By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University football opened the Zach Watkins era with a hard-earned 20–17 win non-conference win over Truman State Saturday afternoon at Yager Stadium.
Washburn (1-0) had to overcome a 10-0 first-quarter deficit and scored 20 unanswered points to take a 20-10 lead before using a clutch drive to run the final 4 minutes, 20 seconds off the clock and close out the victory in front of 4,025 fans.
Zach Watkins picked up his first win as a head coach on Saturday, with Washburn topping Truman State 20-17 in Yager Stadium. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
"Wins will never come easy, especially in the MIAA and with a quality, playoff-caliber opponent like Truman State, so that was a great game for us to overcome some early adversity, battle back when things weren't going our way, and then to end the game with the offense on the field closing the game out was really special,'' Watkins said.
Saturday's win was not only a successful debut for Watkins as a head coach but was a big day for quarterback Justin Lewis and place-kicker Aidan Battle in their first games as Ichabods.
Justin Lewis passed for 352 yards and two touchdowns in Washburn's 20-17 season-opening win over Truman State Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Lewis, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound graduate transfer from Merrimack, completed 33 of 42 passes for 352 yards and two touchdowns on the day and at one point completed a school and MIAA single-game record 20 straight passes.
Battle, a 5-6, 170 Butler Community College transfer, was also a difference-maker for Washburn, contributing eight points on the day with two field goals and two extra points, including a 51-yard field goal with 10:27 remaining that proved to be the difference in the game.
"We knew he had the leg strength and a little bit of wind and we knew we could get there, so I'll never shy away with him back there,'' Watkins said.
Former MIAA foe Truman State (0-1) struck first, marching 68 yards in nine plays before quarterback Dylan Hair found Jackson Overton for a 23-yard touchdown at the 8:22 mark of the opening quarter.
Truman added to its lead later in the quarter on a 32-yard field goal from Vinni Calvaruso to go up 10–0, but Washburn dominated the second quarter behind Lewis and junior wide receiver Chase Allen-Jackman.
Lewis connected with Allen-Jackman for a 16-yard touchdown to put the Ichabods (1-0) on the board.
Then, after Battle connected on a 37-yard field goal to tie the game at 10–10 midway through the second quarter, Lewis and Allen-Jackman connected again with 55 seconds left before halftime, this time from 27 yards out to give Washburn a 17–10 halftime advantage.
"That guy's unbelievable,'' Lewis said of Allen-Jackman. "He's done an awesome job since the spring, just me and him having communication on the field. I trust him that he's going to get open every single time, he's a tough guy to guard.''
Neither team was able to break through in the third quarter before Battle connected on his clutch 51-yard field goal early in the fourth stanza to give WU its biggest lead of the game at 20-10. Battle's 51-yarder was one yard shy of the school record of 52 yards set in 1972 by Russ Hill against Northern Colorado and Charles Goodnight against Emporia State in 1985.
Truman State answered with a 13-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Denim Cook with 4:27 remaining, but the Ichabods ended the game with a 12-play drive, converting three first downs to run out the clock.
Statistically, the Bulldogs edged Washburn in total offense, 333 yards to 315, holding the ball for more than 34 minutes. Truman also controlled the ground game with 136 rushing yards, 86 of those from Cook, while the Ichabods were held to minus-37 rushing yards.
Ichabod tight end Ty Weber missed Saturday's game while Washburn lost offensive linemen Orrin Busenitz and Nick Hogan to first-half injuries.
Washburn's success came through the air as Lewis was able to find Allen-Jackman and junior D.J. Bell all day long.
Allen-Jackman (6-3, 190) hauled in nine passes for 127 yards and both Washburn touchdowns while Bell (5-11, 175) added nine catches for 98 yards.
Chase Allen-Jackman celebrates a touchdown in Washburn's 20-17 season-opening win over Truman State Saturday. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Jackman's nine grabs came after not having a single reception in 2024.
"As soon as we hired coach Wat as our coach back in November, I knew it was an opportunity to play and start and bring some value to this team as a player and a receiver,'' Allen-Jackman said. "From Day 1 (Lewis) came in as a leader and he showed me how to be a leader as well.''
Defensively, the Ichabods were led by sophomore L.J. Minner (6-0, 205) and sophomore J.C. Heim (6-3, 225) with 11 tackles each. Minner added a fumble recovery while senior Kamble Haverkamp (6-0, 200) had seven solo tackles, with three tackles for loss for 18 yards and two sacks.
The Ichabods will return to MIAA action next Saturday at Yager Stadium, hosting Northwest Missouri at 1 p.m.
WASHBURN 20, TRUMAN STATE 17
Truman State (0-1) 10 0 0 7 -- 17
Washburn (1-0) 0 17 0 3 -- 20
Second quarter
Truman State -- Overton 23 pass from Hair (Calvaruso kick), 8:22
Truman State -- Calvaruso 32 FG, 2:44
Second quarter
Washburn -- Allen-Jackman 16 pass from Lewis (Battle kick), 13:43
Washburn -- Battle 37 FG, 5:34
Washburn -- Allen-Jackman 27 pass from Lewis (Battle kick), 0:55
Fourth quarter
Washburn -- Battle 51 FG, 10:27
Truman State -- Cook 1 run (Calvaruso kick), 4:27
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing -- Truman State: Cook 22-86, Butchko 5-30, Hair 13-20. Washburn: Thomas 12-1, Carter 1-(minus)-3, Bell 2-(minus)-8, Lewis 7-(minus)-25. Team 2-(minus)-2.
Passing -- Truman State: Hair 19-30-0, 197 yards. Washburn: Lewis 33-42-0, 352.
Receiving -- Truman State: Overton 4-70, Battle 3-38, Kent 3-20, Cook 2-13, Grewe 2-11, Hall 1-22, Ryan 1-11, Copeland 1-6, Butchko 1-5, Stevens 1-1. Washburn: Allen-Jackman 9-127, Bell 9-98, Canty 4-43, Harmison 3-28, Thomas 3-10, Calhoun 2-24, Mohrmann 2-18, Abongo Jr. 1-4.
Punting -- Truman State: Gessert 5-36.6. Washburn: Zeller 3-44.0, Lewis 1-16.0.
Tackles -- Truman State: Baxley 8 solo-1 assist-9 total, Weltha 5-2-7. Washburn: Minner 8-3-11, Heim 6-5-11, Haverkamp 7-0-7.
Attendance -- 4,025.
