FOR STARTERS
• The Washburn Ichabods are back on the road again this week at Northeastern State with a trip to Tahlequah, Okla. as they are looking for their 10th-straight win over the RiverHawks.
• The Ichabods (5-3, 5-3 MIAA) are coming off a 37-9 Homecoming win over Central Oklahoma last time out in Yager Stadium.
• The RiverHawks (1-7, 1-7 MIAA) are looking to snap their four-game losing streak after falling 36-6 at No. 14-ranked Northwest Missouri on Oct. 22.
• NSU was held to 23 yards of offense and three first downs in its 36-3 loss to Northwest Missouri last time out.
• Washburn has averaged 39.5 points per game in the previous 11 meetings including a 35-0 win last season in Topeka and a 70-13 win on Oct. 12, 2019 in the Ichabods' last trip to Tahlequah.
• Washburn is 4-1 in games played in Tahlequah with the lone loss coming on Sept. 27, 1988 in a 35-30 defeat - the only loss in the series.
• Washburn leads the MIAA in scoring offense at 35.4 ppg and is ranked seventh in scoring defense allowing 23.0 ppg.
• Northeastern State is 11th in the MIAA in scoring offense at 15.0 ppg and 11th in scoring defense allowing 35.0 ppg.
• Washburn is second in the MIAA in total offense at 429.9 yards per game while the RiverHawks are 11th in the MIAA in total defense allowing 406.8 ypg.
• A win over the RiverHawks would clinch Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig's 15th winning season at the helm of the Washburn program in his 20th season on the sidelines.
 
 BLUE NOTES
• The Ichabods are fifth in the nation in third down conversions at 52 percent, ranked 14th in first downs, 11th in net punting, eighth in passing offense and 21st in sacks allowed.
• Kellen Simoncic is third in the nation in passing touchdowns with 24 and 14th in the nation in total offense at 286.1 yards per game. He also is ranked third in the nation in points responsible for per game at 21.0 leading the MIAA as well.
• Grant Bruner leads the nation in tackles at 13.0 per game and is first in solo tackles with 8.1 per game.
• James Letcher, Jr., is 13th in the nation receiving touchdowns (8), 13th in receiving yards (801), 15th in receiving yards per game (101.1) and eighth in receptions per game (7.2). He is also 20th in all-purpose yards (146.0).
• James Letcher, Jr. is ranked third in active NCAA D2 players with 5,216 all-purpose yards and fourth with 2,717 receiving yards and third with 206 receptions.
• James Letcher, Jr., needs six kickoff returns and 156 kickoff return yards to become Washburn's all-time leader.
• Kameron Lake's 107 PAT's is ranked third all-time at Washburn trailing Connor Sabel who had 157.
• The Ichabods were picked fourth in the MIAA preseason media and coaches polls.
 
 COACHES
Washburn Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig . . .
• was named head coach of the Ichabod football program Dec. 28, 2001.
• is 135-91 (.599) in his 21st season as the Ichabod head coach and the sixth-longest tenured football coach in MIAA history.
• is 117-76 (.603) against the MIAA.
• has led the Ichabods to four 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 134 wins.
• is 9-0 against Northeastern State.
 
Northeastern State head coach J.J. Eckert  . . . 
• is in his third season as the RiverHawks' head coach going 3-27.
• 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 to a Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) Championship, and a win in the Heart of Texas Bowl.
• is 0-2 against Washburn.
 
CAREER CHARTS
• James Letcher, Jr. has 1,625 career kickoff return yards on 44 attempts. Washburn's all-time leader is Clarence Taylor (1974-77) who had 1,771 yards on 72 returns - both Washburn records.
• James Letcher, Jr.'s 24.6 yards per kickoff return is second all-time at Washburn behind Fletcher Terrell's 27.32 yard per return average.
• James Letcher, Jr.'s became the ninth Ichabod to go over the 2,000-yard mark in career receiving yards now standing with 2,717 yards, which is fourth all-time at Washburn … his 206 career receptions tops on the all-time chart and his 27 touchdown receptions is fifth.
• James Letcher, Jr.'s has 5,216 career all-purpose yards is the most in school history breaking Troy Slusser's mark of  5,210 yards on Homecoming.
• James Letcher, Jr. needs two points to become the 10th Ichabod to go over 200 points scored in a career standing at 198 entering the Northeastern State game.
 
