FOR STARTERS
• The Washburn Ichabods return to Yager Stadium hosting their second-straight top-10 opponent as the No. 10-ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas come to town for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Washburn's Family Day.
• Washburn (0-2, 0-1 MIAA) is coming off a 31-28 loss to No. 5-ranked Colorado Mines on Sept. 14 as the Ichabods took the Orediggers all the way down to the final drive, but a 44-yard potential-game-tying field goal came short.
• The Gorillas (2-1, 1-1 MIAA) opened the season with a 19-3 win over No. 3-ranked Ferris State on Aug. 31, topped Missouri Southern 42-17 in Jopliln on Sept. 7 and then fell to No. 21-ranked Emporia State last time out 24-21 at home.
 
 BLUE NOTES
• Against the Orediggers, after CSM took a 14-7 lead with 12:37 to go in the 2nd quarter, D.J. Bell took the ensuing kickoff out of the right side of the end zone, faked a handoff, and went untouched down the left sideline for 100 yards to make it a tie game once again. It was the second kick return touchdown for Bell's career and the fifth of 100 yards in Ichabod history.  
• Tre Richardson had four catches against the Orediggers for 99 yards including a first quarter 85-yard touchdown reception from Hayden Clark that put the Ichabods up 7-0.
• The Ichabod two quarterback system out passed the Orediggers 258 to 255 with Hayden Clark going 6 of 11 for 166 yards and a score and Keller Hurla going 13 of 17 for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
• Jordan Finnesy led the Ichabods with eight tackles against the Orediggers and is second on the team this season with 15 tackles behind team-leader L.J. Minner, Jr. who had 16 adding a team-high two tackles for loss.
• The Ichabods are 4 of 6 in endzone trips this season with two touchdowns … Ichabod opponents are 7 of 9 scoring four touchdowns.
 
 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 139-103 (.599) in his 21st season as the Ichabod head coach and the sixth-longest tenured football coach in MIAA history.
• is 120-90 (.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 10-10 against Pittsburg State.
 
Pittsburg State's head coach Tom Anthony . . .   
• is in his first year as head football coach at Pittsburg State University. Anthony returned to campus after a six-month absence to become the Gorillas 16th all-time head coach in December 2023.
• Anthony, who served as Pitt State's defensive coordinator from 2020-22, replaced Brian Wright who accepted the head football coach position at NCAA FCS member Northern Arizona University. Wright fashioned a 33-8 record the previous four seasons (2020-23).
• Anthony joined Wright on his initial staff in December 2019 as defensive coordinator. He was elevated to the role of associate head coach/defensive coordinator prior to the 2022 season. Anthony helped fashion one of the top defensive units in NCAA Division II during his three years with the Gorillas. He stepped away from his position in June 2023 to pursue a non-coaching professional opportunity in Ohio.
»                is 0-0 against Washburn.
 
 NOTING THE GORILLAS
• The Gorillas (2-1, 1-1 MIAA) opened the season with a 19-3 win over No. 3-ranked Ferris State on Aug. 31, topped Missouri Southern 42-17 in Jopliln on Sept. 7 and then fell to No. 21-ranked Emporia State last time out 24-21 at home.
• Pittsburg State is second in the MIAA in scoring defense allowing 14.7 ppg and fourth in scoring offense at 27.3 ppg.
• Offensively, the Gorillas are averaging 420.7 yards per game, which is third in the MIAA and their defense is second in the league allowing 287.0 yards game.
• PSU's Noah Hernandez is fifth in the league in at 70.3 yards per game adding three touchdowns averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Chad Dodson, Jr. is fourth in the MIAA in passing at 276.3 yards per game completing 58 of 96 passes with six touchdowns and five interceptions. The Gorillas' leading receiver is Jack Roberts with 74.7 yards per game on 11 catches with two touchdowns.
• Alex Gaskill is third in the league in tackles with 27.
 
LAST MEETING WITH THE GORILLAS
(Aug. 31, 2023) PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod football played No. 4-ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas to a touchdown after 30 minutes, but the Gorillas scored on three-straight drives adding a defensive score as Washburn fell 34-7 in the season opener on Thursday. 
The Ichabods (0-1, 0-1 MIAA) trailed at the half 6-0 after the Gorillas (1-0, 1-0 MIAA) connected on a 45-yard field goal to end the second quarter. In the opening half, the Ichabods were outgained 223 to 91 in the first 30 minutes including a 142 to 29 advantage by the Gorillas in the second quarter.  In the first half, the teams forced turnovers on downs on four of the nine combined drives.
The Ichabods took the second half kickoff, but an interception on the third play of the drive inside their own 20 returned to the ball back to the Gorillas and four plays later pushed their lead to 13-0 on a 1-yard run with 12:09 to play in the third quarter.
Washburn would then go on a 14-play, 80-yard drive taking 7:05 off the clock cutting the Gorilla lead to 13-7 with 4:51 to play in the third quarter. The drive was capped on a 1-yard pass from Kellen Simoncic to D.J. Bell for the first Ichabod points of the season. The Ichabods converted a fourth down play on the drive on a 15-yard pass completion from Simoncic to Tyce Brown.
Pittsburg State upped its lead to 20-7 on the first play of the fourth quarter and a two-point conversion was picked off in the endzone by Jordan Finnesy. The drive was a 12-play, 66-yard drive taking 4:55 off the clock.
Washburn picked up a first down on its ensuing drive, but back to back holding calls stalled the drive and the Ichabods were forced to punt as the Gorillas regained possession. The Gorillas would then go on a 12-play, 69-yard drive to take a 27-7 lead after the two-point conversion with 6:44 to go in the game.
On the Ichabods' next drive, a fumble on the second play of the drive, a fumble by Washburn was picked up by Pitt State and returned 18 yards for a score stretching their lead to 34-7 with 6:17 to play for the final score of the game.
Washburn was outgained 365 to 217 in the game including 220 to 55 on the ground.
Tyce Brown had six catches for 66 yards and Bell finished with six catches for 20 yards and a score in his first collegiate action. Taylon Peters had 20 rushes for 56 yards and Simoncic finished 23 of 40 for 162 yards and a score.
Defensively Finnesy led the Ichabods with nine tackles including six solo stops. Byron Alexander and Patrick Altenor each had six tackles. Phoenix Smith had both of the Ichabod sacks for 16 yards.

