FOR STARTERS
• The Washburn Ichabods will wrap up the regular season with a Nov. 12 trip to Joplin, Mo. facing the Missouri Southern Lions.
• The Ichabods (6-4, 6-4 MIAA) are coming off a 37-23 loss to No. 5-ranked Pittsburg State last time out.
• The Lions (4-6, 4-6 MIAA) are riding a four-game losing streak falling at No. 11-ranked Northwest Missouri 27-5 last time.
• Washburn is third in the MIAA in scoring offense at 32.7 ppg and Missouri Southern is sixth in the league in scoring defense.
• Missouri Southern is 10th in the MIAA in scoring offense at 21.8 ppg and the Ichabods are seventh in scoring defense at 23.8 ppg.
• Washburn is second in the MIAA in total offense at 407.9 yards per game while Missouri Southern is sixth in total defense.
• Missouri Southern is 10th in the league in total offense at 324.2 ypg and Washburn is eighth in total defense at 376.3 ypg.
• The Ichabods will be looking for their seventh-straight win against the Lions.
• Washburn's last loss to the Lions came on Sept. 27, 2014 in a 42-21 loss in Joplin.
• Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig is 15-2 against Missouri Southern - the most wins of any team Schurig has coached against.
 
BLUE NOTES
• The Ichabods are 13th in the nation in third down conversions at 49 percent, ranked 16th in first downs, 11th in net punting, fifth in punt returns, 13th in passing offense and 18th in sacks allowed.
• Kellen Simoncic is 11th in the nation in passing touchdowns with 25 and 20th in the nation in total offense at 270.9 yards per game. He also is ranked eighth in the nation in points responsible for per game at 19.6 leading the MIAA as well.
• Grant Bruner leads the nation in tackles at 12.7 per game and is first in solo tackles with 7.96 per game.
• James Letcher, Jr., is 15th in the nation receiving touchdowns (9), 11th in receiving yards (1,005), 11th in receiving yards per game (100.5) and seventh in receptions per game (7.4). He is also 19th in all-purpose yards (141.4).
• James Letcher, Jr. is ranked third in active NCAA D2 players with 5,462 all-purpose yards and fourth with 2,921 receiving yards and third with 222 receptions …Letcher needs 79 yards to become only the third Ichabod to reach at least 3,000 receiving yards in a career joining Sam Sissom (3,288) and Michael Dritlein (3,103).
• James Letcher, Jr., needs four kickoff returns and 129 kickoff return yards to become Washburn's all-time leader.
• Landen Urban is tied for ninth all-time in tackles for loss with 28.0 at Washburn and his 118 yards from those tackles for loss is fourth.
• Braden Rose's 14.5 career sacks is tied for seventh all-time at Washburn and the 85 yards is fourth.
• Kameron Lake's 110 PAT's is tied for third all-time at Washburn trailing Connor Sabel who had 157.
• Grant Bruner's 127 tackles this season is tied for sixth on the single season chart and his 76 solo tackles this season is third on the all-time chart trailing Bill Guidetti who had 88 in 1984.
• James Letcher, Jr.'s 74 pass receptions is third on the Ichabod single season chart trailing Joe Hastings' 87 catches in 2010 and Ron Hamilton's 84 in 1980 … Letcher's 7.4 receptions per game is second on the season chart behind Hamilton's 8.4 catches per game … Letcher's 1,005 receiving yards this season is ninth on the single season chart.
• James Letcher, Jr.'s 24.5 yards per kickoff return is second all-time at Washburn behind Fletcher Terrell's 27.32 yard per return average.
 
COACHES
Washburn Ichabod head coach Craig Schurig . . .
• was named head coach of the Ichabod football program Dec. 28, 2001.
• is 136-92 (.599) in his 21st season as the Ichabod head coach and the sixth-longest tenured football coach in MIAA history.
• is 118-77 (.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 135 wins.
• is 15-2 against Missouri Southern.
 
Missouri Southern head coach Atiba Bradley . . . 
• named the 14th head football coach in the history of Missouri Southern on February 5, 2021.
• the first graduate of Missouri Southern to lead the Southern football program
• is 8-14 in his second season as the Lions head coach after going 1-0 in the only game of the spring 2021.
• As a player at MSSU, Bradley was a two-time All-MIAA honorable mention pick as a linebacker.
• He had four tackles against the Ichabods on Nov. 15, 2003 in a 38-35 Washburn win in Topeka and had nine tackles with six solo stops and a tackle for loss against the Ichabods on Nov. 6, 2004 in Washburn's 58-43 win in Joplin. On Oct. 29, 2005 in Topeka, he recorded 15 tackles with two for loss and a sack in Washburn's 49-35 win in Topeka.
• is 0-1 against Washburn.
 
