FOR STARTERS
• The Washburn Ichabods return home hosting Missouri Southern at 1 p.m. on Oct. 19 in Yager Stadium.
• Washburn (1-5, 1-4 MIAA) dropped a 38-7 decision at Fort Hays State last time out in Hays.
• The Lions (1-6, 0-5 MIAA) lost to No. 17-ranked Emporia State at home on Saturday in a 49-30 loss.
 
 BLUE NOTES
• The Ichabods are ranked second in the nation in punt returns averaging 26.8 yards per return.
• Chase McCoy is 19th in the nation in sacks and leads the MIAA in sacks at 0.8 per game.
• Tre Richardson is 29th in the nation and third in the MIAA in all-purpose yards averaging 129.5 yards per game …he is also 36th in receiving yards with 471 and 34th in receiving yards per game with 78.5.
• The Ichabods have played the seventh-toughest scheduled in the country so far this season.
• This season Ichabod opponents have scored 37 points off of Washburn turnovers while the Ichabods have scored seven points off of opponent miscues.
• Washburn has been outscored this season 205 to 138 including  109 to 68 in the second half and 58 to 27 in the fourth quarter.
• the Ichabods lead the all-time series with the Lions 28-22-1 and have won seven of the last eight in the series.
• the Lions broke a seven-game winning streak by the Ichabods with their win in Yager Stadium in the home opener in a 30-23 win breaking a 10-game losing streak in Topeka.
• Washburn has won 19 of the last 22 in the series and 10 of the last 12 overall.
 
PRO BODS
• The Washburn Ichabods have two former players on NFL rosters this season and one in the Canadian Football League.
• Kyle Hinton is on the 53-man roster of the Atlanta Falcons.
• Corey Ballentine is on the 53-man roster in Green Bay.
• James Letcher, Jr. is a standout return specialist in the Canadian Football League playing for the Montreal Alouettes in his second season in the CFL. Earlier this season he had a 128-yard missed field goal return for a touchdown.

COACHES
Washburn head coach Craig Schurig . . .
• was named head coach of the Ichabod football program Dec. 28, 2001.
• is 140-106 (.599) in his 21st season as the Ichabod head coach and the sixth-longest tenured football coach in MIAA history.
• is 121-91 (.603) against the MIAA in league games.
• 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 139 wins.
• is 16-3 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 12-27 in his fourth 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 1-2 against Washburn.
 
NOTING THE LIONS
• The Lions are 1-6 this season and 0-5 in the MIAA after falling at Emporia State last time out  in a 49-30 loss.
• De'Shawn Larson leads the team with a 45 yards per game average and two touchdowns.
• Luke Sampson is 139 of 249 with 12 touchdowns and seven picks passing for 236 yards per game.
• Draper Parker leads the team with 67 yards per game on 37 catches averaging 12.8 yards per catch.
• Colton Bass leads the team with 54 tackles adding two interceptions.
• Missouri Southern is ranked 10th in the MIAA in scoring offense at 19.4 ppg and 10th in the MIAA in scoring defense allowing 40.3 ppg.
• Missouri Southern has the ninth-ranked offense in the league averaging 326.7 yards of total offense a game and they are ninth in the MIAA in total defense allowing 446.4 yards per game.
 
LAST MEETING WITH THE LIONS
(Sept. 7, 2023) TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod football team saw its seven-game winning streak over Missouri Southern as a potential game-tying touchdown was picked off in the endzone as the Ichabods fell 30-23 to the Lions. 
After the Lions took a 30-23 lead with 3:22 to play in the game, Washburn drove down to the Southern (1-1, 1-1 MIAA) 5-yard line before Sam Van Dyne's pass was picked off of a tipped ball as the Lions recovered and then after a kneel down ran out the clock for their first win in Topeka since a 17-14 win on Oct. 23, 1997.
Starting the game, the Lions took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in eight plays to go up 7-0. The Ichabods (0-2, 0-2 MIAA) then scored 13-straight points taking a 13-7 lead into the halftime break after Kellen Simoncic put the Ichabods on the board with a 1-yard plunge capping a 11-play, 68-yard drive to tie the score at 7-7. Washburn's next two scoring drives were finished-off by Trenton Brehm's field goals of 32- and 26-yards. The second field goal as the first half ended was set up by C.J. Callaghan's first career pickoff.
In the second half, the Lions scored on their first two drives with touchdowns drives adding a field goal on a third drive to take a 23-13 lead with 1:26 to play in the third quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, D.J. Bell returned the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown cutting the Southern lead to 23-20. The 100-yard return was the fourth 100-yard return in program history and the first since James Letcher, Jr. returned one against Fort Hays State on Sept. 21, 2019.
Brehm's 26-yard field with 8:50 to go in the game knotted the score at 23 before the Lions took the lead for good on their next drive to go up seven points.
Taylon Peters had a career-high 27 carries and tied a career-high with 123 yards leading the Ichabod rushing attack averaging 4.6 yards per carry while adding four catches for 17 yards.
D.J. Bell led the Ichabods with seven receptions for 64 yards and 123 more yards in returns.
Defensively Braylon Alexander and Patrick Altenor each had seven tackles and Brent Peavler had six.
The Lions outgained the Ichabods 335 to 310 overall.

