For starters
> Washburn will begin a two-game road trip this weekend in Tahlequah, Okla., as the Icha bods will face Northeastern State at 2 p.m. After the match up with the RiverHawks, the Ichabods will take on Missouri Southern on Oct. 19 before returning to Yager Stadium for a Homecoming encounter with Central Oklahoma.
> The Ichabods (1-4, 1-4 MIAA) will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak after falling to Missouri Western on Oct. 5, 46-21 in Yager Stadium
> The RiverHawks are 0-5 on the season after falling 45-10 to Nebraska-Kearney last time out.
> The RiverHawks are being outscored 216 to 19 in the first half of games this season including 100 to 3 in the second quarter.
> The Ichabods lead the all-time series with the RiverHawks 8-1 and have won the last seven in a row.
> The RiverHawks' last win in the series came on Sept. 24, 1988 in a 35-30 win in Tahlequah.
> Washburn won the first meeting in the series 23-21 on Sept. 26, 1987 in Topeka.
> The Ichabods have outscored the RiverHawks 258 to 71 in the last six games - an average of 43.0 to 11.8.
 
 Series notes
Series Record_______________ WU leads 8-1
Streaks______________________ WU has won the last seven
First Meeting________________ WU 23-21 (09/26/1987) in Tahlequah
Last Meeting_________________ WU 58-14 (10/06/2018) in Topeka
Last WU Win________________ 58-14 (10/06/2018) in Topeka
Last NSU Win________________ 35-30 (09/24/1988) in Tahlequah
Largest WU Win_____________ 48-3 (09/21/2013) in Tahlequah
Largest NSU Win____________ 35-30 (09/24/1988) in Topeka
 
 Coaching
Washburn Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig . . .
>  was named head coach of the Ichabod football program Dec. 28, 2001.
>  is 116-84 (.599) in his 18th season as the Ichabod head coach.
>  is 98-72 (.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 7-0 against Northeastern State.
 
Northeastern State head coach J.J. Eckert . . .
>  is in his first season as the RiverHawks' head coach.
>  was a four-year letter winner at Northeastern State (1994-97).
>  through the 2018 season, Eckert has served as head coach at Kilgore
College since the spring of 2007 and came off a 10-2 season and a national
ranking at number-4 (No. 4) in the final NJCAA poll. Eckert guided the
Rangers last season to a Southwest Junior College Football Conference
(SWJCFC) Championship, and a win in the Heart of Texas Bowl.
>  is 0-0 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 ... Ross had a career-high eight tackles adding a pass breakup.
>  Game 6 vs Northeastern State - James Letcher, Jr.
>  Game 7 vs Missouri Southern - Channon Ross
>  Game 8 vs Central Oklahoma - Kevin Neal, Jr.
>  Game 9 vs Emporia State - Alvin Houston
>  Game 10 vs Pittsburg State - Senior Day - no one will wear #17
>  Game 11 vs Nebraska-Kearney - Josh Wright
 
 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 28.76 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.
> Jacob Anderson had a career-high eight tackles against the Griffons last time out adding his first career sack.
> Channon Ross had a career-high eight tackles against the Griffons.
> K.J. Turner had a career-high eight tackles against the Griffons.
> Chaz Capps made his first career start at quarterback throwing for 242 yards recording 280 yards in total offense against the Griffons.
> James Letcher, Jr. leads the MIAA in all purpose yards per game at 191 ypg and he is ranked third in the nation in the same category.
> James Letcher, Jr. is 15th in the nation in kickoff return average per game at 29.5 per return.
> The Ichabods were 29 of 49 (59 percent) on third down the first three games of the season, but in the last two games have gone only 9 of 31 (29 percent).
> The Ichabods, who wore the gray jersey tops last weekend against Missouri Western, are 6-7 while wearing those tops since the 2013 season.
> The Ichabods are looking to avoid their first five-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 Riverhawks
> The RiverHawks are 0-5 this season as they are being outscored 282 to 57 including 100 to 3 in the second quarter.
> Jacob Medrano is the team's leading passer at 90.5 per game completing 38 of 69 passes with three interceptions and two scores.
> Kevin Jackson leads the team on the ground a 44.8 per game averaging 3.4 yards per carry and one touchdown.
> Kobe Bryer has 18 catches to lead the RiverHawks.
> Lane Yoder leads the RiverHawks with 34 tackles adding 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
> NSU is averaging 252 yards per game in total offense while allowing 584 yards overall and 337 yards per game on the ground.
 
