By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn football team is back on the road for the second straight week as the Ichabods will face the Central Oklahoma Bronchos at 7 p.m. Saturday night in Edmond.
Washburn Rural product JC Heim (9) and L.J. Minner rank one-two in the MIAA in tackles after three games for WU. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabods are 1-2 this season after dropping their final non-conference matchup of the season with Colorado School of Mines 41-27 in a game that took 7 hours, 39 minutes to complete due to multiple lightning delays.
After spotting the Orediggers a 34-7 halftime lead, Washburn scored 20 points in the second half.
"I was real proud of the guys for their focus during the lightning delays and during the up and down first half,'' Washburn coach Zach Watkins said. "I think that kind of speaks to our team leaders and our culture that we're going to keep playing and we're going to fight and be mentally tough enough to keep fighting and we're going to finish the game no matter what.''
The Bronchos are 1-1 this season and have been idle since a 27-24 over then No. 13-Pittsburg State on Sept. 6 with a bye week this past weekend.
WU sophomore JC Heim leads the MIAA in tackles with 43 and L.J. Minner Jr. is second with 35.
Minner has recorded double-digit tackles in each of his last six games, dating back to last season.
Quarterback Logan Madden, playing near his hometown of Arvada, Colo., completed 11 of 17 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns in his first action as an Ichabod. Justin Lewis added 106 yards through the air on 9 of 20 passing with two scores of his own. Combined, the duo accounted for all four Ichabod touchdowns, throwing passes to eight different receivers.
Central Oklahoma moved up in one of two national polls Monday, with the Bronchos No. 8 in the D2Football.com Media Poll, up from 12th last week. The Bronchos remained at No. 15 in the AFCA Coaches' Poll.
Jaylen Cottrell leads the team in rushing with 181 total yards and 90.5 yards per game while averaging 10.1 yards per carry.
Jett Huff is 18 of 40 passing with three touchdowns and 106.5 yards per game.
Johnny Wilson leads the team with 13 total tackles adding three tackles for loss and one sack.
Watkins knows the Ichabods face another tough test against UCO, but he expects his team to put up a fight.
"That's the MIAA because you're not going to have a week off and we don't want a week off,'' Watkins said. "We want to play the best of the best and eventually show you can compete with the best of the best.
''This is a good challenge for our guys because it sets us up for the rest of the conference season when you play good teams early and kind of get a measuring stick of where you are.''
Last season the Ichabods took No. 8-ranked Central Oklahoma to the brink but a blocked field goal as time expired ended the game, with WU falling 28-27 on Senior Day in Yager Stadium.
The Bronchos lead the all-time series 8-5.
Washburn will make its return home to Yager Stadium on Sept, 27, hosting Nebraska-Kearney for Washburn's Family Day.
