By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
For the second straight week the Washburn University football team took a top-10 team down to the wire with a chance to tie the game on its final drive of the contest, but the Ichabods came up short in a 39-31 MIAA decision to No. 10 Pittsburg State Saturday at Yager Stadium.
"We played unbelievably hard,'' Washburn coach Craig Schurig said. "I'm very proud of our guys. That's as hard as I've seen our team play in a long time.''
Washburn's Tre Richardson (middle) is congratulated by Tyce Brown (17) and Keller Hurla (right) after a 60-yard touchdown reception in Saturday's 39-31 loss to Pittsburg State. Brown, Richardson and Hurla all scored TDs for the Ichabods. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn, now 0-3 overall and 0-2 in the MIAA, battled back from a 16-point deficit 5:18 into the game to briefly take a 28-26 third-quarter advantage and drove deep into Gorillas territory late in the contest with an opportunity to force overtime before turning the ball over on downs.
"We couldn't have started any worse,'' Schurig said. "Everything that could go wrong did go wrong and credit to Pitt for being aggressive, but then our guys bounced back and played their rearends off. It was a great effort by our guys.''
The Ichabods were hurt by 113 yards in penalties, including having a potential go-ahead touchdown from Tre Richardson wiped out and a costly personal foul late in the game, and WU was also stung by an over-ruled call that would have given the hosts the ball after a fourth-down defensive stop.
"Unbelievable,'' Schurig said of WU's defensive effort. "They stuffed the run and gave us every opportunity and stuffed them on fourth down and we would have had the ball at the 50-yard-line. They played hard and I'm proud of them.''
The game opened in wild fashion as 37 points were scored between the two teams in the first quarter, with 30 points coming in the first 5:18 of the game.
After the Ichabods fumbled the opening kickoff, the Gorillas (3-1, 2-1 MIAA) scored three plays later to take a 7-0 lead on a pass from Chad Dodson, Jr. to Jack Roberts for a 17-yard connection.
The Gorillas tried an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, but Shawnee Heights product Tyce Brown, a senior, picked it up and ran 47 yards for a touchdown, tying the score at 7-7 with 13:29 to play in the first quarter.
Pittsburg State went up 14-7 when Dodson threw his second touchdown pass of the day on a 78-yard reception by Christian Carter and the Gorillas made it a 16-7 game when they blocked a Washburn punt through the back of the end zone for a safety.
On the free kick from the Ichabods, Pittsburg State added another score when Jaylen Fuksa returned the kickoff 85 yards for a score to put the Gorillas up 23-7 with 9:42 to play in the first quarter.
Highland Park product Tre Richardson scores on a 60-yard pass reception in Saturday's 39-31 MIAA loss to No. 10-ranked Pittsburg State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics[
Neither team scored again until the Ichabods cut the lead to 23-14 when redshirt freshman quarterback Keller Hurla hit Highland Park product Richardson for a 60-yard touchdown pass.
The Gorillas stretched the lead to 26-14 on a 31-yard field goal by Hayden Koscicki with 9:43 to play in the opening half but Washburn scored another special teams TD when Dodson pooch punted from the Ichabod 38 and Jacquez White returned it for a 92-yard score, trimming the Ichabod deficit to 26-21 with 6:20 left in the half.
The return was a school record for the Ichabods, surpassing the previous long of 90 set by Clarence Taylor against Emporia State in 1975 and Troy Slusser against Missouri Western in 1985.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Keller Hurla scores on a 16-yard run in Saturday's 39-31 MIAA loss to Pittsburg State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
The Ichabod defense held the Gorillas on the first drive of the second half and then Washburn took a 28-26 lead on a Hurla 16-yard touchdown run with 11:40 to go in the third quarter.
The lead was short-lived as Pitt State marched back on its next drive to regain the lead at 32-28 on a Cleo Chandler, Jr. run of 2 yards with 8:22 to go in the frame.
Washburn got a 37-yard field goal by Trenton Brehm to pull Washburn back within one at 32-31 with 8:22 left in the third.