SERIES HISTORY WITH PITTSBURG STATE
• The Ichabods trail the all-time series with the Gorillas 64-28-1, after having their four-game winning streak snapped in 2022 but have still won nine of the last 16 including four of the last five in Pittsburg … overall in games played in Pittsburg the Gorillas are 14-30-1 and in games played in Topeka, the Ichabods are 13-34.
• Overall Washburn is 5-5 in the last 10 meetings.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
(Sept. 14, 2024) TOPEKA, Kan. -- TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn football opened its home slate Saturday afternoon with a 31-28 loss to No. 5 Colorado School of Mines in a contest that went down to the final seconds.
After the Ichabod (0-2, 0-1 MIAA) defense forced the Orediggers (2-0) into punts on the first two possessions Washburn took over on its own five-yard line. They needed only four plays to go 95-yards and get on the board first after Hayden Clark found Tre Richardson down the middle of the field for an 85-yard touchdown throw and run. 
Colorado School of Mines answered on the next drive with a rushing touchdown to knot up the score. The next drive for the Orediggers went into the second quarter as they took the lead going 85 yards over 11 plays for another touchdown rush to go up 14-7. 
This time it was the Ichabods who responded one play later. D.J. Bell took the ensuing kickoff out of the right side of the end zone, faked a handoff, and went untouched down the left sideline for 100 yards to make it a tie game once again. It was the second kick return touchdown for Bell's career, and the fourth of 100 yards in Ichabod history. Two drives later Colorado School of Mines got back into the end zone on the ground.
Washburn was able to even up the score again with its longest scoring drive of the day spanning 11 plays and going 68 yards. It resulted in a nine-yard touchdown catch and toe drag from Cole Keller in the back corner of the end zone on a pass from Keller Hurla. 
The Orediggers went into the half leading 24-21 after connecting on a 47-yard field goal as time expired on the second quarter. 
After a punt from the Ichabods to open the second half Colorado School of Mines went up by double digits with a nine-play 80-yard drive. Washburn got back on the board with 10:43 left to play on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Hurla to Maury Sullivan in the corner of the end zone. 
One drive later the Orediggers advanced the ball into Washburn territory until the drive was stalled on a fourth down pass attempt that was broken up by Braylon Alexander. Washburn was forced to punt the ball back away with 3:28 left in the game. Colorado School of Mines picked up one first down but were forced to punt it back after Jordan Finnesy and C.J. Callaghan combined to make a third and three stop for only a one yard gain. 
The Ichabods took over on their own 19 and moved the ball well into the other side of the field with a pair of 20+ yard passes from Clark to Keller and Sullivan. With time running out the 44-yard field goal attempt came up short and the Orediggers were able to kneel the game away with one more play to hold on.
Hayden Clark finished with 166 yards going 6 for 11 with one touchdown while Keller Hurla was 13 for 17 with 92 yards and a pair of scores. Five players finished with at least four rushing attempts for the Ichabods with Hurla racking up a high of 32 across seven attempts. Overall on the ground Washburn gained 141 yards on 29 attempts. 
Tre Richardson finished with a game-high 99 yards on four receptions. Cole Keller had 53 yards on three catches and Maury Sullivan had three for 36, each finished with a touchdown. 
The Ichabods outgained Colorado School of Mines through the air, 258 to 255, while the Orediggers held the advantage on the ground, 212 to 141. In all the visitors accumulated 467 yards of total offense and 22 first downs while Washburn finished with 399 and 19 chain moving plays. 
Defensively, Jordan Finnesy led the way with eight total tackles. L.J. Minner had seven stops with one sack and a force fumble added on. Both Caeden Spencer and C.J. Callaghan finished with six tackles.

A WIN OVER THE GORILLAS
• move the Ichabods to 1-2 on the season.
• snap a two-game losing streak.
• be the first win over the Gorillas in Topeka since a 49-38 win on Nov. 9, 2019.
• be the first win over the Gorillas overall since Nov. 6, 2021 in a 28-26 win in Pittsburg.
 
A LOSS TO GORILLAS WOULD
• drop the Ichabods to 0-3 on the season.
• be the third loss in a row to Pitt State.
• drop the Ichabods to 27-66-1 all-time against Pittsburg State.
• be the Gorillas' second-straight win over the Ichabods in Topeka.
 
A LOOK BACK AT THE LOSS TO MINES
• dropped the Ichabods to 0-2 on the season.
• snapped a six-game winning streak over the Orediggers.
• dropped the Ichabods to 13-6 all-time against the Orediggers and to 6-3 in home games against Mines.
• was the Orediggers' first win over the Ichabods since a 34-27 win in Yager Stadium on Aug. 29, 2004.
 
ICHABOD FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Washburn is 577-610-44 (.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
The Ichabods will return to the road for the first time since their season opener when they will face Missouri Western on Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. in St. Joseph. Washburn will be back in action at home hosting Northwest Missouri on Oct. 5 on Hall of Fame Saturday in Yager Stadium.