FOR STARTERS
• The Washburn Ichabods look to rebound from their first loss of the season last week on the road at Missouri Western at 6 p.m. on Sept. 24 in St. Joseph, Mo.
• The Ichabods (2-1, 2-1 MIAA) are coming are coming off a 21-13 loss to Nebraska-Kearney last week in Topeka snapping an eight-game winning streak in Yager Stadium.
• The Griffons (2-1, 2-1 MIAA) fell for the first time in 2022 in a 36-12 loss at Emporia State.
• The Ichabods are receiving votes in the AFCA Top 25 coaches poll and they are ranked No. 25 in the D2Football.com preseason poll.
 
 BLUE NOTES
• Kellen Simoncic is sixth in the nation in passing touchdowns with nine.
• Grant Bruner leads the nation in tackles at 14.7 per game and is second in solo tackles with 8.0 per game.
• James Letcher, Jr. is ranked third in active NCAA D2 players with 4,499 all-purpose yards and fourth with 2,221 receiving yards and fourth with 157 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 132-89 (.599) in his 21st season as the Ichabod head coach and the sixth-longest tenured football coach in MIAA history.
• is 114-76 (.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 130 wins.
• is 9-10 against Missouri Western.
 
Missouri Western head coach Matt Williamson . . . 
• is in his sixth season directing his alma mater after being hired as MWSU's head coach in December 2016.
• previously served as an assistant coach at Western from 2000-07.
• spent 10 years at the Division I level, most recently serving as defensive coordinator at Stephen F. Austin University.
• is a 1996 graduate from Missouri Western.
• has a 28-21 career coaching record all at Missouri Western.
• is 2-2 against Washburn.
 
CAREER CHARTS
• James Letcher, Jr. has 1,521 career kickoff return yards on 40 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 25.7 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 2,182 yards, which is seventh all-time at Washburn … his 162 career receptions is third on the all-time chart at Washburn and his 22 touchdown receptions is sixth.
• James Letcher, Jr.'s has 4,435 career all-purpose yards, which is fourth all-time at Washburn. Troy Slusser has the school record with 5,210 yards from 1984-88.
• Kameron Lake is seventh with 84 extra points as an Ichabod. The school record is 157 set by Connor Sabel set from 2003-06.
 
NOTING THE GRIFFONS
• Missouri Western is 2-1 on the season.
• Offensively the Griffons are second in the MIAA in rushing offense (268.3), are sixth in scoring offense (27.3) and fourth in total offense (410.0)
• Brandon Hall and Reagan Jones are ranked third and fourth in the MIAA in rushing with 91.0 and 71.0 yards per game respectively.
• The Griffons are third in the MIAA in rush defense allowing 98 yards per game.
  
LAST MEETING WITH THE GRIFFONS
(Sept. 25, 2021) TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods celebrate Family Day by ringing up a 47-41 win over Missouri Western on Saturday afternoon in Yager Stadium. The Ichabods move to 3-1 with the win.
Washburn opened the scoring on its first drive of the game as James Letcher, Jr., pulled down a 30-yard catch and run from Mitch Schurig as the Ichabods took the early lead. However the Griffons came back with a 13-play, 90-yard of the their own tying the score with 7:37 to go in the first quarter.
Connor Searcy put the Ichabods up 14-7 after hauling in a 3-yard reception just before the end of the quarter. But as before the Griffons came back with a score of their own tying the score at 14.
Missouri Western took a 20-14 lead midway through the second quarter, but the extra point was missed. Five plays later, Peter Afful scored on a 30-yard reception, but the Ichabod extra point was missed and the score remained tied at 20-20 going into the break.
The Griffons regained the lead on a 36-yard touchdown reception by Hezekia Trotter, but the Ichabods needed only two plays to tie the score for the fourth time in the game as Afful collected his second touchdown reception on a 44-yard completion from Schurig.
Missouri Western (1-3) scored on its next drive when Cooper Burton caught a six-yard pass going up 34-27 with 9:16 to play in the third quarter. Zach Willis responded with runs of 9-yards and 13-yards to tie the score again at 34 with 5:31 to play in the third.
After the Ichabod defense held the Griffons to a three-and-out, Schurig hit Jace Williams for a 33-yard strike pushing the Ichabods to a 41-34. On the ensuing Griffon drive, Marquise Manning picked off Anthony Vespo at the Ichabod 17-yard line ending the Griffon drive.
On their first drive of the fourth quarter, Will Evans scored on a 5-yard run pushing the Washburn lead to 47-34 after the extra point attempt was blocked.
Brooks Peavler picked off a Vespo pass at the Ichabod 1-yard line ending another drive. After holding the Ichabods on the next drive, Missouri Western's Traveon scored on a 32-yard touchdown reception cutting the Ichabods lead to 47-41, but the onside kick attempt was unsuccessful and the Ichabods took over at their own 49.
Washburn ran the clock down to eight seconds and punted with three left setting up a multiple lateral play for the Griffons but they fumbled and it was recovered by Peyton Lane ending the game.
Schurig finished with 388 yards passing for five touchdowns completing 24 of 30 passes for 388 yards. Letcher, Jr. had five catches for 113 yards. On the ground, the Ichabods were led by Zach Willis who had 63 yards on 10 carries and one score.
Defensively, Brooks Peavler, Peyton Lane and Marquise Manning all had 10 tackles as Peavler and Manning each had interceptions.
Washburn finished with 584 yards of total offense with 147 on the ground.
 
