FOR STARTERS
• The Washburn Ichabods are on the road for the next two weeks starting with a road contest in Hays, America as the Ichabods will take on Fort Hays State at 7 p.m. for the Tigers' Homecoming game.
• The Ichabods (3-2, 3-2 MIAA) are coming off a 42-35 loss to Emporia State last time out.
• The Tigers (1-4, 1-4 MIAA) dropped their second game in a row falling to Nebraska-Kearney 38-20 scoring.
• Fort Hays State head coach Chris Brown was an assistant at Washburn as the defensive coordinator for nine years.
• Other former Ichabod coaches on the Tiger staff include defensive coordinator Cooper Harris who was at Washburn from 2002-11 and FHSU Special Teams Coordinator and defensive backs coach Steven Dudley was a five-year member of the Ichabod football team.
 
 BLUE NOTES
• Kellen Simoncic is third in the nation in passing touchdowns with 15 and 12th in the nation in total offense at 296.8 yards per game.
• Grant Bruner leads the nation in tackles at 14.4 per game and is second in also first solo tackles with 8.6 per game.
• James Letcher, Jr., is eighth in the nation receiving touchdowns (6), 12th in receiving yards (559) and 13th in receiving yards per game (111.8) and ninth in receptions per game (7.4). He is also 17th in all-purpose yards (151.6) per game and 31st in total touchdowns (6).
• James Letcher, Jr. is ranked third in active NCAA D2 players with 4,830 all-purpose yards and fourth with 2,475 receiving yards and third with 185 receptions.
• 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 133-90 (.599) in his 21st season as the Ichabod head coach and the sixth-longest tenured football coach in MIAA history.
• is 115-76 (.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 133 wins.
• is 11-6 against Fort Hays State.
 
Fort Hays State head coach Chris Brown . . . 
• is in his 11th season as head coach at Fort Hays State leading the Tigers to an MIAA Championship in 2017 and a co-championship in 2018 as well as their first NCAA Postseason games since 1995.
• has compiled a 72-47 record leading the Tigers.
• was a three-time All-America free safety for the Pittsburg State from 1993-95, came to FHSU after serving as defensive coordinator at for the Ichabods from 2002-10.
• is 4-6 against Washburn.
 
CAREER CHARTS
• James Letcher, Jr. has 1,571 career kickoff return yards on 42 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 24.9 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 2,436 yards, which is fifth all-time at Washburn … his 184 career receptions is second on the all-time chart trailing Sam Sissom's (2002-06) 191 career catches at Washburn and his 25 touchdown receptions is fifth.
• James Letcher, Jr.'s has 4,767 career all-purpose yards, which is second all-time at Washburn. Troy Slusser has the school record with 5,210 yards from 1984-88.
• Kameron Lake is sixth with 94 extra points as an Ichabod. The school record is 157 set by Connor Sabel set from 2003-06.
 
NOTING THE TIGERS
• The Tigers are 1-4 on the season coming off a 38-20 loss to Nebraska-Kearney last time out on the road.
• The Tigers are 0-2 in home games with their lone win coming in a 51-14 victory at Lincoln on Sept. 17.
• The game is Fort Hays State's Homecoming game on Saturday.
• The Tigers are ranked sixth in the MIAA in scoring at 26.6 ppg and 10th in the MIAA in scoring defense allowing 29.0 ppg.
• Adrian Soto is seventh in the MIAA in rushing averaging 58.5 ypg and Jack Dawson is fifth in the MIAA in passing  at 208.6 ypg.
• Manny Ramsey is third in the league in receiving at 81.8 ypg and Hunter Budke is seventh at 57.0 ypg.
• Makel Williams is 13th in the MIAA in tackles with 35 total this season.
 
LAST MEETING WITH THE TIGERS
TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods' James Letcher, Jr., pulled down a 19-yard touchdowns reception from Mitch Schurig in overtime to push the Ichabods to a 23-20 walk-off win over Fort Hays State.
To start the overtime period, the Ichabods (4-2, 4-2 MIAA) won the toss and elected to be on defense first and the Tigers converted a 33-yard field goal taking a 20-17 lead.
Turning the ball back to the Ichabods, Schurig completed passes to Taylon Peters and to Trey Pivarnik before hitting the game-winner to Letcher send the Ichabods to the 23-20 win. The win improved the Ichabods to 5-7 in overtime games. It was the third overtime matchup with the Tigers since 2014 and the second-straight going back to the 2019 season with the Ichabods fell 41-38 in overtime to Fort Hays State.
The Tigers (3-3, 3-3 MIAA) took a 7-0 lead into the break on the only score of the first half with 3:06 to play in the opening quarter when Chance Fuller hit Hunter Budke for a five-yard touchdown pass.
In the third quarter, the Ichabods held the Tigers to a three-and-out and then Schurig connected with Letcher for a 35-yard touchdown strike tying the score at 7-7 with 9:41 to play in the quarter. The tie was short-lived as the Tigers used a 11-play, 93-yard drive capped by a Josh Okechukwu 36-yard reception from Fuller putting the Tigers up 14-7 with 4:35 to go in the third.
The Ichabods came back and cut the lead to four at 14-10 on the next drive when Trenton Brehm nailed a 35-yard field goal just near the end of the third quarter. The Ichabod defense forced a punt on the Tigers' next possession and Schurig and Peter Afful connected on a 65-yard catch and throw as the Ichabods went up 17-14 with 10:24 to go in regulation.
Both teams traded punts and with 5:14 to go in the game, the Tigers drove 63 yards on 11 plays to tie the score on a 31-yard field goal sending the game to overtime.
Letcher had five catches with two for touchdowns including the game-winner for 56 yards and Afful had four catches for 105 yards and one score. Peters had 15 carries for 68 yards. Schurig was 25 of 31 for 282 yards and three touchdowns completing 81 percent of his passes completing nine in a row to finish the game.
Defensively Kevin Neal, Jr., had 10 tackles with seven solo stops and Peyton Lane had nine tackles.
Both teams finished with 20 first downs as the Ichabods were outgained 386 to 357 by the Tigers. The Ichabods held the Tigers to 67 yards rushing on 27 attempts.
 
