By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University football will kick off its 130th season at 6 p.m. on Thursday when the Ichabods host Lincoln in an MIAA contest in Yager Stadium.
And veteran WU coach Craig Schurig said it's definitely time to get things going.
All-American James Letcher Jr. is a top returner for Washburn University, which went 9-3 and made the NCAA Playoffs last fall. [File photo]
The veteran Ichabods are coming off a 9-3 season, a second-place tie in the MIAA standings and an NCAA playoff berth.
"Luckily, with kind of a veteran crew, you feel like we're ready to play,'' Schurig said. "Some years you're like, 'Man, I wish we had another week,' but we don't need another week. We need to play.''
Washburn will be facing a Lincoln team, picked 12th in the MIAA, that went 0-10 a year ago and has 59 true freshmen on its roster with just 24 juniors and seniors.
Washburn took a 76-12 road win in Jefferson City, Mo. last fall.
Thursday is definitely a game the Ichabods should win, but Schurig said there are several things WU wants to accomplish.
"I want us to play well and really execute on offense because I feel like we're kind of a veteran group on offense,'' he said. "You're not going to be mistake free in the first game but we want to execute at a high level and get guys an opportunity to show what they can do, distribute the ball well, get a lot of first downs and move the ball.
"Defensively I think we're pretty fast and we haven't had the chance to tackle a quarterback and do those kind of things because we've been going against each other, so we'll get a chance to see the physicality of our defense.''
Schurig said the Ichabods got through preseason camp in relatively good shape physically and said he was pleased with the progress the Ichabods have made.
"It feels like the guys played aggressively toward each other, they were very competitive, and we did pretty well (getting ready),'' Schurig said.
Washburn is 79-46-6 all-time in season-openers and 2-0 when playing the Blue Tigers in the first game of the season.
The Ichabods have won their last seven games played in Yager Stadium, which is the 10th-longest streak in the NCAA D2 ranks starting the season. The longest streak in the nation belongs to Northwest Missouri at 12 games.
The Ichabods, picked fourth in the MIAA preseason media and coaches polls, averaged 32.5 points last season while allowing 21.9 points per game.
Washburn All-American James Letcher Jr. ranked 10th last season in the NCAA in all-purpose yards, averaging 154.7 yards per game, and he was fourth in the NCAA in combined kick returns and ninth in the nation in kickoff returns averaging 28.5 per attempt.
Peter Afful was 19th in the nation in yards per reception at 19.3 per catch, which was second in the MIAA.
The Ichabod offensive line returns four of its five starters from last season -- C.J. Murray (right tackle), Jacob Glendinning (right guard), Bergan Hofer (left guard) and Andrew Funk (left tackle).
On defense the Ichabods return six of their top eight tackle leaders from 2021.
Peyton Lane had 70 tackles last season while Kevin Neal Jr. had 65 stops, Grant Bruner 60 tackles in seven games, Channon Ross 42 stops, Jordan Finnesy 41 and Landen Urban 38.
Urban was second on the team with 12 tackles for loss and his six sacks were also second on the team.
Washburn will travel to Central Missouri on Sept. 8.
