 551-581-44 in their football history.
• improve the Ichabods to 19-27-2 against the Mules all-time.
• improve the Ichabods to 2-2 on the season.
• snap a six-game losing streak to the Mules in the series history.
  • drop the Ichabods to 550-582-44 in their football history.
• drop the Ichabods to 1-3 on the season.
• drop the Ichabods to 18-28-2 all-time against the Mules.
• be the seventh-straight loss to the Mules in the series.
  •  Washburn is 550-581-44 (.484) in the 128th 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 142 first team all-MIAA picks and 48 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.
•  Washburn has made 12 postseason appearances including bowl games and tournament games going 5-2 in seven bowl games.
•  Five Ichabods have been picked in the NFL Draft.
  WACO, Texas -- For the 12th time in the last 15 years, the Washburn Ichabod football team received votes in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 Coaches presason poll released to start the 2018 season. The Ichabods, under head coach Craig Schurig, have been ranked or have received votes in the AFCA poll 65 times and have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 15 times.
  Washburn will make the drive to St. Joseph, Mo., on Sept. 29 to face Missouri Western before returning to Yager Stadium for two-straight games starting with Northeastern State on Oct. 6 for Hall of Fame Saturday and then face Missouri Southern on Oct. 13 for Washburn's Homecoming.