FOR STARTERS
• The Washburn Ichabods football team will wrap up the 2024 campaign on Saturday in Tahlequah, Oklahoma as they will face the Northeastern State RiverHawks at 1 p.m.
• Washburn (2-8, 2-7 MIAA) is coming off a 28-27 loss to No. 8-ranked Central Oklahoma last time out on Senior Day in Yager Stadium.
• The RiverHawks, who are playing this season as a non-MIAA opponent in football only, lost 35-7 at Mississippi College in their last game on Nov. 9.
• The Ichabods are looking for their 12th win in a row over the RiverHawks as Washburn leads the all-time series 12-1 and they are averaging 38.5 points per game in the series.
• The Ichabods' lone loss in the series came on Sept. 27, 1988 in Tahlequah in a 35-30 loss.
 
 BLUE NOTES
• L.J. Minner, Jr., is fifth in the nation and leads the MIAA in forced fumbles with 0.4 per game … his four total forced fumbles this season are tied for the Ichabod single season record.
• Tre Richardson is 11th in the nation and second in the MIAA in all-purpose yards averaging 144.5 yards per game … he is also 13th in receiving yards with 931 and 13th in receiving yards per game with 93.1 … with 69 receiving yards he will become the first Ichabod to reach 1,000 yards receiving since James Letcher, Jr. had 1076 on 70 receptions in 2022.
• Washburn is outscoring their opponents 69 to 64 in the first quarter   and 83 to 65 in the third quarter, but have been outscored 69 to 63 in the second quarter and 101 to 33 in the fourth quarter.
 
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 141-109 (.599) in his 21st season as the Ichabod head coach and the sixth-longest tenured football coach in MIAA history.
• is 122-91 (.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 11-0 against Northeastern State.
 
Northeastern State head coach Darrin Chiaverini . . .         
• Darrin Chiaverini serves as the 21st Head Football Coach at Northeastern State University. Prior to his hiring in Dec. 2023, Chiaverini most recently served as the head coach at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif..
• The former NFL and University of Colorado wide receiver brings a wealth of experience to
Tahlequah, having coached at the NCAA Division 1 and junior college levels for 16 years. Chiaverini comes to NSU from Chaffey College, where he took over a program that was a combined 2-18 during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In his first season with the Panthers, he completely revitalized the program, coaching the team to an 11-0 record and ending the season as the American Metro Conference Champions and 2023 American Division Bowl Champions.
• He was a fifth-round selection by the Cleveland Browns in the 1999 National Football League Draft and went on to set the club's rookie receiving record with 44 catches for 487 yards and four touchdowns. He spent four years in the NFL, also playing for Dallas and Atlanta; he would conclude his NFL career with 62 catches for 662 yards and seven scores. He then finished his professional playing days with the Austin Wranglers in the Arena Football League.
• he has never coached against the Ichabods.
 
NOTING THE RIVERHAWKS
• Northeastern State is 2-8 this season.
• In November 2023, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) approved NSU's request to temporarily pause its football membership with the conference to compete as an independent.  Eight of the team's 11 foes on the 2024 schedule hail from the MIAA.
• NSU is averaging 27.9 ppg while allowing 35.8 ppg and is averaging 333.3 yards per game of total offense while giving up 410.6 yards per game.
• Ramon McKinney, Jr. leads the team in rushing averaging 53.5 yards per game adding a team-high six touchdowns.
• Dereun Dortsch has passed for 15 touchdowns with eight interceptions averaging 169.1 yards per game through the air.
• Deuce Roberson had a team-high 45 receptions for 557 yards and five scores.
• Defensively Clavon Caine leads the team with 59 tackles including 10 tackles for loss and three sacks adding two forced fumbles.
 
LAST MEETING WITH THE RIVERHAWKS
(Nov. 11, 2023) TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod football team ended the season in a 45-14 win over Northeastern State on Saturday afternoon inside Yager Stadium. Washburn wraps up the season 2-9 overall and 1-9 in the MIAA as the Washburn topped Northeastern State for the 11th-straight meeting.
Washburn won the coin toss receiving and marching 44 yards in 11 plays, but the drive stalled at the Northeastern State 16 leading to a 34-yard field goal by Trenton Brehm. On the ensuing kickoff, Brehm's kickoff was returned 99 yards by Lakedrick Holmes for a score as the RiverHawks (1-10, 0-10 MIAA) took a 7-3 lead with 10 minutes to play in the first quarter.
Neither team would score the remainder of the first quarter and the Ichabods scored on their first drive of the second quarter as Sam Van Dyne connected with Ty Weber on a 4-yard catch and run for a score finishing off a 62-yard drive as Washburn went up 10-7.
After forcing a RiverHawk punt, Washburn scored on its next drive when Van Dyne hit Tyce Brown on a 9-yard strike as the Ichabods drove 90 yards for the score going up 17-7. After another punt by Northeastern State, the combo of Van Dyne and Brown hooked up again on a 3-yard touchdown pass with 1:34 to play in the first half as the Ichabods went into halftime with a 24-7 lead into the break.
The RiverHawks opened the scoring in the second half with a 75-yard drive on 10 plays trimming the Ichabod lead back to 10 at 24-14 with 9:26 to go in the third quarter, but Washburn came back with a score of its own with Triston Johnson scoring on a 9-yard run midway through the third quarter.
The Washburn defense came up with three negative plays on the RiverHawks' next drive setting up the Ichabod offense and on a third and one from the NSU 26, Lucas Oitker rushed 26 yards around the left side for a score and his first collegiate touchdown as the Ichabods went up 38-14.
The teams would trade possessions and then on the Ichabods' next drive, Keller Hurla hit Connor Searcy for a 39-yard touchdown pass out of the backfield for a 45-14 Washburn lead with 8:05 to play wrapping up the scoring for the game.
Washburn's running back by committee saw nine different runners carry the ball putting up 240 yards of rushing on the ground with two touchdowns. Van Dyne was 18 of 27 passing with 188 yards and three scores while Grayson Sprouse was 4 of 9 passing and Hurla finished 2 for 2 for 45 yards.
D.J. Bell had 52 yards receiving on five catches and Brown finished with five catches and two scores. Overall 11 different Ichabods had a reception in the game.
Mason Capper had six tackles to lead the Ichabod defense and Chase McCoy had five tackles with two sacks for 18 yards. Patrick Altenor had four tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Washburn outgained the RiverHawks 511 to 172 overall as Washburn ran 78 plays averaging 6.6 yards per play compared to 51 plays and 3.4 yards per play for Northeastern State.

