For starters
> The Washburn Ichabods return home to face the Missouri Western Griffons on Hall of Fame Saturday at Yager Stadium with a 1 p.m. kickoff.
> The Ichabods will be looking to snap a three-game losing skid after falling 55-27 to the No. 18-ranked Mules last time out in Warrensburg.
> The Griffons are 2-2 this season after defeating Northeastern State 58-23.
> The Griffons will be playing their second straight road game.
> Missouri Western leads the all-time series 25-20-2 with the Ichabods holding a 13-10 advantage in  games played in Topeka.
> The Ichabods won the last meeting in Topeka on Oct. 29, 2016 in a 16-13 game. The last two meetings were both played in St. Joseph with the Ichabods going 1-1 winning 34-24 on Oct. 28, 2017 and falling in last season's game 38-7 on Sept. 29.
>  Former Ichabod linebacker Josh Looney is in his third year as the athletic director at Missouri Western … while at Washburn, Looney appeared in 46 games recording 227 tackles with 17.5 tackles for loss and was a four-time all-MIAA Academic Honor Roll member earning honorable mention all-MIAA honors as a sophomore … as a player at Washburn, Looney was 1-3 against the Griffons with two overtime losses … he helped the Ichabods to their only MIAA Championship in 2005 as senior.
> In a breakfast ceremony prior to the game, the Ichabods will induct the class of Monica (Miesner) Scott (volleyball), Jennifer Harris (baskebtall), Jessica Mainz (soccer/basketball) and Matt Ewald (golf). Overall the class of four has nine All-American awards earned during their combined 15 years competing for Washburn teams. The quartet will also be recognized at halftime of the football game against Missouri Western.
 
 Series notes
Series Record______________ MWSU leads 25-20-2
Streaks______________________ MWSU won the last one
First Meeting_______________ WU 58-3 (09/16/1972) in Topeka
Last Meeting________________ MWSU 38-7 (09/29/2018) in St. Joseph
Last WU Win_______________ 34-24 (10/28/2017) in St. Joseph
Last MWSU_________________ 38-7 (09/29/2018) in St. Joseph
Largest WU Win___________ 58-3 (09/16/1972) in Topeka
Largest MWSU Win_______ 52-0 (11/07/1981) in St. Joseph
Most WU points scored___ 58 (58-3 win) on 9/16/1972
Most MWSU points scored           60 (60-28 win) on 10/22/1994
 
 Coaching
Washburn Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig . . .
>  was named head coach of the Ichabod football program Dec. 28, 2001.
>  is 116-83 (.599) in his 18th season as the Ichabod head coach.
>  is 97-72 (.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 116 wins.
>  is 8-9 against Missouri Western.
 
Missouri Western head coach Matt Williamson . . .
>  is in his third season directing his alma mater after being hired as MWSU's head coach in December 2016.
>  previously served as an assistant coach at Western from 2000-07.
>  spent 10 years at the Division I level, most recently serving as defensive coordinator at Stephen F. Austin University.
>  is a 1996 graduate from Missouri Western.
>  has a 13-14 career coaching record.
>  is 1-1 against Washburn.
 
 Dee's World - Honoring #17
This season, a different Ichabod will be wearing No. 17 to honor Dwane Simmons, a senior cornerback who passed away on April 28, 2019. The mass media major was set to graduate this December.
>  Game 1 vs Lincoln - Alvin Houston … Houston had one tackle in the game starting at safety.
>  Game 2 vs Northwest Missouri - James Letcher, Jr. … Letcher had 8 catches for 113 yards and one score and finished with 182 all-purpose yards.
>  Game 3 vs Fort Hays State - Josh Wright … Wright recorded eight tackles with five solo stops and added a pass break up.
>  Game 4 vs Central Missouri - Kevin Neal, Jr. ... Neal led the Ichabods with eight total tackles with a tackle for loss.
>  Game 5 vs Missouri Western - Channon Ross ...
 
 Ichabod team captains
>  The 2019 Ichabod team captains are seniors Kyle Emerick, Kyle Hinton, Alvin Houston, Austen Hubert, Will Jones, Josh Wright and junior Mitch Schurig.
 
 Ichabod notes
> Mitch Schurig has moved into the top 10 list at Washburn on the all-time touchdowns thrown chart … he enters the Missouri Western game with 24 ranked 10th on the Ichabod chart.
> James Letcher, Jr.'s 30.13 career kickoff return average is currently the best in school history.
> Josh Wright's 25 career passes defended (21 breakups, 4 INTs) is fifth on the Ichabod chart.
> Marquise Manning had his second career interception against the Mules.
> Brooks Peavler tied a career high with six tackles against the Mules.
> K.J. Turner had his first career interception against the Mules returning it 15 yards.
> James Letcher, Jr. leads the MIAA in all purpose yards per game at 185.8 and he is ranked third in the nation in the same category.
> Kevin Neal, Jr., is third in the MIAA in tackles per game at 8.5.
> The Ichabods are looking to avoid their first four-game losing streak since the 2002 season in head coach Craig Schurig's first year at Washburn when the Ichabods lost the first five games of the season.
 
