SCENE SETTER
• The Washburn Ichabod football team returns to Yager Stadium for the first time since Sept. 6 as they will host Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday at 1 p.m. for Washburn's Family Day.
• The Ichabods are 1-3 this season after falling to No. 15-ranked Central Oklahoma 34-28 last time out.
• The Lopers are 3-1 this season coming off a 34-20 win over Emporia State at home last time out in Kearney and received votes in the latest AFCA Top 25 coaches poll.

BOD NOTES
• J.C. Heim leads the MIAA tackles with 59 and L.J. Minner, Jr.  is second with 48 ranking third and fourth respectively in the NCAA D2 national rankings.
• L.J. Minner, Jr. has recorded double-digit tackles in each of the last seven games dating back to last season … Minner, Jr. also ranks 10th in active career tackles per game with 7.5 in the D2 ranks and 12th in solo tackles per game at 4.08 … the seven-game double-digit tackle streak is the longest since Grant Gould has at least 10 tackles in seven straight from the final game of the 2004 season to the first six games of the 2005 season.
• Finnesy's 216 career tackles is 16th on the NCAA D2 active chart and he is 13th on the D2 active solo tackles chart with 131.
• Jake Zeller is fourth on the NCAA D2 active punting average chart at 41.7 and he is ninth in total punt yards (5,592) …Zeller is second in the MIAA in punting average at 42.9 ypp.
• Chase Allen-Jackman's four touchdown receptions lead the MIAA and is 13th in the NCAA D2 ranks.
• The Ichabod defense leads the MIAA in opponent third down conversion rate at 28 percent.
• Last time out, the 34-28 win by the Bronchos was not an Ichabod football Scorigami as the score had happed one other time before … through 1,243 Ichabod games, there have been 299 games in which a score has happened only one time. In all, there have been 526 unique scoring games.
 
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 New England.
• 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 1-3 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 Central Oklahoma.
 
Nebraska-Kearney head coach Ryan Held . . .         
• is in his third season directing the UNK program going 10-15 and he is 47-75 in his 10th season overall.
• spent the 2022 season as interim head coach and offensive coordinator at FCS member North Alabama.
• before that, he was an assistant/running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Nebraska (2018-21) and assistant/running backs coach at Central Florida (2016-17).
• additionally, he has held head coaching stints at junior colleges Northeastern Oklahoma A&M and Highland Community College; Division II Southwestern Oklahoma and Panhandle State; and NAIA Peru State.
• is 2-0 against Washburn.
 
 NOTING THE LOPERS
• The Lopers are 3-1 this season after a 34-20 win over Emporia State last time out in Kearney.
• The Lopers' lone loss is to Fort Hays State in a 26-7 defeat and they recorded non-conference wins over Chadron State (41-21) and Wayne State (28-21) in the first two weeks of the season.
• The Lopers have the No. 2 defense in the MIAA allowing 325 yards per game and the No. 8 offense averaging 358 yards per contest.
• Isaiah Harris leads the league in rushing at 151.5 yards per game with a league-best six rushing touchdowns … he is also second in the league in all-purpose yards at 160.0 per game.
• Josh Davies-Balogun is tied for the MIAA lead with three sacks for 20 yards.
 
 LAST MEETING WITH THE LOPERS
(Nov. 2, 2024)TOPEKA, Kan. – The Washburn Ichabod football team came up just shy battling the rain and the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers in a 14-13 Homecoming loss in a game that saw two lightning delays totaling 153 minutes in game stoppage.
The Ichabods opened the scoring on their first drive of the game after taking the kickoff and marched 68 yards on four plays capped by a 3-yard touchdown run from Cam Robinson from 3-yards out, but the Lopers blocked the extra point. The big play of the drive was a 44-yard pass from Sam Van Dyne to Maury Sullivan down to the UNK five.
Neither team would score in the middle of a downpour after trading punts and a pair of fumbles, Julius Jackson picked off a Reagan Jones pass returning it from the UNK redzone 78 yards to the Ichabod 16 yard line. Five plays later, the Ichabods went up 13-0 after Lucas Oitker scored from two yards out on a fourth and two with 2:19 go to in the half.
Once the intermission started, the field and stadium was cleared after a lightning strike.
On the Lopers' first drive of the half, De'Andre Washington picked off a Jones pass setting up the Ichabods Washburn 48, but the drive stalled as Jake Zeller placed a punt down at the Loper 5.
The teams again traded punts and the Lopers scored cutting the Washburn lead to 13-7  after a 41-yard play drive.
On the Ichabod's second play of the ensuing drive, Washburn threw an interception and the Ichabod 33 and the Lopers took a 14-13 lead with 8:57 to go in the game after Jones scored on a 9-yard touchdown scamper.
The Ichabods next drive stalled and had to punt with 6:43 left, but the Ichabod defense held the Lopers and after a 19-yard UNK punt, Washburn took over at its own 36 with 2:04 to play. After four  plays, another lightning strike within eight miles halted the game with 1:14 remaining.
After the teams returned to the field after a 115-minute delay with a 3rd and 12, Washburn's first play back on the field was an incomplete pass. Following a timeout, another Ichabod incomplete pass turned the ball back to the Lopers on down. The Lopers ran out the clock, securing the one-point win.
The Lopers outgained the Ichabods 331 to 193 turning out 20 first downs compared to 10 for the Ichabods. UNK also outgained the Ichabods 213 to 109 on the ground running 24 more plays. Washburn finished 6 of 14 passing for 84 yards while the Lopers were 13 of 29 for 118. The Ichabod defense limited the Lopers to 142 yards in the second half while the Ichabod offense was held to 47 yards.
L.J. Minner had 15 tackles with 10 assisted tackles and Jordan Finnesy had 12 tackles with nine solo stops. Chase McCoy had two sacks.
Tyler Bowden had 16 carries for 74 yards and Sullivan had three catches for 58 yards.
 