SERIES HISTORY WITH MISSOURI WESTERN
• The Griffons lead the all-time series 26-21-2.
• Washburn won the last meeting in Topeka.
• Washburn is 7-15-2 in games played in St. Joseph.
• The teams have split the last 10 meetings. 
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Washburn Ichabods fell for the first time this season in a 21-13 loss to the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers on Saturday afternoon dropping to 2-1 on the season.
The Lopers were forced to punt on their first possession and the Ichabods turned the ball over on downs to open the game. It was on the third series of the game the Lopers moved the scoreboard taking a 7-0 lead with 8:54 to go in the first.
Washburn next possession stalled out at the UNK (2-1, 2-1 MIAA) and Kameron Lake put the Ichabods on the board with 1 38-yard field cutting the lead to 7-3 by the Lopers.
The Lopers then marched 75 yards in four plays as they went up 14-3 after an 18-yard touchdown pass wrapping up the scoring in the first half as the Ichabods were outgained 176 to 30.
Neither team would score until the Lopers went up 21-3 with 5:07 to play in the half. The Ichabods then scored again using their longest drive of the year - a 17-play 87-yard drive capped by a 22-yard field goal by Lake at the half.
Washburn cut the lead to 21-13 on its first drive of the second half as Hunter Browning capped a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard run with 8:29 to play in the third quarter.
The teams traded punts ending the third quarter and on the third play of the fourth quarter, UNK fumbled heading into the end zone on a forced fumble by Jordan Finnesy returning the ball back to the Ichabods with 13:31 to go in the game after review confirmed the call.
However the ichabods were forced to punt and then again the teams went back and forth with punts returning the ball to the Lopers for the final 7:00 of the game as UNK converted three third downs and a fourth down conversion to run out the clock ending the game snapping the Ichabods eight-game winning streak in Yager Stadium.
Washburn was outgained by the Lopers 375 to 247 in the game as the Lopers rushed the ball for 243 compared to 102 for the Ichabods.
Taylor Peters had 70 yards on the ground for the Ichabods on 18 carries and Kellen Simoncic was 19 of 37 for 145 yards. James Letcher, Jr., had six catches for 60 yards.
Grant Bruner had 11 tackles to lead the Ichabods and Landen Urban had six tackles with a sack and two tackles for loss.
TJ Davis had 74 yards rushing and 132 in the air adding two scores for the Lopers.

NEBRAKSA-KEARNEY LEFTOVERS
• was the Ichabods' second-straight loss to the Lopers.
• dropped the Ichabods to 13-17 all-time against the Lopers.
• dropped the Ichabods to 2-1 on the season.
• be the first set of back-to-back wins by the Lopers against the Ichabods since the 1984 and 1985 seasons.
 
A WIN OVER THE GRIFFONS WOULD
• move the Ichabods to 3-1 on the season and move Washburn to 22-26-2 against the Griffons.
• be the second-straight win over the Griffons.
• be better than losing.
 
A LOSS TO THE GRIFFONS WOULD
• drop the Ichabods to 21-27-2 all-time against the Griffons.
• drop the Ichabods to 2-2 on the season.
 
ICHABOD FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Washburn is 570-596-44 (.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 76 times and have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 15 times.
 
UP NEXT 
Washburn's next home game will be Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. against Emporia State as part of the athletics hall of fame induction day.