TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod football team wrapped up the home slate falling 37-23 to the No. 5-ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas on Saturday in Yager Stadium. Washburn will finish-off the regular season at Missouri Southern on Nov. 12.
 
The Ichabods (6-4, 6-4 MIAA) opened the scoring on their first drive of the game when Jared Taylor connected on a slant pass with James Letcher, Jr., who scampered 84 yards for the 6-0 after the extra point went off the upright.
 
Pitt State scored the next nine points – the first off an 8-yard rush by Caleb Lewis with 10:30 to go in the first half and after the Ichabods held the Gorillas on a fourth down from the Washburn 3, a safety on the first play of Washburn's drive with 5:50 to go in the frame building a 9-6 lead.
 
After the Ichabod free kick, the Gorillas (9-0, 9-0 MIAA) marched eight yards on 34 plays going up 16-6 just before the quarter. The Ichabods cut into the lead on their first drive of the second quarter when Taylon Peters scored from 6-yards out trimming the lead to 16-13 with 13:07 to play in the half.
 
The Gorillas stretched the lead to 10 at 23-13 on their next drive  with 8:59 to play in the half. The Ichabods turned it over on their next drive and PSU needed seven plays scoring pushing the margin to 30-13 wrapping up the scoring in the half.
 
Washburn scored on its second drive of the third quarter when Taylor hit Matthew Simmons on a 2-yard toss as the Ichabods pulled back within 10 points at 30-20 with 5:34 to play in the third.
 
Pitt State was picked off on its first play by Channon Ross returning possession to the Ichabods and Kameron Lake connected on a 44-yard field goal as the difference was seven at 30-23.
 
The Gorillas finished off the scoring the first of the fourth quarter pushing the lead back to 14 at 37-23 with 14:02 to play as the Ichabods and Gorillas would trade punts sandwiched with an Ichabod interception by Jordan Finnesy to end the game.
 
Taylor finished 20 of 38 passing for 251 yards with two touchdowns in his first Ichabod start. Letcher, Jr., had five catches for 127 yards including 97 yards after the catch and one score. With his yardage total, Letcher also went over the 1,000-yard mark pushing his season total to 1,005 becoming the first Ichabod since James Brania-Hopp had 1,144 in 2018.
 
Grant Bruner had a game-high 14 tackles giving him 127 on the season (ranking sixth on the single-season chart) and Derrick McClendon had 11 tackles.
                         
Washburn was limited to 11 yards rushing and was outgained by the Goriilas 425 to 262.