 SERIES HISTORY WITH THE LOPERS
• The Ichabods trail the all-time series with the Lopers 19-13 as the Lopers have won the last four in the series and five of the last six.
• Washburn is 6-10 in home games against the Lopers and 7-9 in games played in Kearney.
• The very first meeting took place on Sept. 14, 1963 with the Lopers winning 19-14 in Kearney.
• The Ichabods are 5-5 in the last 10 meeting against the Lopers.
• Washburn's last win in the series Nov. 16, 2019 in a 57-41 win in Kearney.
   
 LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
(Sept. 20, 2025) EDMOND, Okla. – The Washburn Ichabod football team came up just short on the road, falling 34-28 to No. 15-ranked Central Oklahoma in a back-and-forth matchup that saw momentum swing several times before the Bronchos pulled away in the fourth quarter. The Ichabods dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in conference play and will host
Washburn wasted no time getting on the board. After J.C. Heim picked off an early Central Oklahoma pass, Justin Lewis capped the short-field opportunity with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Chase Allen-Jackman for a quick 7-0 lead. The Bronchos responded with a pair of scores to move in front, but the Ichabods tied the game late in the opening quarter when Keller Hurla, seeing his first action this season, powered in from a yard out to finish a 75-yard drive tying the score at 14-all.
The back-and-forth continued in the third quarter. Hurla once again punched it in from the 1-yard line to draw Washburn even, and moments later he struck through the air, lining up under center and connecting with Allen-Jackman for an 85-yard touchdown strike. That big play gave the Ichabods a 28-24 lead with 7:48 to play in the third quarter, but UCO came back with a touchdown drive of its own, regaining the lead 31-28 heading into the final frame.
UCO pushed the lead to six at 34-28 on the first possession of the quarter with a 51-yard field goal wrapping up the scoring in the game.
Allen-Jackman turned in a career night, finishing with five receptions for 118 yards and both of Washburn's passing touchdowns. Hurla added two rushing scores to go with his long touchdown pass, while Cam Robinson chipped in 32 rushing yards on nine carries. Overall, Washburn managed 254 yards of total offense with 195 through the air and 59 on the ground.
The Ichabod defense helped keep the game tight, forcing two interceptions that set up scoring opportunities. J.C. Heim grabbed one of those takeaways, while the secondary held strong for stretches against the UCO passing game.
Jake Zeller had seven punts for a 44-yard average with three inside the 20.
J.C. Heim led the Ichabod defense with 16 tackles with eight solo stops and L.J. Minner moved his double-digit tackle streak to 13 with five solo stops.
 
 A WIN OVER THE LOPERS WOULD
• move the Ichabods' record to 2-3 on the season.
• snap a four-game losing streak to the Lopers.
• move the Ichabods to 7-10 in games played in Topeka against the Lopers.
• improve the Ichabods to 14-19 in the all-time series.
 
  A LOSS TO THE LOPERS WOULD
• drop the Ichabods to 1-4 on the season.
• be the Ichabods' fourth loss overall in a row.
• drop the Ichabods to 13-20 all-time against the Lopers.
• be the Lopers fifth-straight win over the Ichabods.
 
 ICHABOD FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Washburn is 582-617-44 (.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 will make a return trip to the road facing Pittsburg State on Oct. 11 after an off week on Oct. 4. Following the game with the Gorillas, the Ichabods will have back-to-back home games starting with Central Missouri on Oct. 18 for the Washburn Hall of Fame game and then the following week celebrate Homecoming hosting Fort Hays State at 2 p.m. on Oct. 25.