SCENE SETTER
• After their week six bye, the Washburn Ichabod football team returns to action hosting Pittsburg State on Saturday in Yager Stadium on Hall of Fame weekend starting at 12 p.m. The game will also be the Pink Out Game sponsored by Stormont-Vail.
• The Ichabods (3-1-1, 2-1 MIAA) did not allow an offensive touchdown by Nebraska-Kearney on Sept. 26 in a 42-7 win over the Lopers.
• The Gorillas (1-4, 1-2 MIAA) are coming off a 34-27 overtime win over the Lopers on Oct. 3 in Kearney … the Gorillas are in a stretch of game four of a four-game road trip away from Carnie Smith Stadium … PSU has not played a home game since a 21-10 loss to Emporia State on Sept. 5.
• The Lopers lead the all-time series 67-27-1 and have won the last four meetings after the Ichabods won the previous four before that … overall the teams have split the last 10 meetings.
• The Washburn Ichabods were tabbed No. 8 in both the MIAA preseason coaches and preseason media polls that were released on Aug. 27 by the league office at the annual MIAA Football Media Day hosted by Washburn inside the Sneed Indoor Athletic Facility.
 
 WEATHER CHECK
• Saturday's weather forecast calls for a Sunny with a high of 86°F and a south wind at 13 mph. Precipitation chance is 0% as the Ichabods are hoping to have their first home game of the season start at its scheduled time of 12 p.m. 
 
 BOD NOTES
• Tre Calhoun leads the Ichabods with 28 catches for 384 yards and four touchdowns averaging 13.7 yards per catch and 76.8 yards per game.
• Logan Madden is 28th in the nation in total passing yards at 1,279 and he is 19th in passing yards per game at 255.8 …  he has completed  101 of 173 passes with 10 touchdowns.
• Aidan Battle was 6 of 6 on extra points against Nebraska-Kearney last time out for a career high.
• Donavan George recorded his first career rushing touchdown against UNK last time out.
• Jacoby Ogbonna saw his first action of the season recording a touchdown on two catches at UNK.
• Quinton Renfro and Cam Robinson became the first pair of Ichabods to rush for over 100 yards in the same game since Justin Cooper (111) and Sean McPherson (102) both hit the century mark against Fort Hays State on Oct. 29, 2011.
• Cam Robinson scored two touchdowns in the same game for the first time in his Washburn career and his 19 rushing attempts and 108 rushing yards were career highs.
• The Ichabod defense is tied for the national lead with eight fumble recoveries with West Alabama and Western Colorado.
• Last time out, the 42-7 win by the Ichabods over UNK was not an Ichabod football Scorigami as the score had happened before five times … through 1,255 Ichabod games, there have been 301 games in which a score has happened only one time. In all, there have been 528 unique scoring games.
 
 PRO BODS
• The Washburn Ichabods have one former player on an NFL roster this season and one in the Canadian Football League.
• Kyle Hinton is on the 53-man roster of the Atlanta Falcons.
• James Letcher, Jr. is a standout return specialist and wide receiver  in the Canadian Football League playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in his third season in the CFL.
 
 COACHES
Washburn head coach Zach Watkins . . .
• is 6-9-1 in his second 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).
• has had 10 players earn all-MIAA honors, an all-region selection, a CSC Academic All-American®, and 70 MIAA Academic Honor Roll picks adding five MIAA Scholar Athletes and three MIAA Academic Excellence selections after his first season as the Ichabod head coach.
• 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 0-1 against Pittsburg State.
 
Pittsburg State head coach Tom Anthony . . .            
• is in his third year as head football coach at Pittsburg State University. He has an 19-10 (.643) career record
leading the Pitt State program.
• Anthony guided the Gorillas to a 10-3 record as well as the program's third MIAA title in four seasons and Pitt State's fourth consecutive NCAA Division II playoffs berth in 2025, He posted an 8-3 record and led the Gorillas to an NCAA-II playoff berth in his debut season as head coach in 2024.
• Anthony returned to campus in December 2023 after a six-month absence to become the Gorillas 16th all-time head coach.
• is 2-0 against Washburn.
 
