TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods had their two-game winning Homecoming winning streak snapped in a 52-31 loss to Northwest Missouri. Washburn will be on the road next week at Central Oklahoma and then return home to wrap up the 2023 campaign on Nov. 4 on Senior Day against Northeastern State.
 
The teams traded punts to start the game and after an Ichabod turnover, Northwest (5-4, 4-4 MIAA) opened the scoring on a four-play drive with 9:36 left in the first quarter.
 
After the Bearcats took possession after an Ichabod punt, three plays later Isaac Keener picked off a Mike Hohensee pass and returned it 20 yards to the Bearcat eight yard line. The Ichabod drive stalled, but Trenton Brehm connected on a 31-yard field goal putting Washburn on the boar with 4:26 to play in the first quarter.
 
On the Bearcats' next possession, C.J. Callaghan picked off a pass and returned it 16 yards back to the Northwest 18 yard line setting up a three-yard drive capped by a Sam Van Dyne to Tyce Brown touchdown pass for 19-yards putting the Ichabods up 10-7.
 
Northwest responded with a 75-yard drive to take back the lead early in the second quarter starting a string of 28-straight points by the Bearcats as they would take a 35-10 lead into the halftime break.
 
Washburn (1-8, 0-8 MIAA) forced a Bearcat punt on their opening drive of the second half and Wahburn then marched 91 yards in 10 plays wrapped up by a 1-yard touchdown plunge by Percy Mitchell with 7:38 left in the third quarter trimming the deficit to 35-17.
 
Then the lightning happened.
 
After the Ichabod score, a weather delay of 38 minutes gave fans time to run and grab a snack before returning to the game.
 
Northwest took a 42-17 lead coming back put after the delay with a score with 3:25 to play in the third quarter.
 
Early in the fourth quarter after a Bearcat punt was downed at the two yard line. On the second play of the Ichabod drive, Van Dyne hit Maury Sullivan for a school-record 98-yard touchdown pass with 13:28 to play in the game. The completion broke the previous record which had stood since Nov. 12, 1988 when Barry Griffiths hit Troy Slusser on a 95 yard completion against Emporia State.
 
Northwest added a field goal with 11:18 to go its next drive stretching the lead to 45-24.
 
Washburn wrapped up the scoring with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Van Dyne to Bell for 20 yards finishing off a 72-yard, 14-play drive and the 45-31 score.
 
Mitchell led the Ichabods with 52 yards and a score on 13 carries and Van Dyne was 20 for 41 with three touchdowns and 302 yards through the air. Sullivan had four catches for 126 yards and Teondre Carter had six catches.
 
Josh Grant had nine tackles and L.J. Minner, Jr. had seven.
 
The Ichabods had a season-high 406 yards of offense on 73 plays while Northwest had 441 yards on 69 plays.