SCENE SETTER
• Fresh off its first MIAA win of the season last week in a 37-17 win over Central Missouri last weekend, the Washburn Ichabod football team will host Fort Hays State as part of Homecoming Week at Washburn with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. in Yager Stadium.
• The Tigers are 4-4 and 3-3 in the MIAA after suffering a 52-3 loss at No. 19 Northwest Missouri last time out on the road as they have lost their last two games.
 
BOD NOTES
• J.C. Heim leads the MIAA and the nation in tackles per game with 13.6 per contest and L.J. Minner, Jr.  is third in the MIAA with 9.6 tackles per game ranking 19th in the NCAA D2 national rankings.
• Jordan Finnesy's 239 career tackles is 16th on the NCAA D2 active chart and he is 16th on the D2 active solo tackles chart with 146.
• Jake Zeller is fifth on the NCAA D2 active punting average chart at 41.9 and he is seventh in total punt yards (6,196) …Zeller is second in the MIAA and ninth in the national rankings in punting average at 43.0 ypg … Zeller is second on the Ichabod all-time punting average chart at 41.9 and ninth in total yards at 6,196.
• Chase Allen-Jackman's seven touchdown receptions leads the MIAA and is 12th in the national rankings.
• The Ichabod defense is 11th in turnovers gained in the national rankings and second in the MIAA and the Ichabods lead the MIAA in turnover margin and ranked 14th in the nation.
• For the second week in a row, the Ichabods were whistled for double-digit penalties with 11 flags for 62 yards against Central Missouri.
• The eight turnovers forced by the Ichabods last weekend against Central Missouri was a school record as were the six interceptions tying the six recorded at Missouri Southern on Oct. 8, 2016.
• Last time out, the 37-17 win by the Ichabods was not an Ichabod football Scorigami as the score had happed one other time before … through 1,246 Ichabod games, there have been 298 games in which a score has happened only one time. In all, there have been 525 unique scoring games.
• The Ichabods are 50-46-1 all-time in their homecoming games and will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak … the Ichabods are 5-2 all-time against Fort Hays State on Washburn's Homecoming, last playing the Tigers on Oct. 29, 2011 in a 45-20 win.
• All-time the Ichabods are 6-7 in games played on Oct. 25.
• Fort Hays State head coach Chris Brown was an assistant at Washburn as the defensive coordinator for nine years.
• Another former Ichabod coach on the Tiger staff, defensive coordinator Cooper Harris, who was at Washburn from 2002-11 serving as linebackers coach and one season as the defensive coordinator before joining Chris Brown in Hays.
• The Ichabods lead the all-time series 46-29-3 in 78 all-time meetings.
• The 78 meetings between the two schools is the third-most played series in program history trailing only the 120 meetings with Emporia State and the 95 contests with Pittsburg 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 practice squad roster in Dallas.
• James Letcher, Jr. is a standout return specialist and wide receiver  in the Canadian Football League playing for the Montreal Alouettes in his second season in the CFL.
 
 COACHES
Washburn head coach Zach Watkins . . .
• is 2-5 in his first season as the Ichabod head coach.
• named the 38th head coach in Washburn program history on Nov. 26, 2024.
• first Ichabod alumnus to lead the program in more than 30 years.
• spent 11 seasons as Washburn's co-defensive coordinator before becoming head coach
• four-year starter at linebacker for Washburn (2006–09).
• recorded 100+ tackles each season, finishing with a school-record 473 career tackles (third all-time in NCAA Division II at the time).
• the 2006 MIAA Freshman of the Year, 2006 Honorable Mention All-MIAA and Second Team All-Region, First Team All-MIAA (2007–09), 2009 MIAA & Daktronics Regional Defensive Player of the Year, 2009 AFCA First Team All-America and Daktronics Second Team All-America, Three-time Academic All-MIAA, Three-time MIAA Scholar Athlete, 2008 ESPN The Magazine / CoSIDA Academic All-American, 2010 Ken B. Jones MIAA Student-Athlete of the Year finalist, Three-time All-American by Don Hansen's Football Gazette.
• bachelor's degree in Finance and Business Management, Washburn University (2009).
• master's degree in Sports Administration, Fort Hays State (2013).
• married to Amanda; two children, Parker and Naomi.
• is 0-0 against Fort Hays State.
 
