FOR STARTERS
• The Washburn Ichabods will hit the road for the second time this season as they will travel on Saturday to St. Joseph, Missouri to face the Missouri Western Griffons at 2 p.m.
• Washburn (0-3, 0-2 MIAA) is coming off a 39-31 loss to No. 10-ranked Pittsburg State as for the second-straight week the Ichabods took a top-10 team down to the wire having a chance to tie the game on the final drive but came up short. The week before against Colorado Mines 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 Griffons (2-2, 1-2 MIAA) are coming off a 30-27 overtime loss at No. 13-ranked Emporia State last Saturday.
 
 BLUE NOTES
• The Ichabods are ranked fourth in the nation in punt returns averaging 33.5 yards per return and 24th in the nation in kickoff returns … Washburn is ranked 33rd in the nation in passing offense at 245.8 yards per game.  
• With D.J. Bell (114 yards/6 receptions) and Tre Richardson (107 yards / 4 receptions) both having at least 100 receiving yards it marked the first time since Nov. 12, 2011 against Central Missouri that two Ichabods have had more than 100 yards receiving.
• Jaquez White's returned punt for 92 yards against Pittsburg State on Saturday, surpassed the previous long of 90 set by Clarence Taylor against Emporia State in 1975 and Troy Slusser against Missouri Western in 1985. He also added two tackles in the game and the first by an Ichabod not off of a blocked punt since Bryce Chavis did so against Fort Hays State on Oct. 15, 2016 for 83 yards.
• The Ichabods are looking to snap an four-game road losing streak … Washburn's last road win was on Sept. 16, 2023 against Lincoln in a 24-10 win.
• The Ichabods have played one of the toughest schedules in the country to start the season as their three opponents so far, Emporia State (4-0), Mines (3-0) and Pittsburg State (3-1) have a combined win/loss record of 10-1 …Pitt State's lone loss is to Emporia State.
 
 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 139-104 (.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 10-11 against Missouri Western..
 
Missouri Western head coach Tyler Fenwick. . .   
• is 10-6 in his second season at Missouri Western and is 63-53 in 11 seasons as a head coach.
• Fenwick previously served as the offensive coordinator at Missouri Western from 2007-2012 and helped the Griffons averaged 432.8 points per season and 35.1 points per game.
• as a team, the Griffons went 53-18 and played in the NCAA Division II playoffs three times as well as making three bowl appearances.
• is 1-0 against Washburn.
 
NOTING THE GRIFFONS
• The Griffons (2-2, 1-2 MIAA) are coming off a 30-27 overtime loss at No. 13-ranked Emporia State last Saturday.
• The Griffons are fourth in the MIAA in scoring offense at 27.8 ppg and seventh in scoring defense allowing 29.5 ppg.
• Missouri Western ranks just above the Ichabods in total offense at 389.3 yards per game ahead of Washburn's 372.0 yards per game … the Griffon defense is allowing 387 yards per game.
• The Griffons are second in the MIAA in rushing offense at 207.5 yards per game and ninth in passing offene at 181.8 yards per game.
• Senior running back Brandon Hall leads the MIAA in rushing yards per game at 139.3 as the only one in the league to average more than 100 yards a game while also averaging 8.3 yards per carry … he also leads the league in all-purpose yards at 155.8 ypg just ahead of Washburn's Tre Richardson at 138.0 ypg.
• Javerius McGuinn leads the league in kickoff returns averaging 42.2 ypr on five attempts.
 
LAST MEETING WITH THE GRIFFONS
(Oct. 7, 2023) TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod football scored on its opening drive and was tied midway through the first quarter at 14-all, but they could not hold on as the Griffons scored 47-straight points in a 61-21 loss in Yager Stadium on Oct. 7.
The Ichabods took the opening kickoff and marched 91 yards on 10 plays capped by a Taylon Peters' 4-yard touchdown rush staking Washburn (1-5, 0-5 MIAA) to an early 7-0 lead. The Griffons (5-1, 4-1 MIAA) scored on their first drive of the game with a 6-play, 75-yard drive knotting the score at 7-7.
On Washburn's next possession, the Griffons blocked a punt and returned it 38 yards for a score as they went up 14-7, however the lead was short-lived as Teondre Carter made a couple of unreal moves down the sidelines for a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown tying the score at 14-all with 5:23 to go in the opening quarter.
From that point it was all Missouri Western as they scored 30 points in the second quarter and 17 in the third quarter jumping out to a 61-14 lead and the end of three quarters.
Washburn put the final points of the game on the board when Grayson Sprouse hit Maury Sullivan on a 28-yard touchdown pass across the middle with 6:06 to play in the game flipping the scoreboard to 61-21.
Jay'Len Rushing in his first action of the season led the Ichabods on the ground with 56 yards on six carries averaging 9.3 yards per carry. Percy Mitchell had 54 yards on four carries. Connor Searcy had three catches for 21 yards and Sam Van Dyne had 104 yards passing. Defensively, L.J. Minner, Jr. had seven tackles and Carter Bussone and Mason Capper each had six.
Washburn finished with 336 yards in total offense on 60 total plays and the Griffons finished with 561 on 65 plays. Seth Cromwell had 154 yards on 11 carries to pace the Western rushing attack. Armani Edden was 13 of 16 for 154 yards passing.

SERIES HISTORY WITH MISSOURI WESTERN
• The Griffons lead the all-time series 27-22-2.
• Washburn 14-12 in games played in Topeka and 8-16-2 away from Yager Stadium.
• The teams have split the last 10 meetings.
• The 2022 meeting in St. Joseph in the Ichabods' 38-31 win was the only overtime game in the 51-game series.
• Washburn has won three of the last four meetings in St. Joseph.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
(Sept. 21, 2024) 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 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 4th 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.

A WIN OVER THE GRIFFONS WOULD ...
• move the Ichabods to 1-3 on the season.
• snap a three-game losing streak.
• be the Ichabods' first road win since Sept. 16, 2023 against Lincoln in a 24-10 win.
• be the second-straight win over the Griffons in St. Joseph.
• move the Ichabods to 7-9-1 all-time on Sept. 28.
 
A LOSS TO GRIFFONS WOULD ...
• drop the Ichabods to 0-4 on the season.
• be the second loss in a row to Missouri Western.
• drop the Ichabods to 22-28-2 all-time against the Griffons.
• be the first 0-4 start to the season since head coach Craig Schurig's first season at Washburn in 2002.
 
A LOOK BACK AT THE LOSS TO PITT STATE ... THE LOSS
• 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.
 
ICHABOD FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Washburn is 577-611-44 (.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
Washburn will be back in action at home hosting Northwest Missouri on Oct. 5 on Hall of Fame Saturday in Yager Stadium.