In the fourth, Pittsburg State used a 10-play, 66-yard drive to expand its lead to 39-31 with 2:38 to go in the game.
Washburn then took over at its own 26 and moved the ball to the Pittsburg State 31 with under a minute to go, but a 4th and 10 pass play was broken up, turning the ball over on downs and securing the win for the Gorillas.
The Ichabods out-gained the Gorillas 409 yards to 353, including a 79 to 66 advantage on the ground and a 330 to 287 margin through the air.
Washburn was flagged 113 yards on 12 penalty flags while Pitt State was penalized nine time for 64 yards.
Individually the Ichabods were led on the ground by Hurla, who had five carries for 27 yards and a TD. Hayden Clark was 10 of 22 passing for 159 yards and Hurla was 9 of 12 for 171 yards and a touchdown pass.
Washburn sophomore D.J. Bell had six catches for 114 yards in Saturday's 39-31 MIAA loss to Pittsburg State. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
D.J. Bell had six catches for 114 yards, with 57 after the catch, and Richardson finished with four catches for 107 yards and 91 after the catch. Richardson finished with 162 all-purpose yards and Bell had 135.
Defensively, L.J. Minner Jr. had 10 tackles with a tackle for loss to lead the Ichabods and C.J. Callaghan had seven tackles.
"We'll win some of these games and that effort that we gave is about as good as I've seen since I've been here, so I'm really proud of them,'' Schurig said.
The Ichabods will be on the road next Saturday at Missouri Western.
PITTSBURG STATE 39, WASHBURN 31
Pittsburg State (3-1, 2-1) 23 3 6 7 -- 39
Washburn (0-3, 0-2) 14 7 10 0 -- 31
First quarter
Pittsburg State -- Roberts 17 pass from Dodson (Koscicki kick, 13:36
Washburn -- Brown 45 kickoff return (Brehm kick), 13:29
Pittsburg State -- Carter 78 pass from Dodson (Koscicki kick), 12:03
Pittsburg State -- Safety. 9:54
Pittsburg State -- Fuksa 85 kickoff return (Koscicki kick), 9:42
Washburn -- Richardson 60 pass from Hurla (Brehm kick), 0:57
Second quarter
PIttsburg State -- Koscicki 31 FG, 9:43
Washburn -- White 92 kickoff return (Brehm kick), 6:20
Third quarter
Washburn -- Hurla 16 run (Brehm kick), 11:40
Pittsburg State -- Chandler Jr. 2 run (run failed), 8:22
Washburn -- Brehm 37 FG, 3:42
Fourth quarter
PIttsburg State -- Niggemann 1 run (Koscicki kick), 2:38
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing -- Pittsburg State: Hernandez 15-37, Carter 1-20, Chandler Jr. 7-12, Niggemann 3-7, Team 1-(minus)-4, Dodson Jr. 6-(minus)-6. Washburn: Hurla 5-27, Richardson 4-20, Garnett 6-17, Robinson 2-12, Bell 1-11, Crochett 1-9, Bowden 2-(minus)-1, Clark 4-(minus)-16.
Passing -- PIttsburg State: Dodson Jr. 20-33-0, 287 yards. Washburn: Hurla 9-12-0, 171; Clark 10-22-0, 159; Team 0-1-0, 0.
Receiving -- Pittsburg State: Roberts 6-76, Carter 3-83, Mitchell 3-29, Bogdon 2-23, Chandler Jr. 2-14, Hernandez 2-14, Parchmon 1-35, Huggins 1-13. Washburn: Bell 6-114, Richardson 4-107, Sullivan 2-44, Searcy 2-18, Bowden 2-13, Harmison 1-16, Robinson 1-11, Keller 1-7.
Punting -- Pittsburg State: Washburn: Wilhelm 1-48.0; Zeller 3-30.3.
Tackles -- Pittsburg State; Ward Jr. 5 solo-0 assists-5 total; Barkley 3-2-5. Washburn: Minner 4-6-10; Callaghan 3-4-7.
Attendance -- 6,233.