Fort Hays State head coach Chris Brown. . .         
• is in his 14th season as head coach at Fort Hays State leading the Tigers to an MIAA Championship in 2017 and a co-championship in 2018 as well as their first NCAA Postseason games since 1995.
• has compiled a 93-62 record leading the Tigers.
• was a three-time All-America free safety for the Pittsburg State from 1993-95, came to FHSU after serving as defensive coordinator at for the Ichabods from 2002-10.
• is 6-7 against Washburn.
 
 NOTING THE TIGERS
• The Tigers are 4-4 and 3-3 in the MIAA after suffering a 52-3 loss at No. 19 Northwest Missouri last time out on the road as they have lost their last two games.
• The Tigers are led by quarterback Caleb Heavner, who leads the team in passing yards and rushing yards. He has thrown for 1,321 and rushed for 310, averaging 203. yards of total offense per game which is seventh in the MIAA.
• The Tigers have had a committee of running backs and receivers he has spread the ball around to this year. FHSU has four running backs with more than 150 rushing yards and five receivers with over 150 receiving yards. Ryan Allen leads the team with 24 catches for 245 yards.
• John Johnson leads the Tigers in tackles with 83 (48 solo) adding seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks with two forced fumbles.
 
 LAST MEETING WITH THE TIGERS
(Oct. 12, 2024) HAYS, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabods scored the first seven points of the game, but were outscored 38-0 the rest of the way in a 38-7 loss to Fort Hays State on Saturday night at Lewis Field.
To open the game, the Ichabod defense held the Tigers on their first drive of the game, Washburn drove 83-yards on eight plays using 4:15 off the clock taking a 7-0 lead when Sam Van Dyne hit Tre Richardson on a 26-yard catch and run for a score as the 'Bods took the early lead at the 7:47 mark of the first quarter.
Washburn held the lead until the Tigers (5-2, 3-2 MIAA) came back on the ensuing drive when Caleb Heavner hit Jayden Horace for a 4-yard connection capping a 75-yard drive tying the score at 7-7 with 3:29 to play in the opening quarter.
The two early scores were the only points of the game until the final play of the first half after both teams came up empty on the next five combined drives until Carson Arndt hit a career-long 52-yard field goal at the first half gun as the Tigers took a 10-7 lead into the break.
Starting the second half, the Ichabods (1-5, 1-4 MIAA) recorded drives of 17 yards, six yards and no yards of 11 plays as the Tigers scored touchdowns on their first two drives of the half building a 24-7 lead outgaining the Ichabods 171 to 27 in the frame.
After a Tiger punt on their final drive of the third quarter, Washburn returned a punt and the Tigers scored on a 1-yard play taking a 31-7 lead with 10:33 to go. The Tigers added another touchdown with 1:54 left going up 38-7 wrapping up the scoring.
Tyler Bowden led the Ichabods on the ground with nine carries for 54 yards and Cole Keller had a team-high 36 yards receiving on three catches. Richardson finished with three catches for 25 yards and one score.
Van Dyne completed his first 10 passes of the game going 14 of 21 overall with 122 yards and one score.
Jordan Finnesy had nine tackles to lead the Ichabods and Julius Jackson had eight tackles.
Washburn was outgained 464 to 208 in the game including 319 to 131 through the air. In the second half, the Ichabods were limited to 280 to 59 with the Tigers gaining 14 first downs compared to four for Washburn. The Tigers also had an advantage of 34:09 to 25:51 in time of possession running 64 plays compared to the Ichabods' 53.
 
