By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University scored 24 first-half points and added 21 more in the third quarter on the way to a 45-14 MIAA win at Fort Hays State Saturday night, improving to 4-2 on the season as the Ichabod defense held the Tigers to a season-low 14 points.
The Ichabods, now 3-0 in road games, will be back on the road for the second straight week when they travel to Northwest Missouri next Saturday.
Taylon Peters had 73 rushing yards and 71 receiving yards in Washburn's 45-14 MIAA win at Fort Hays State Saturday night. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods took the opening kickoff and marched 81 yards on six plays, capped by a 44-yard touchdown pass from Kellen Simoncic to Washburn Rural product Collin Wilson.
Fort Hays State was forced to punt on its ensuing drive and Micah Skebo blocked the punt and it was recovered by Tyler Bowden for a scoop and score as the Ichabods jumped out to a 14-0 lead.
Washburn made it a 21-0 game when it wrapped up an 87-yard, 13-play drive with a 1-yard plunge by former Washburn Rural standout Hunter Browning.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard with a 6-yard run by Jaqualen Brown but Washburn wrapped up the half on a 47-yard field goal by Kameron Lake as time expired, taking a 24-7 lead to the locker room.
Starting the second half, the Ichabods forced the Tigers to punt and then drove to the Tiger 39, but an Ichabod interception stalled the drive.
The Ichabod defense forced another Tiger punt and three plays later Simoncic connected with James Letcher Jr. for an 8-yard touchdown with 9:09 to play in the third quarter.
The Tigers drove deep into the Ichabod zone, but the drive ended with Shawnee Heights graduate Christian Clark picking off a pass and returning it to the Washburn 33. Another 15 yards was tacked on after a personal foul on the Tigers.
Washburn added to the scoring on a 56-yard screen pass from Simoncic to Taylon Peters to go in front, 38-7.
On the kickoff, the Tigers fumbled and the Ichabods recovered and moved 40 yards in seven plays, with Simoncic hitting Matthew Simmons for a 4-yard touchdown pass to give the Ichabods a 45-7 cushion.
The 1-5 Tigers scored on a four-play, 75-yard drive, cutting the Ichabod lead to 45-14 with 2:09 to play in the third quarter.
Neither team would score in the fourth quarter as the Ichabods wrapped up the 31-point win to move to 17-17-2 all-time in games played in Hays while snapping a three-game losing streak at Lewis Field. Saturday's win was the Ichabods' first since a 45-20 win on Sept. 8, 2012.
The Ichabod defense held the Tigers to 309 yards on 54 plays while the Ichabod offense put up 503 yards on 80 plays.
Peters led the Ichabod 158-yard ground attack with 73 yards on 10 carries and he added a team-high 71 yards receiving.
Simoncic was 18 of 26 passing for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
Letcher recorded five catches to raise his career total to 189, moving within two of Sam Sissom and Washburn's all-time receptions record.
Linebacker Grant Bruner led the Ichabods with eight tackles and Derrick McClendon had seven tackles, with both players recording five solo stops.
