TOPEKA, Kan. – For the second straight week the Washburn Ichabod football team took a top-10 team down to the wire having a chancel to tie the game on its final drive of the contest but came up short in a 39-38 to No. 10 Pittsburg State. The Ichabods will be on the road next week at Missouri Western.
 
The game opened in wild fashion as 37 points were scored between the two teams in the first quarter with 30 points coming in the first 5:18 of the game. After the Ichabods fumbled the opening kickoff, the Gorillas (3-1, 2-1 MIAA) scored three plays later to take a 7-0 lead after a pass from Chad Dodson, Jr. to Jack Roberts on a 17-yard connection.
 
However on the ensuing kickoff, the Gorillas tried an onside kick, but Tyce Brown picked it up and ran 47 yards for a touchdown return tying the score at 7-7 with 13:29 to play in the first quarter.
 
Pittsburg State went up 14-7 when Dodson threw his second touchdown pass of the day on a 78-yard reception by Christian Carter who caught the pass at the PSU 21 and ran the additional 79 yards for the score.
 
On the free kick from the Ichabods, Pittsburg State added another score when Jaylen Fuksa returned the kickoff 85 yards for a score putting the Gorillas up 23-7 with 9:54 to play in the first quarter.
 
Neither team scored until the Ichabods (0-3, 0-2 MIAA) cut the lead to 23-14 when Keller Hurla hit Tre Richardson for a 60-yard touchdown pass adding 62 yards after the catch yards.
 
The Gorillas stretched the lead to 26-14 on a 31-yard field goal by Hayden Koscicki with 9:43 to play in the opening half.  
 
Another special teams score was next on the bingo card as Dodson pooch punted from the Washburn 38 and Jaquez White recovered it for a 92-yard punt return trimming the Ichabod deficit to 26-21 with 6:20 left in the half. The return was a school record for the Ichabods, surpassing the previous long of 90 set by Clarence Taylor against Emporia State in 1975 and Troy Slusser against Missouri Western in 1985.
 
The Ichabod defense held the Gorillas on the first drive of the second half, and then Washburn took the 28-26 on a Hurla 16-yard touchdown run with 11:40 to go in the third.
 
The lead was short-lived as Pitt State marched back on its next drive regaining the lead at 32-28 on a Cleo Chandler, Jr. run of two yards with 8:22 to go in the frame, however on the Ichabods next drive, a 37-yard field goal by Trenton Brehm pulled Washburn back within one at 32-31 wrapping up the third quarter.
 
In the fourth, Pittsburg State used a 10-play, 66-yard drive using 6:49 on the clock expanding its lead to 39-31 with 2:38 to go in the game.
 
Washburn then took over at its own 26 and moved the ball down to the Pittsburg State 31 with under a minute to go, but a 4^th and 10 pass play was broken up turning the ball over on downs securing the win for the Gorillas.
 
The Ichabods outgained the Gorillas 409 to 353 including a 79 to 66 advantage on the ground and a 330 to 287 margin through the air in the game. Pitt State was flagged for nine penalties for 64 yards compared to 113 yards on 12 flags for the Ichabods, Pitt State had a 35:04 to 24:56 advantage in time of possession.
 
Individually the Ichabods were led on the ground by Hurla who had five carries for 27 yards and the lone score. Hayden Clark was 10 of 22 passing for 159 yards and Hurla was 9 of 12 for 171 yards and a touchdown pass.
 
D.J. Bell had six catches for 114 yards with 57 after the catch and Richardson finished with four catches for 107 yards and 91 after the catch. Richardson finished with 162 all-purpose yards and Bell had 135.
 
Defensively, L.J. Minner, Jr. had 10 tackles with a tackle for loss to lead the Ichabods and C.J. Callaghan had seven tackles.