By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn University football team can clinch its third straight winning regular season and the 15th in 20 seasons under coach Craig Schurig with an MIAA victory over Northeastern State Saturday in Tahlequah, Okla.
Senior James Letcher Jr. has set Washburn career receptions and all-purpose yardage records the past two weeks. [File photo/TSN]
Washburn senior Grant Bruner leads the nation in tackles, averaging 13.0 per game for the 5-3 Ichabods. [File photo/TSN]
The Ichabods are 5-3 overall and in the MIAA while the Riverhawks are 1-7, 1-7, but Schurig, 135-91 in his career, said his team can't afford to take anything for granted in what he feels is perhaps the most balanced the conference has been from top to bottom in recent seasons.
"There's no question, it's really even,'' Schurig said. "There's not like it's two dominant teams that are beating up on everybody. There's a lot of close scores and it depends on who you're playing, certain teams match up really well.''
Washburn, which will be looking for its 10th straight win over the RiverHawks, is coming off a 37-9 Homecoming win over Central Oklahoma last Saturday while Northeastern is coming off a 36-3 loss at No. 14-ranked Northwest Missouri, its fourth straight loss.
.NSU was held to 23 yards of offense and three first downs in its loss to Northwest Missouri, but Schurig said the Riverhawks are an improved team.
"Their O-line, D-line is a lot better than it was last year, their secondary's really good and they're much better,'' Schurig said.
Washburn beat Northeastern 35-0 last season in Topeka and rolled to a 70-13 win on Oct. 12, 2019 in the Ichabods' last trip to Tahlequah.
Washburn leads the MIAA in scoring offense at 35.4 points per game and is ranked seventh in scoring defense allowing 23.0 points a game. Washburn is second in the MIAA in total offense at 429.9 yards per game.
Ichabod sophomore quarterback Kellen Simoncic is third in the nation in passing touchdowns with 24 and 14th in the nation in total offense at 286.1 yards per game.
Senior linebacker Grant Bruner leads the nation in tackles at 13.0 per game and is first in solo tackles with 8.1 per game.
Senior James Letcher Jr. is 13th in the nation in receiving touchdowns (8), 13th in receiving yards (801), 15th in receiving yards per game (101.1) and eighth in receptions per game (7.2).
His 206 career receptions 5,216 all-purpose yards are No. 1 on WU's all-time chart.
Washburn will be back at home on Nov. 5 against Pittsburg State.
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