 NOTING THE GORILLAS
• The Gorillas are 1-4 this season and 1-2 in the MIAA after topping Nebraska-Kearney after rallying from a 24-3 halftime deficit to top the Lopers 34-27 in overtime.
• Diego Cearns leads the team with 211 rushing yards and two scores averaging 42.2 on the ground per game … Syre Padilla has 173 yards on 28 carries in three games averaging 57.6 yards per contest … Cearns carried the ball 20 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns, including a one-yard plunge in overtime that proved to be the decisive score against the Lopers.
• Bobby Bacon has completed 49 of 83 passes with six interceptions and five touchdowns throwing for 200 yards per game … against the Lopers last time out he completed 25 of 35 passes for 232 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the second-half rally.
• T.J. Starks has 17 catches for 300 yards averaging a team-best 17.7 yards per catch with two touchdowns.
• Defensively, PSU is led by Blake Carr who has 39 tackles with nine tackles for loss for 18 yards … Carr is seventh in the nation in tackles for loss.
• Austin Schmitt is 7 for 7 on field goals this season going 2 of 2 beyond 40 yards … he is 10th in the nation in field goals per game at 1.40.
• Pittsburg State is fourth in the nation in kickoff return defense allowing 12.8 yards per return and second in the nation in net punting averaging 42.3 per punt.
 
 LAST MEETING WITH THE GORILLAS
(Oct. 11, 2025) PITTSBURG, Kan. — The Washburn Ichabod football dropped their fifth game in a row as the Ichabods fell 34–10 to No. 15-ranked Pittsburg State on Saturday afternoon at Carnie Smith Stadium.
The Gorillas (5–2, 4–1 MIAA) struck first midway through the opening quarter with a 42-yard field goal before adding a 17-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jackson Berry to go ahead 10–0. Washburn (1–5, 0–4 MIAA) answered early in the second quarter when Logan Madden engineered a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Madden hit Ky Thomas on an 8-yard swing pass to cap the march, trimming the Gorilla lead to 10-7.
Pittsburg State countered immediately with a 75-yard drive of its own, ending in Berry's second rushing touchdown from 19 yards out. After forcing a Washburn punt late in the half, the Gorillas extended the margin when Berry connected with Jaelon Travis for a 73-yard score with six seconds left before intermission, pushing the lead to 24–7 heading into the break.
Washburn's defense stiffened in the second half, forcing a turnover and limiting PSU to a pair of field goals and a late short touchdown. The Ichabods turned a recovered Gorilla fumble into a 34-yard Battle field goal early in the fourth quarter to make it 24–10, but the hosts pulled away down the stretch.
The Ichabods were limited with time of possession in the game  (21:16 to PSU's 38:44).
Madden completed 14 of 28 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown. Thomas caught four passes for 26 yards and a score, while D.J. Bell added five catches for 31 yards and 39 return yards for a team-high 84 all-purpose yards. Chase Allen-Jackman provided the game's longest Washburn play with a 40-yard reception in the first quarter.
Defensively, linebacker J.C. Heim paced the Ichabods with 12 total tackles, while L.J. Minner Jr. added 10 stops. Defensive end Elijah Clarke-Boyd contributed 1.5 sacks as Washburn recorded two total on the day.
Pittsburg State finished with 481 total yards to Washburn's 170, powered by a 260–26 advantage on the ground. Berry threw for 221 yards and rushed for 29 more with three total touchdowns. Washburn punter Jake Zeller was again strong, averaging 47.5 yards on six punts with three pinned inside the 20.
The Ichabods who were top-five in the nation in least penalty yards and least penalties called against, were flagged for 108 yards and 10 calls. The Gorillas were called for 12 flags for 143 yards.
 