NOTING THE RIVERHAWKS
• The RiverHawks are 1-7 this season entering the game with a four-game losing streak.
• NSU was held to 23 yards of offense and three first downs in its 36-3 loss to Northwest Missouri last time out.
• NSU's defense forced four turnovers in the loss to the Bearcats.
• Darius Salters leads the team rushing for 38.6 yards per game with one score and 3.4 yards per carry.
• Jacob Frazier is 71 of 116 passing for seven touchdowns averaging 81.3 yards per game with eight interceptions.
• Malik Antwine has 24 receptions for a team-high 331 yards and three scores averaging 41.4 yards per game.
• Jordan Lamotte leads the RiverHawks with 53 tackles.
 
LAST MEETING WITH THE RIVERHAWKS
(Oct. 30, 2022) – TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod football team tossed its first shutout in 73 games and recorded the first shutout on Homecoming since 1989 in a 35-0 win over Northeastern State in Yager Stadium on Saturday. 
The Ichabods did not waste anytime taking the lead as they marched 88 yards on seven plays when Mitch Schurig hit Peter Afful for a 39-yard touchdown pass with 11:29 to play in the opening quarter as the Ichabods took the 7-0 lead over the RiverHawks, who fell to 2-7 on the season.
After the teams traded punts the remainder of the first quarter, the Ichabods scored on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Schurig to Matthew Simmons from 18 yards out with 11:50 to play in the half giving the Ichabods a 14-0 lead after the PAT from Trenton Brehm. The RiverHawks after an Ichabod punt drove to the Ichabod 26-yard line, but their 43-yard field goal attempt was pushed right keeping the shutout intact.
Washburn, who also lifted its record to 49-45-1 on Homecoming, forced a RiverHawk punt and then went up 21-0 after Simmons recorded his second touchdown pass of the day on a 14-yard reception from Kellen Simoncic. The Ichabod defense forced another NSU punt and Washburn went 87 yards in nine plays when Zach Willis scored from 5-yards out staking the Ichabods to a 28-0 lead with 4:08 to play in the third quarter.
The Ichabods wrapped up the scoring on a 4-yard run by Tyler Bowden scoring his first collegiate touchdown with 10:12 to go in the game.
The Ichabods used 13 ball carriers in the game with Willis leading the way with 85 yards on 14 carries and Taylon Peters has 10 attempts for 72 yards. Will King III entered the game and had five carries for 66 yards.
In recording their first shutout since a 41-0 win over Fort Valley State on Oct, 17, 2013, the Ichabods held the RiverHawks to 98 yards of total offense in the second half and 143 for the game. Brooks Peavler led the Ichabods with eight tackles while Grant Bruner had six. Isaac Keener had two sacks and Malick Fall added one as the team finished with seven tackles for loss overall.
Simoncic finished 8 for 17 for 131 yards and one score and Schurig was 7 of 9 for 112 yards and two touchdowns playing only the first quarter.
Afful, Jace Williams and Simmons each had three catches in the game with Afful finished with 72, Williams had 60 and Simmons had 38 with the two scores.
Washburn finished with 30 first downs rushing for 292 yards on 52 carries averaging 5.6 yards per carry while the Riverhawks were limited to 56 yards on 32 attempts. Washburn finished with 257 yards passing while the RiverHawks had 87. As a team, Washburn had 549 yards of total offense compared to 143 for NSU.
 
