TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod football team fell behind early and could not recover in a 51-34 loss to Northwest Missouri on Hall of Fame Saturday in Yager Stadium. The Ichabods will be on the road next week at Fort Hays State with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
 
The Bearcats (4-2, 4-1 MIAA) jumped out to a 20-0 lead midway through the second quarter after Northwest Missouri used two first quarter touchdowns and two second quarter field goals taking the lead to start the game.
 
The Ichabods (1-4, 1-3 MIAA) scored two touchdowns in the final 1:50 of the opening half to cut the lead to a one score game at 20-14 going into the break. The first score came on a 13-yard touchdown strike from Sam Van Dyne, who saw his first action of the season, to Maury Sullivan with 1:50 to go in the second quarter.
 
On Northwest's ensuing drive, L.J. Minner, Jr., sacked the Bearcats' Chris Ruhnke forcing a fumble and J.C. Heim recovered it and rushed 58 yards before being tackled at the Northwest 2 yard line and two plays later, Keller Hurla scored from five yards out with 34 seconds to play cut the Bearcat lead to 20-14 going into the break.
 
The Bearcats opened the second half with a 12-play, 75-yard drive using 5:32 off the clock to go up 27-14 and on the Ichabod kickoff return, Washburn muffed the kick returning the ball back to Northwest and the Bearcats scored two plays later going up 34-14.
 
With the Ichabods' first play from scrimmage in the second half at the 8:42 mark of the third quarter, Hurla hit Tre Richardson on an 85-yard touchdown pass pulling the Ichabods within 34-21.
 
The Ichabod defense forced a Bearcat punt and eight plays and 55 yards later, Van Dyne connected with Sullivan for his second touchdown pass on a 9-yard strike again pulling the Ichabods within six at 34-24 with under two minutes to play in the third quarter.
 
Northwest scored a touchdown on its next drive followed by an Ichabod interception, a missed field goal by the Bearcats and a turnover on downs by Washburn, the Bearcats went up 44-28 with 5:14 to play the Ichabods' Van Dyne hit Richardson for a 32-yard touchdown pass, but the two-point Ichabod conversion was no good as was the Ichabod onside kick attempt.
 
On Northwest's next play from scrimmage, the Bearcats scored on a 42-yard run wrapping up the scoring as the Ichabods turned the ball over on their next drive and after a Bearcat punt ran out of time on their final drive.
 
Van Dyne finished 11 of 27 passing with three touchdowns for 156 yards and Hurla was 5 of 9 for 117 yards and one score.
 
The Ichabods were led by Richardson on the ground with 23 yards on four carries and through the air with five catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns including 73 yards after catch. Sullivan had five catches for 61 yards and two scores. Richardson finished with 201 all-purpose yards becoming the first Ichabod since James Letcher, Jr. to go over the 200-yard mark at Lincoln on Sept. 1, 2022 when he had 208.
 
Defensively, Minner, Jr. had nine tackles with six solo stops and Jordan Finnesy had also had nine solo stops. Minner added two tackles for loss with a forced fumble and a sack. Christian Ashe had the Ichabods' lone interception on the afternoon.
 
The Ichabods were outgained 423 to 335 as they were limited to 62 rushing yards compared to 201 for the Bearcats.