 SERIES HISTORY WITH THE TIGERS
• The Ichabods lead the all-time series 46-29-3 in 78 all-time meetings.
• Washburn is 18-17-2 all-time in games played in Hays, America.
• The Ichabods are 28-12-1 all-time in meetings played in Topeka.
• The Tigers have won 6 of the last 10 overall and the last two in a row.
   LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
(Oct. 18, 2025) TOPEKA, Kan. -- Washburn turned Hall of Fame Saturday into its best performance of the year, using six interceptions and forcing two more fumbles as the Ichabods scored 30 points off of Central Missouri turnovers adding a balanced offensive attack to take down the Mules 37–17 at Yager Stadium for their first MIAA win of the season. 
Making his first career start, Logan Madden sparked the Ichabods early, capping an 8-play, 45-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter to give Washburn a 6–0 lead. The Ichabods, after winning the opening coin toss, took advantage of UCM's a UCM fumble on the second play from scrimmage that was forced and recovered by Jordan Finnesy setting the Ichabods up and the UCM 45 less than a minute into the game.
On the ensuing drive by the Mules, after driving down to their own 41, the Mules fumbled again as J.C. Heim recovered a fumble that was forced by Bryson Alexander as the Ichabods took over, but later punted after coming up short on a third down conversion.
After the teams traded punts, Central Missouri cut the lead in half at 6-3 after a 36-yard field goal by Will Peacock cutting the margin to 6–3 with 1:24 to play in the opening frame.
The Mules briefly went ahead 10–6 in the second quarter on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Donovyn Omolo to Bo Reeves capping a 12-play, 81-yard drive with 8:24 to go in the first half, but the Ichabods quickly regained control. The Ichabods punted after the UCM score, but Josh Grant intercepted a pass at the UCM 15-yard line and three plays later Madden found Ky Thomas on a 9-yard touchdown strike just 90 seconds later, giving Washburn a 13–10 halftime edge.
The third quarter belonged entirely to the Ichabods as on UCM's first drive of the half, L.J. Minner Jr. jumped in front of a pass for a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown less than four minutes in, extending the lead to 20–10. UCM again ended its next drive with an interception by Kamble Haverkamp and after returning it 54 yards to the UCM 21, the Ichabods needed seven plays to score again as Madden connected with Chase Allen-Jackman on a 6-yard touchdown pass stretching the Ichabod advantage to 27-10 with 5:27 to play in the third quarter.
For the third straight UCM drive, UCM tossed another interception by Jordan Finnesy and returned it to the UCM 25 setting up an Aidan Battle 49-yard field goal moments later to push the lead to 30–10 heading into the final frame.
Again UCM was picked off on its third play of its next drive, again by Finnesy ending the UCM drive.
But after an Ichabod punt, Central Missouri found the end zone early in the fourth to make it 30–17, but Washburn answered once again with a Thomas 8-yard touchdown run, putting the Ichabods up 37–17 with 6:57 to play to wrap up the scoring as the Ichabods snapped a four-game losing streak.
Madden completed 20 of 31 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns while adding 14 rushing yards and a score. Thomas posted 87 rushing yards and 33 receiving yards with two total touchdowns, and Allen-Jackman caught seven passes for 73 yards and a TD.
Defensively, J.C. Heim led the charge with 15 tackles (12 solo) and a fumble recovery. Jordan Finnesy intercepted two passes and added nine tackles, while Minner Jr., Braiden Lagafuaina, Josh Grant, and Kamble Haverkamp each had interceptions — Haverkamp returning his 54 yards to set up a score. Washburn's defense finished with six interceptions, three sacks, and two fumble recoveries. Finnesy's two interceptions were the most by an Ichabod in a single game since Grant Bruner recorded two at Central Missouri on Sept. 8, 2022.
The Ichabods forced a school-record eight takeaways topping the previous high water mark of seven set at Missouri Southern on Oct. 8, 2016.
 
 A WIN OVER THE TIGERS WOULD
• move the Ichabods' record to 3-5 on the season.
• snap a two-game losing streak to the Tigers.
• move the Ichabods' home record against the Tigers to 29-12-1 all-time.
• move the Ichabods to 47-29-3 all-time.
 
  A LOSS TO THE TIGERS WOULD
• drop the Ichabods to 2-6 on the season.
• be the Ichabods' third in a row to the Tigers.
• drop the Ichabods to 46-30-3 all-time against the Tigers.
• be the Tigers' second-straight win over the Ichabods in Topeka.
 
 ICHABOD FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Washburn is 583-619-44 (.484) in the 135th 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 177 all-MIAA picks and 62 first team all-MIAA selections.
• Washburn has had 97 overall All-American selections and 73 individual 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.
 
 UP NEXT
The Ichabods are on the road next week at Missouri Western on Nov. 1 for a 2 p.m game in St. Joseph before returning home for senior day as the Ichabods will wrap up the home slate with Emporia State at 1 p.m. on Nov. 8. The Ichabods will end the season on the road at Missouri Southern on Nov. 15 in Joplin.