 Noting the Griffons
> The Griffons are 2-2 this season after a 58-23 win over Northeastern State in Tahlequah last time out.
> Wyatt Steigerwald leads the team in passing at 252.0 per game
> Markel Smith is averaging 90.0 yards per game on the ground with five touchdowns averaging 6.5 yards per carry.
> Devon Holmes has a team-high 20 catches for 312 yards and two scores averaging 15.6 yards per catch.
> Kobe Cummings leads the team with 28 tackles.
> The Griffons have the fourth-best scoring offense in the league at 41.5 per contest and the eight-ranked scoring defense allowing 33.3 per game.
> The Griffons are ranked third in total offense in the MIAA at 460.5 yards per game and have the 10th-ranked defense allowing 466.8 yards per game and their pass defense is 11th in the MIAA allowing 301.3 yards per game.
 
 Last meeting with Missouri Western
(Sept. 29, 2018) ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- The Washburn Ichabods were blanked in the first half by Missouri Western and could not recover as they fell 38-7 to the Griffons dropping to 2-3 on the season.
The Griffons (3-2, 3-2 MIAA) led 21-0 at the break after recording 285 yards of offense on 34 plays and would go up 24-0 after scoring on their first drive of the second stanza.
The Ichabods jumped on the board with 8:00 to play in the third quarter on a 5-yard touchdown run by James Brania-Hopp but it would not be enough as the Ichabods were shutout in the fourth quarter as the Griffons picked up the win snapping a three-game winning streak by the Ichabods in series.
Brania-Hopp, the MIAA-leader in receiving, led the Ichabods with seven catches for 139 yards. Mitch Schurig was 18 of 33 passing for 223 and Kamani Addison led the Ichabods with 11 rushes for 45 yards.
Defensively, Austin Tillman led the Ichabods with 14 tackles with 2.0 tackles for loss and Derrick McGreevy had 10 tackles to pace Washburn.
Overall, the Griffons outgained the Ichabods 544 to 332 running 69 plays to 66 for Washburn. On the ground, the Griffons had a 295 to 109 advantage holding the ball for 34:45 compared to 25:15 for Washburn. Washburn was 4 of 13 on third down conversions compared to 12 of 15 for the Griffons.
 
 Last time out for the Ichabods
(Sept. 28, 2019) WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Ian Trapp passed for a career-high four touchdowns and James Letcher, Jr., recorded 241 all-purpose yards as the Ichabods were topped by No. 18-ranked Central Missouri on Sept. 28 in Warrensburg. 
The Mules (4-0) scored the first 21 points of the game before Austen Hubert recorded a 31-yard touchdown pass from Trapp with 10:43 to play in the first half. The Mules scored on their net possession and the Ichabods returned with another touchdown drive of their own, this time on Trapp's second touchdown pass of the day on an 8-yard completion to Jace Williams for his first TD score of the year cutting the lead to 28-13 with 3:35 to go.
The Ichabods took the second-half kickoff and marched 51 yards on seven plays trimming the UCM lead to 28-20 with 11:43 to play in the third quarter when Trapp hit Letcher on a 6-yard strike. UCM scored the next three scores of the game going up 48-20 before Trapp connected with Hunter Browning for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 8:27 remaining in the game before the Mules would wrap up the scoring with a score with 2:10 to go and the 55-27 win handing the Ichabods their fifth-straight loss in Warrensburg.
Letcher led the Ichabods with 58 yards rushing and six catches for 39 yards and one score. Trapp was 12 of 21 passing for 126 yards through the air. Zach Willis had 54 yards on eight carries. Defensively, Kevin Neal, Jr., led the Ichabods for the third game in a row in tackles with eight with a tackle for loss. Marquise Manning and K.J. Turner each had interceptions for the Ichabods.
 
 A Win over Missouri Western would
> lift the Ichabods to 556-589-44 in their football history.
> improve the Ichabods to 21-25-2 all-time against the Griffons.
> be the second-straight win over the Griffons in Topeka.
> be the fourth win in the last five meetings over the Griffons.
 
 A Loss to Missouri Western would
> drop the Ichabods to 555-589-44 in their football history.
> drop the Ichabods to 1-4 on the season.
> drop the Ichabods to 20-26-2 all-time against the Griffons.
> be the second-straight loss to the Griffons in the series.
 
 Ichabod football history
>  Washburn is 555-588-44 (.484) in the 129th 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.
>  Six Ichabods have been picked in the NFL Draft.
 
 Ichabods in the national polls
The Ichabods, under head coach Craig Schurig, have been ranked or have received votes in the AFCA poll 66 times and have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 15 times.
 
 Up next
The Ichabods are on the road the next two Saturdays with games at Northeastern State on Oct. 12 and at Missouri Southern on Oct. 19. Washburn will return to Yager Stadium on Oct. 26 for Homecoming as the Ichabods will face Central Oklahoma.