NOTING THE LIONS
• The Lions are 4-6 this season and have lost their last four contests last winning 37-14 over Lincoln on Oct. 8 in Joplin.
• Missouri Southern's four wins are over Northeastern State (30-13), Central Oklahoma (40-21), Fort Hays State (25-24) and Lincoln (37-14).
• Nathan Glades leads the rushing attack with 787 yards on 166 carries with six touchdowns averaging 87.4 yards per game.
• Dawson Herl has thrown for 1,041 yards and five touchdowns.
• Jaedon Stoshak has a team-high 29 receptions for 334 yards (11.5 per catch) and two touchdowns.
• Richard Jordan, Jr., leads the team with 86 tackles including six for loss.
 
LAST MEETING WITH THE LIONS
(Nov. 13, 2021) – TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod football team put a bow on the regular season with one of the best ones in program history as they finished with a 9-2 record winning their sixth game in a row in a 38-28 win over Missouri Southern on Saturday in Yager Stadium.
After the Lions jumped out to a 7-0 on a 31-yard pass reception with 10:20 to go in the first quarter, the Ichabods ripped off 38-straight points starting with a 2-yard rush by Zach Willis with 5:38 to play in the first quarter capping an 11-play, 65-yard drive knotting the score at 7-7.
The Lions, who finish the season 3-8, punted on their next possession and the Ichabods needed six plays to take the lead for good at 10-7 when Trenton Brehm hit a 34-yard field goal.
Washburn pushed the lead to 17-7 when Mitch Schurig hit Peter Afful on a 60-yard touchdown strike with 11:28 to go in the first half finishing off an 8-play, 94-yard drive. Neither team would score until Schurig connected with Jace Williams with 33 seconds to play in the half on an 11-yard pass as Washburn took a 24-7 lead into the break.
Washburn had the opening possession of the second half and Schurig scored his second career rushing touchdown with a 1-yard sneak as the Ichabods went up 31-7 and after a Missouri Southern fumble on a punt attempt giving the Ichabods the ball at the Missouri Southern 1, Colton Dunkle moved from the offensive line to fullback and scored wrapping up the Ichabod scoring going up 38-14.
The Lions scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter cutting the lead to 38-28 but would get no closer as the Ichabods wrapped up senior day with a win.
Taylon Peters had 123 rushing yards on 11 attempts averaging 11.2 yards per carry and Willis finished with 74 yards on 20 carries.
Schurig was 20 of 27 passing for 225 yards and two scores. James Letcher, jr., had eight catches for 73 yards with 66 coming after the catch.
Defensively, the Ichabods were led by Peyton Lane who had 10 tackles with eight solo stops. Christian Clark and Grant Bruner each had six. Chase Ast had two sacks.
Washburn outgained the Lions 472 to 371 and recorded 247 yards on the ground rushing.
The nine wins for the Ichabods is the most since recording 11 during the 2011 season when the Ichabods reached the NCAA Playoffs in their last appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
 
SERIES HISTORY WITH MISSOURI SOUTHERN
• The Ichabods lead the all-time series with the Lions 27-21-1 and have won the last six in the series.
• The Lions' last win in the series came on Sept. 27, 2014 in a 42-21 win in Joplin.
• Washburn has won 18 of the last 20 in the series and nine of the last 10 overall.
• The Ichabods are 13-11-1 in games played in Joplin and 14-10 in games played in Topeka.
• The first match up was a 21-21 tie on Oct. 17, 1970 played in Joplin.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
(Nov. 5, 2022) 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. 
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..
 
PITTSBURG STATE LEFTOVERS 
• dropped the Ichabods to 6-4 on the season.
• snapped a four-game winning streak over the Gorillas.
• be Pitt State's first win over the Ichabods since Oct. 1, 2016 in a 45-27 win in Topeka.
• the 11 yards rushing was the fewest by an Ichabod team since recording -2 at Harding in the NCAA playoffs in 2021.
• the 84-yard touchdown reception by James Letcher, Jr. from Jared Taylor is the third-longest in the Schurig era and the longest since an 86-yard reception in 2004 on a pass from Tyler Schuerman to Sam Sissom against Emporia State.
 
A WIN OVER MISSOURI SOUTHERN WOULD
• wrap up the regular season with a 7-4 record.
• be Washburn's sixth-straight win over the Lions.
• move the Ichabods to 28-21-1 all-time against the Lions.
• make for a better drive home.
 
A LOSS TO THE LIONS WOULD
• end the Ichabods' season at to 6-5.
• snap a five-game winning streak over the Lions.
• be Missouri Southern's first win over the Ichabods since a 42-21 win on Sept. 27, 2014 in Joplin.
 
ICHABOD FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Washburn is 574-599-44 (.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
With a win the Ichabods will finish the regular season 7-4 and have an outside shot for a possible NCAA Division II bowl appearance if offered. A loss more-than-likely will end the season at 6-5 and be the Ichabods' last game until the start of the 2023 season when Washburn will open with Pittsburg State on Thursday Aug. 31 or Sept. 2 in Pittsburg.