By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Looking to jump start the second half of their 2024 season, Washburn University football returns home for a 1 p.m. contest Saturday against Missouri Southern in Yager Stadium.
Highland Park product Tre Richardson scored Washburn's lone touchdown last Saturday in a 38-7 road loss at Fort Hays State. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn, 1-5 overall, 1-4 in the MIAA, is coming off a 38-7 loss at Fort Hays State last Saturday while Missouri Southern (1-6, 0-5) lost to No. 17-ranked Emporia State at home, 49-30.
Washburn's Chase McCoy is 19th in the nation in sacks and leads the MIAA in sacks at 0.8 per game while Highland Park product Tre Richardson is 29th in the nation and third in the MIAA in all-purpose yards, averaging 129.5 yards per game. Richardson is also 36th in the nation in receiving yards with 471 and 34th in receiving yards per game with 78.5.
The Ichabods have played the seventh-toughest schedule in the nation so far this season.
Washburn leads the all-time series with the Lions, 28-22-1, and has won seven of the last eight in the series.
The Lions broke a seven-game winning streak by the Ichabods with their win in Yager Stadium in the 2023 WU home opener, taking a 30-23 win to break a 10-game losing streak in Topeka.
Washburn has won 19 of the last 22 in the series and 10 of the last 12 overall.
Southern quarterback Luke Sampson is 139 of 249 passing with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions, passing for 236 yards per game.
Draper Parker leads the Lions with 67 yards per game on 37 catches, averaging 12.8 yards per catch.
Colton Bass leads the team with 54 tackles while adding two interceptions.
De'Shawn Larson leads the Lions in rushing with a 45-yard per game average and two touchdowns.
Missouri Southern is ranked 10th in the MIAA in scoring offense at 19.4 points per game and 10th in the MIAA in scoring defense, allowing 40.3 points a game.
Missouri Southern has the ninth-ranked offense in the league, averaging 326.7 yards of total offense a game, and they are ninth in the MIAA in total defense, allowing 446.4 yards per game.
Washburn scored the first seven points of the game last Saturday night in Hays, but were outscored 38-0 the rest of the way.
Ichabod sophomore quarterback Sam Van Dyne hit Richardson on a 26-yard catch and run in the opening quarter, which turned out to be Washburn's long TD of the game.
Tyler Bowden led the Ichabods on the ground against the Tigers with nine carries for 54 rushing 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 and went 14 of 21 overall with 122 yards and the one TD.
Jordan Finnesy had nine tackles to lead the Ichabods and Julius Jackson had eight tackles.
Following Saturday's game with Missouri Southern, the Ichabods will have a road game at Central Missouri on Oct. 26.
The Ichabods will celebrate Homecoming on Nov. 2 and then the following week host Central Oklahoma on Senior Day before wrapping up the season on Nov. 16 at Northeastern State.