 Last meeting with Northeastern State
(Oct. 6, 2018) TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Washburn Ichabods scored early and often putting up a season-high 58 points while the defense held Northeastern State to -4 rushing yards rolling to a 44-point win over the RiverHawks in a 58-14 victory on Hall of Fame Saturday in Yager Stadium.
Washburn (3-3, 3-3 MIAA) opened the scoring on its first possession of the game when Mitch Schurig hit James Brania-Hopp on a 36-yard touchdown strike putting the Ichabods up 7-0. After holding the RiverHawks (0-6, 0-6 MIAA) to a punt on their first drive, Washburn then marched 96 yards in nine plays capped by a Hunter Browning touchdown run of five yards with 6:14 to play in the first quarter going up 14-0.
Again the Ichabod defense held the RiverHawks to a punt and Washburn used 13 plays going 64 yards in 4:58 as Schurig hit Will Hamilton on an 8-yard touchdown pass to go up 21-0 finishng off the scoring in the first quarter.
The RiverHawks got on the board on the first play from scrimmage on a 73-yard touchdown pass from Jake Pruitt to Ryheem Brummitt and Washburn responded with a 13-play, 68-yard drive score pushing the lead to 28-7 on a 2-yard scamper by Kamani Addison from two yards out.
Northeastern took advantage of an Ichabod fumble and scored to cut the lead to 28-14 with 4:42 to play in the half on a touchdown pass from Pruitt to Thompson. Right before the half, the Ichabods stretched the lead to 20 when Schurig connected with Jace Williams from 16 yards out sending Washburn to a 34-14 lead at the break.
After trading punts to start the second half, Addison scored from 7-yards out as the Ichabods led 41-14. On the RiverHawks' ensuing drive, Heath Tucker picked off the pass setting up Washburn at the RiverHawk 45 yard line and the Ichabods' Perry Schmiedeler hit a 49-yard field goal as Washburn went up 44-14. With that field goal, Schmiedeler passed Chad Todd (1997-2000) for the most career field goals in school history with his 37th.
The RiverHawks punted on their next possession and Washburn then marched 68 yards in five plays as Curtis Whitten scored from 4-yards out with 4:56 to play in the third quarter, a period which the Ichabod defense held the RiverHawks to 14 yards of total offense on 20 plays.
Washburn wrapped up the scoring with a 1-yard dive from Will Evans with 10:46 to play sending the Ichabods into Homecoming Week with the 58-14 win.
Derrick McGreevy led the Ichabod defense with 10 tackles with four solo stops, 1.5 sacks for 13 yards. Washburn held an opponent to negative yards rushing for the first time since facing Northeastern State on Nov. 7, 2015 when they were held to -28 yards rushing. Overall the Ichabods recorded five sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
Browning led the Ichabod rushing attack which piled up 352 yards on the ground with 116 yards on 17 carries and one score and Addison had 77 yards with two touchdown runs. Schurig was 11 of 17 for 190 yards and three touchdown passes. Brania-Hopp led the receivers with four catches for 80 yards.
Overall the Ichabods outgained the RiverHawks 564 to 166 running 89 plays compared to 57 plays for Northeastern State. Washburn had 36:46 of possession time and finished 10 of 17 on third down conversions while holding the RiverHawks to 3 of 12.
 
 Last time out for the ichabods
(Oct. 5, 2019) TOPEKA, Kan. – A short-handed Washburn Ichabod football team got out to a slow start and they could not recover in a 46-21 loss to Missouri Western on Hall of Fame Saturday in Yager Stadium dropping to 1-4 on the season. Washburn will be on the road the next two weeks with road games at Northeastern State and Missouri Southern before returning home on Oct. 26 facing Central Oklahoma on Homecoming.
The Griffons (3-2) scored on their first possession of the game on a 90-play drive and on the Ichabods ensuing possession, after gaining a first down a fumble by the Ichabods returned the ball back to Griffons and six plays later Missouri Western was up 14-0 7:32 into the game.
The Ichabods came back after the Griffon score when Zach Willis capped a nine-play, 83-yard drive cutting the lead in half, however the Griffons after starting at their own 3-yard line, scored in three plays stretching their lead to 21-7. Missouri Western added two more scores in the second quarter going up 36-7 before Chaz Capps hit Jace Williams on a 27-yard touchdown pass as the Griffons took a 36-14 lead into the break.
Missouri Western tacked on a score in the third quarter and with 5:04 left in the game, Capps threw his second touchdown pass of the day on a 50-yard strike to Austen Hubert. Missouri Western finished up the scoring with a 46-yard field goal wrapping up the game with a 46-21 win over the Ichabods.
Making his first career start, Capps was 18 of 39 for 242 yards with two scores and also rushed for 38 yards on 12 carries. James Letcher, Jr. and four catches for 53 yards and Taylon Peters had four catches for 37 yards. Letcher also added six kickoff returns for 152 yards.
The Ichabod defense had four players with eight tackles each including Jacob Anderson, K.J. Turner, Channon Ross and Grant Bruner. Anderson added a sack for 14 yards and 2.5 tackles for loss for 17 yards and a forced fumble.
The Griffons outgained the Ichabods 503 to 396 finishing with 285 yards on the ground. Washburn was 2 of 13 on third down in the game and 3 of 8 on fourth down.
 
 A win over Northeastern State would
> lift the Ichabods to 557-589-44 in their football history.
> improve the Ichabods to 9-1 all-time against the RiverHawks.
> be the fourth-straight win over the RiverHawks in Tahlequah.
> snap the Ichabods' longest losing streak of four games since the 2002 season.
 
 A Loss to Northeastern State would
> drop the Ichabods to 555-589-44 in their football history.
> drop the Ichabods to 1-5 on the season.
> drop the Ichabods to 8-2 all-time against the RiverHawks.
> be the first win by the RiverHawks over the Ichabods since Sept. 24, 1988 in Tahlequah.
> be the Ichabods' first five-game losing streak since the 2002 season.
 
 Ichabod football history
>  Washburn is 555-589-44 (.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 will be on the road at Missouri Southern on Oct. 19 in Joplin. Washburn will return to Yager Stadium on Oct. 26 for Homecoming as the Ichabods will face Central Oklahoma.