By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Washburn Ichabod football team will hit the road on Saturday to take on Missouri Western, looking to bounce back from a 13-10 heartbreaking overtime loss to Fort Hays State last week.
"We talk about our seven-day season and the game is the end of that,'' Washburn coach Zach Watkins said. "We close the chapter after the game and Sunday we move on to the next opponent and try to get better from the film and learn, but this one was a little bit harder to move on from.
"You have some games that are easy to move on from, win or loss, and some are tough to move on from. This is one of the tougher ones, but the guys have done a great job of responding this week and are ready to go against another good opponent but another game that we've got to play well to win.''
Topekan Ky Thomas (8) rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown in last Saturday's 13-10 overtime loss to Fort Hays State. [File photo/TSN]
Former Topeka High star Ky Thomas, who rushed for 95 yards and scored the Ichabods' lone touchdown against the Tigers, agreed with his coach that WU's focus has to be on bouncing back.
"We have to take what we can from that game and learn from it and move on to the next seven-game season as coach Watkins says,'' said Thomas, who has scored four touchdowns over the past three games. "We'll take it one day at a time and get just get better as the season goes on.''
Washburn will take a 2-6 overall record and 1-5 MIAA mark into Saturday's 2 p.m. game while the Griffons are also 2-6 and 1-5.
Saturday's game will mark the second season in a row the Ichabods and Griffons have played in St. Joseph, with the Ichabods winning last year's matchup, 24-16.
The Griffons are coming off a 19-12 road win over Missouri Southern last Saturday.
Sophomore linebacker JC Heim leads the MIAA and is third in the national rankings in tackles per game with 12.6 stops while junior L.J. Minner Jr. is fourth in the MIAA with 9.6 tackles per game.
Senior Jordan Finnesy's 239 career tackles rank 16th on the NCAA D2 active chart and he is 16th on the D2 active solo tackles chart with 146.
Senior punter Jake Zeller is fifth on the NCAA D2 active punting average chart at 41.8 and he is seventh in total punt yards (6,479).
Zeller is second in the MIAA and ninth in the national rankings in punting average at 42.6 and Zeller is second on the Ichabod all-time punting average chart at 41.8 and ninth in total yards at 6,479.
The Ichabod defense is eighth in turnovers gained in the national rankings and second in the MIAA with 20 overall, trailing Nebraska-Kearney's 21. The Ichabods lead the MIAA in turnover margin and rank 16th in the nation.
In the last two weeks the Ichabods have recorded eight interceptions and have four fumble recoveries
Brandon Hall leads the Griffons in rushing at 67.6 yards per game while averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
Kane Donovan has completed 57 percent of his passes, going 160 of 280 with five interceptions and 10 touchdowns for 1,622 yards.
Bryuce Marcus III leads the team in receiving with 53.0 yards per game and has 20 catches for 265 yards with three touchdowns. Malik Moore has 21 catches for 254 yards and three scores and Damir Abdullah has a team-high 25 receptions for 220 yards and two scores.
Drew Scott leads the Western defense with 51 total tackles and Brecken Manus has 43 tackles with 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
The Griffons lead the all-time series 27-23-2. The teams have split the last 10 meetings.
The Ichabods will return home for Senior Day next Saturday as the Ichabods will wrap up their home slate with Emporia State in a 1 p.m. MIAA contest. The Ichabods will end the season on the road at Missouri Southern on Nov. 15 in Joplin.