SERIES HISTORY WITH RIVERHAWKS
• The Ichabods lead the series 12-1 and have won the last 11 meetings.
• The Ichabods have outscored the RiverHawks 500 to 138 in 13 games - an average of 38.4 to 10.6.
• Washburn is 5-1 in road contests losing the first game played in Tahlequah on Sept. 27, 1988 - the RiverHawks' only win in the series.
• Washburn is 7-0 in games played in Topeka and 5-1 in games in Tahlequah.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
(Nov. 9, 2024)  TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod football team took the No. 8-ranked Central Oklahoma to the brink but a blocked field goal as time expired ended the game with the Ichabods falling 28-27 on senior day.
Neither team would score until the Bronchos went up 6-0 at the 5:23 mark of the first quarter, however after an offsides penalty called on the Ichabods, UCO decided to go for two, but the rush attempt failed.
Washburn (2-8, 2-7 MIAA) wrapped up their first score on its first drive of the second quarter when Sam Van Dyne hit Maury Sullivan on a 15-yard strike as the Ichabods took a 7-6 lead with 12:54 left in the first half.
UCO (9-1, 7-1 MIAA) came back with a 75-yard drive of its own, retaking the lead 13-7. The teams traded punts and going into the break, the Ichabods had a 35-yard field goal blocked sending Washburn to the locker room trailing 13-7.
Washburn took the second-half kickoff and needed just two plays to take a 14-13 lead when Van Dyne hit Tre Richardson for an 80-yard touchdown pass. On UCO's next possession, Julius Jackson picked off a pass for the second week in a row setting up another score as Van Dyne and Richardson again on a 48-yard hook up as the Ichabods pushed their lead to 21-13 with 12:27 left in the third quarter.
The two teams traded turnovers, an interception by the Ichabods, then a turnover by UCO from a forced fumble by L.J. Minner, Jr.
With the Ichabods taking a 21-13 lead into the fourth quarter, UCO tied the score on a 19-yard touchdown pass with 12:47 to play.
The Ichabods fumbled on their next drive at the Washburn 41 and UCO took advantage on a seven-play, 65-yard drive drive taking a 28-21 lead with 6:17 to play.
Washburn then marched 65 yards of its own in seven plays on a shovel pass from Van Dyne to Connor Searcy, but the extra point was missed as the Ichabods trailed 28-27 with 3:00 to play.
The Ichabod defense held UCO to three plays and a punt. Washburn took over with 63 seconds left and after a 17-yard pass to Tyce Brown, a 25-yard completion to Sullivan and a 7-yard pass to Tyler Bowden and another 13-yard pass to Sullivan to the UCO 23,the Ichabods' field goal attempt from 43 yards was blocked ending the game.
Bowden rushed for a season-high 80 yards on 17 carries and Van Dyne finished with a career-high 406 yards passing going 23 of 43 with four touchdown passes. Richardson had 193 yards receiving with 151 yards after catch and finished with 228 all-purpose yards.
Minner led the Ichabods with 10 tackles with seven solo stops and a forced fumble.
Washburn outgained the Bronchos 547 to 465 in the game averaging 6.9 yards per play as Washburn had 26 first downs.
Four of the Ichabods' eight losses have been by under three points or less.

A WIN OVER THE RIVERHAWKS WOULD
• move the Ichabods to 3-8 on the season.
• be the Ichabods' 12th-straight win over Northeastern State.
• move the Ichabods to 13-1 all-time against the RiverHawks.
 
A LOSS TO RIVERHAWKS WOULD ...
• drop the Ichabods to 2-9 on the season.
• be the first loss to the RiverHawks since Sept. 27, 1988 in Tahlequah in a 35-30 loss ending an 11-game winning streak by the Ichabods in the series.
• drop the Ichabods to 12-2 all-time against the RiverHawks.
 
ICHABOD FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Washburn is 579-615-44 (.484) in the 134th year of Ichabod football.
• The Ichabods are 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
The Ichabods will open the 2025 season hosting former MIAA foe Truman State on Aug. 30. The game will mark the first match up with the Bulldogs since Oct. 13, 2012 before Truman left for the Great Lakes Valley Conference, before opening MIAA play on Sept. 6 against Northwest Missouri hosting the Bearcats in Topeka for the third year in a row. Washburn will have a non-conference game with Colorado Mines on Sept. 13 in Golden, Colo.