SERIES HISTORY WITH NORTHEASTERN STATE
• The Ichabods lead the series 10-1 and have won the last nine meetings.
• The Ichabods have outscored the RiverHawks 434 to 107 in 11 games - an average of 39.5 to 9.7.
• Washburn is 4-1 in road contests losing the first game played in Tahlequah on Sept. 27, 1988 - the RiverHawks' only win in the series.
• Washburn is 6-0 in games played in Topeka.
• Washburn has averaged 39.5 ppg in the 11 meetings including a 35-0 win last season and a 70-13 win in the last meeting in Tahlequah on Oct. 12, 2019.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
(Oct. 22, 2022) TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods rolled to a 37-9 Homecoming win on Saturday in Yager Stadium improving to 5-3 on the season with a victory over the Central Oklahoma Bronchos.
After a scoreless first half, Kameron Lake put the Ichabods on the board with a 26-yard field goal with 6:47 to play in the second quarter capping a 16-play, 66-yard drive to take a 3-0 lead. After the Ichabods forced a punt, Washburn then wrapped up the opening half with a 15-play, 87-yard drive when Kellen Simoncic scored from 1-yard out on a quarterback keeper.
UCO took the opening kickoff of the second half and went backwards one yard in its three plays and after a 33-yard punt by the Bronchos, Washburn needed five plays marching 57 yards in 87 seconds when James Letcher, Jr. took a direct snap and scored from 12 yards out to put Washburn up 16-0 with 12:31 to play in the third quarter.
On UCO's next possession, Brendan Harden picked off a pass on a Broncho third-down play and returned it to the UCO 20 setting up a Simoncic to Letcher 11-yard TD hookup stretching the lead to 23-0.
The teams traded possessions and on a second and five from the UCO 40, Micah Skeebo picked off a pass returning the ball back to the Ichabods.
The Ichabods could not convert after an inception of their own and UCO opened the fourth quarter with a 41-yard field goal by Nick Quevedo trimming the lead to 23-3.
The Ichabods punted on their next possession, but Channon Ross picked of a pass and the Ichabods had a Simoncic to Tyce Brown touchdown pass from 15 yards out as the lead increased to 30-3.
After UCO ran 12 plays, the drive stalled and were forced to punt and after a 56-yard punt, Letcher, Jr. returned it 78 yards for a touchdown with 6:06 left in the third quarter. The return helped to push Letcher's career all-purpose yards total to 5,216 yards passing Troy Slusser's 5,210 atop the Ichabod charts.
UCO would wrap up the scoring with 40 seconds to play in the game cutting the lead to 37-9 ending the Bronchos' four-game winning streak.
Letcher finished with eight catches for 67 yards and one score while rushing for nine yards and one score adding the special teams return. Taylon Peters led the Ichabods on the ground with 65 yards on 15 carries. Simoncic finished 23 of 36 passing for 211 yards and two scores while rushing for one.
Grant Bruner and Brendan Harden tied for the team lead the Ichabods with nine tackles each with Harden adding a tackle for loss and an interception. The Ichabod defense finished with three sacks for 14 yards and 11 tackles for loss for 28 yards with Phoenix Smith recording two sacks for 13 yards.
Washburn finished with 363 yards in offense holding the Bronchos (5-3, 5-3 MIAA) to 252.

CENTRAL OKLAHOMA LEFTOVERS ... THE WIN
• moved the Ichabods to 5-3 and the second-straight win over the Bronchos.
• snapped a three-game losing streak to the Bronchos in games played in Topeka.
• improved the Ichabods to 5-6 all-time against the Bronchos.
• be Washburn's first win over the Bronchos in Topeka since Sept. 28, 2013 in a 28-19 win.
 
A WIN OVER THE RIVERHAWKS
• move the Ichabods to 6-3 and be the 11th-straight win over the RiverHawks.
• be Washburn's fifth-straight win in Tahlequah.
• improve the Ichabods to 11-1 all-time against the RiverHawks.
• be better than losing.
 
A LOSS TO THE RIVERHAWKS
• drop the Ichabods to 5-4 on the season.
• be the first loss to the RiverHawks since Sept. 27, 1988 in a 35-30 defeat in Tahlequah.

ICHABOD FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Washburn is 573-598-44 (.484) in the 130th 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 171 first team all-MIAA picks and 61 first team all-MIAA selections.
• Washburn has had 96 All-American selections and 72 All-American picks since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 1989.
• Washburn has made 14 postseason appearances including bowl games and tournament games going 5-2 in a bowl games.
• Seven 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 77 times and have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 15 times.
 
UP NEXT
The Ichabods will host Pittsburg State on senior day on Nov. 5 before wrapping up the regular season at Missouri Southern on Nov. 12.