SERIES HISTORY WITH LIONS
• the Ichabods lead the all-time series with the Lions 28-22-1 and have won seven of the last eight in the series.
• the Lions broke a seven-game winning streak by the Ichabods with their win in Yager Stadium in the home opener in a 30-23 win breaking a 10-game losing streak in Topeka.
• Washburn has won 19 of the last 22 in the series and 10 of the last 12 overall.
• the Ichabods are 14-11-1 in games played in Joplin and 14-11 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
(Oct. 12, 2024) HAYS, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods scored the first seven points of the game, but were outscored 38-0 the rest of the way in a 38-7 loss to Fort Hays State on Saturday night at Lewis Field. 
To open the game, the Ichabod defense held the Tigers on their first drive of the game, Washburn drove 83-yards on eight plays using 4:15 off the clock taking a 7-0 lead when Sam Van Dyne hit Tre Richardson on a 26-yard catch and run for a score as the 'Bods took the early lead at the 7:47 mark of the first quarter.
Washburn held the lead until the Tigers (5-2, 3-2 MIAA) came back on the ensuing drive when Caleb Heavner hit Jayden Horace for a 4-yard connection capping a 75-yard drive tying the score at 7-7 with 3:29 to play in the opening quarter.
The two early scores were the only points of the game until the final play of the first half after both teams came up empty on the next five combined drives until Carson Arndt hit a career-long 52-yard field goal at the first half gun as the Tigers took a 10-7 lead into the break.
Starting the second half, the Ichabods (1-5, 1-4 MIAA) recorded drives of 17 yards, six yards and no yards of 11 plays as the Tigers scored touchdowns on their first two drives of the half building a 24-7 lead outgaining the Ichabods 171 to 27 in the frame.
After a Tiger punt on their final drive of the third quarter, Washburn returned a punt and the Tigers scored on a 1-yard play taking a 31-7 lead with 10:33 to go. The Tigers added another touchdown with 1:54 left going up 38-7 wrapping up the scoring.
Tyler Bowden led the Ichabods on the ground with nine carries for 54 yards and Cole Keller had a team-high 36 yards receiving on three catches. Richardson finished with three catches for 25 yards and one score.
Van Dyne completed his first 10 passes of the game going 14 of 21 overall with 122 yards and one score.
Jordan Finnesy had nine tackles to lead the Ichabods and Julius Jackson had eight tackles.
Washburn was outgained 464 to 208 in the game including 319 to 131 through the air. In the second half, the Ichabods were limited to 280 to 59 with the Tigers gaining 14 first downs compared to four for Washburn. The Tigers also had an advantage of 34:09 to 25:51 in time of possession running 64 plays compared to the Ichabods' 53.

A WIN OVER THE LIONS WOULD ...
• move the Ichabods to 2-5 on the season.
• be Washburn's first home win of the season.
• move the Ichabods to 10-5-1 all-time on Oct. 19.
 
A LOSS TO LIONS WOULD ...
• drop the Ichabods to 1-6 on the season.
• be the second loss in a row to the Lions at home after falling in last year's home opener in Yager Stadium on Sept. 7 in a 30-23 loss.
• drop the Ichabods to 28-23-1 all-time against the Lions.
 
A LOOK BACK AT THE LOSS TO THE TIGERS ... the LOSS
• dropped the Ichabods to 1-5 on the season.
• was the second loss in a row to the Tigers.
• dropped the Ichabods to 46-29-3 all-time against the Tigers.
 
Ichabod football history
• Washburn is 578-613-44 (.484) in the 134th 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 176 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 79 times and have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 15 times.
 
Up Next
Following Saturday's game with Missouri Southern, the Ichabods will have a road game at Central Missouri on Oct. 26. The Ichabods will celebrate homecoming on Nov. 2 and then the following week host Central Oklahoma on senior day before wrapping up the season on Nov. 16 at Northeastern State.