 SERIES HISTORY WITH THE GORILLAS
• The Ichabods trail the all-time series with the Gorillas 67-27-1, losing the last four meetings after winning the previous four meetings prior to that.
• Overall in games played in Topeka the Ichabods are 13-35 and in Pittsburg the Gorillas are 14-31-1.
• Overall Washburn is 5-5 in the last 10 meetings.
   LAST TIME OUT FOR THE ICHABODS
(Sept. 19, 2026) KEARNEY, Neb. – The Washburn Ichabods scored 28 unanswered points after halftime and turned in a dominant performance on defense Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 42-7 MIAA road victory over Neb.-Kearney at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium. The Ichabods improved to 3-1-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play behind a defense that held the Lopers to just 112 total yards while forcing 11 punts.
Washburn's defense set the tone from the opening drive. After Nebraska-Kearney crossed midfield, the Ichabods took advantage of a bad snap on the punt that accounted for a 49-yard loss giving the ball to the Ichabods at the Loper 12-yard line. Two plays later, Cam Robinson powered in from one yard out with 11:45 left in the first quarter and Aidan Battle's extra point made it 7-0.
The Ichabod defense repeatedly forced Nebraska-Kearney (0-4, 0-2 MIAA) off the field in the opening half, recording six first-half punts while limiting the Lopers to 57 rushing yards and 42 passing yards before intermission. The Ichabods in total forced eight three-and-out series in the game for the Loper offense.
Washburn doubled its lead midway through the second quarter on an impressive 80-yard march. Logan Madden completed passes to Nathan Lewis Jr., Jayden Norman and Cam Robinson before finding Ty Weber for a 9-yard touchdown pass with 2:45 remaining before halftime, pushing the lead to 14-0.
The lone setback came late in the half when a Nebraska-Kearney interception was returned for a touchdown with 1:38 remaining, trimming the Washburn lead to 14-7 at the break.
The second half belonged entirely to the Ichabods.
Receiving the opening kickoff of the third quarter, Washburn marched 75 yards in seven plays. Quinton Renfro capped the drive with a 23-yard touchdown run to restore a two-score advantage at 21-7.
The defense then took complete control. Nebraska-Kearney managed just 33 total yards in the third quarter and punted on all three possessions. After another defensive stop, Renfro ripped off a 63-yard run to set up Cam Robinson's 8-yard touchdown rush, extending the lead to 28-7 with 4:13 left in the quarter.
The Ichabods added two more scores in the fourth. Madden connected with Jacoby Ogbonna on a 22-yard touchdown strike with 7:29 remaining, making it 35-7. Moments later, the defense created another takeaway when Aaron Henson forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff return and Gabriel Hoskins recovered at the Loper 23. Washburn converted the short field into points as Donovan George scored from two yards out for the game's final touchdown and a 42-7 lead.
Defensively, the Ichabods were outstanding after halftime, shutting out the Lopers over the final 30 minutes. Nebraska-Kearney converted just 2 of 15 third down attempts, was held to 44 rushing yards, and finished with only 112 total offensive yards. Washburn recorded two sacks, nine tackles for loss, forced 11 punts, recovered two fumbles, and held the Lopers scoreless on their lone red-zone opportunity.
Leading the defense was J.C. Heim, who posted a game-high 14 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a half sack. Brody Hayes added eight tackles, while Jaren Heim finished with six tackles and a half sack. Caden Rhamy recorded a sack and tackle for loss, and the Ichabods recovered fumbles through Evian Thompson and Gabriel Hoskins, with Henson forcing a fumble on special teams.
Offensively, Washburn piled up a season-high 477 total yards, including 246 rushing yards and 231 passing yards. Renfro rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while Robinson added 108 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. The duo became the first Ichabod pair to rush for at least 100 yards in the same game since Justin Cooper (111) and Sean McPherson (102) both hit the century mark against Fort Hays State on Oct. 29, 2011. The rushing tally also marked the first time an Ichabods had recorded a 100-yard rusher since Taylon Peters accomplished the feat at Lincoln on Sept. 16, 2023 with 121 yards on 11 carries.
Madden completed 13-of-23 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Ogbonna and Weber for scores. Tre Calhoun led the receiving corps with 66 yards, while Lewis Jr. added 57 yards.
 
 A WIN OVER THE GORILLAS WOULD
• move the Ichabods to 28-67-1 all-time against Pitt State.
• snap a four-game losing streak to the Gorillas.
• be the first win by the Ichabods in the series since a 28-26 win on Nov. 6, 2021 in Pittsburg and the first win in Topeka since Nov. 9, 2019 in a 49-38 win over the Gorillas.
• move the Ichabods to 14-35 all-time in games played in Topeka against Pitt State.
• move the Ichabods past last season's win total of three games.
 
  A LOSS TO THE GORILLAS WOULD
• drop the Ichabods to 4-1-1 on the season and 3-1 in MIAA games.
• be the fifth loss in a row to the Gorillas.
• drop the Ichabods to 27-68-1 all-time against the Gorillas.
 
 ICHABOD FOOTBALL HISTORY
• Washburn is 587-623-45 (.484) in the 136th 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 187 all-MIAA picks and 63 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
Washburn returns to the road to face Central Missouri on Oct. 17 starting a string of two-straight road games adding Fort Hays State on Oct. 24 … Washburn's next home game will be on Oct. 31 in a Halloween Homecoming contest against Missouri Western.