SERIES HISTORY WITH FORT HAYS STATE
• The Ichabods lead the all-time series 45-27-3 in 75 all-time meetings and the last two meetings have gone to overtime.
• Washburn is 17-16-2 all-time in games played in Hays but will be looking to snap a three-game losing slide at Lewis Field.
• Washburn's last win in Hays came on Sept. 8, 2012 in a 45-20 win.
• Washburn is 6-4 in the last 10 meetings.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
(Oct. 1, 2022) TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod scored 21-unanswered points over the final 10:43 of the fourth quarter but it was not enough as the Ichabods fell 42-35 to Emporia State. Washburn will be on the road for the next two weeks starting with Fort Hays State on Oct. 8. Washburn's next home game will be Homecoming on Oct. 22 against Central Oklahoma.
Washburn (3-2, 3-2 MIAA) fell behind 14-0 midway through the second quarter but then got the offense on the board with a 1-yard rush by Kellen Simoncic right before the half taking a 14-7 deficit into the halftime break.
After the Ichabods were forced to punt from deep in their territory to start the third quarter, the Hornets took over and marched 31-yards on seven plays to take a 21-7 lead.
Emporia State (3-2, 3-2 MIAA) added to its lead going up 28-7 with seven minutes to play in the third quarter, but the Simoncic hit Peter Afful on a 77-yard touchdown pass cutting the ESU lead to 28-14.
The Hornets added two more scores stretching lead to 42-14 just into the fourth quarter. The Ichabods would then start their comeback with a 17-yard touchdown reception by Afful and after the teams traded punts, Collin Wilson pulled down a 12-yard touchdown pass with 3:05 to go in the game as the Ichabods trailed 42-28.
The ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Hornets and the Ichabods again forced a punt. Washburn needed four plays as James Letcher, Jr. capped a 50-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown catch from Simoncic with 1:54 to go, but the Hornets again recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock with three kneel downs to finish off the game.
Simoncic passed for 334 yards completing a school-record 35 of 48 attempts with four touchdowns. He passed the previous best of 34 set by Mike Atkins vs. Wayne State in 1980 and Mitch Schurig at Emporia State last season. Afful had 114 yards receiving on five catches and two scores. Letcher finished with 10 catches for 74 yards and one score. Taylon Peters had 36 yards on nine carries.
Grant Bruner led the Ichabods with 14 tackles and Derrick McClendon had eight.
The Ichabods were outgained 471 to 408 in the game outgaining the Hornets 182 to 39 in the fourth quarter.

EMPORIA STATE LEFTOVERS
• dropped the Ichabods to 3-2 on the season and move the series record to 59-53-6 in favor of the Hornets.
• was the second-straight win by the Hornets in the series.
• was the third-straight win by the Hornets in Topeka.
• Kellen Simoncic broke the school record for completions in a game with 35.
 
A WIN OVER THE TIGERS WOULD
• move the Ichabods to 4-2 on the season and move Washburn to an all-time 46-27-3 series advantage.
• move the Ichabods to 18-16-2 against the Tigers in Hays.
• snap a three-game losing streak to the Tigers in Hays becoming the first Ichabod win since a 45-20 victory on Sept. 8, 2012.
• be better than losing.
 
A LOSS OT THE TIGERS WOULD
• drop the Ichabods to 3-3 on the season and move the series record to 45-28-3 all-time against the Tigers.
• be the fourth-straight loss to the Tigers in Hays.
 
ICHABOD FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Washburn is 571-597-44 (.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 seven 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 spend the next two weeks after this week's game against Fort Hays State with an Oct. 15 game at Northwest Missouri. The Ichabods will return to Yager Stadium on Oct. 22 to face Central Oklahoma for Washburn's Homecoming game. After a roadtrip to Northeastern State on Oct. 29, the Ichabods will host Pittsburg State on senior day on Nov. 5 before wrapping up the regular season at Missouri Southern on Nov. 12.