By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University football led briefly at 14-12 in the first half before No. 25-ranked Central Missouri took control by halftime en route to a 58-28 MIAA win at Yager Stadium.
Central Missouri (3-1 overall, 3-1 MIAA) scored in two plays after a blocked Washburn 52-yard field goal attempt was returned to the Ichabod 19, with the Mules taking a 6-0 lead after the extra point was missed.
After an Ichabod punt, UCM drove down to the Ichabod 3-yard-line, but Washburn recovered a fumble to take over.
The Washburn drive stalled and then Jake Zeller booted a career-long 71-yard punt, flipping the field down to the UCM 22.
Washburn redshirt freshman Josh Grant (28) picks off a Central Missouri pass to set up an Ichabod touchdown in Saturday's 58-28 loss to the Mules. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Three plays later, Central Missour's pass from Zach Zembrowski was picked off by Josh Grant. Washburn then took a 7-6 lead when Sam Van Dyne connected with D.J. Bell on an 18-yard touchdown pass and Trenton Brehm's extra point gave the Ichabods the lead with 3:15 left in the first quarter.
Central regained the lead on a 49-yard touchdown run, taking a 12-7 advantage after its second extra-point attempt of the day was missed.
Washburn University senior offensive lineman Mason Fair is at the bottom of a pile of players in the end zone Saturday against Central Missouri, recovering a fumble as his teammates signal a TD. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
On the Ichabods' ensuing drive, Teondre Carter rushed down to the UCM 1-yard line, but fumbled into the end zone and it was recovered by offensive lineman Mason Fair for the score as Washburn regained the lead at 14-12 on Brehm's extra point.
The Mules answered with a seven-play, 75-yard scoring drive with 11:37 to go in the half and never trailed again, opening up a 34-14 lead at halftime.
UCM scored a touchdown on its first possession of the second half to stretch its advantage to 41-14.
Freshman Maury Sullivan (80) caught a pair of touchdown passes in Washburn's 58-28 loss to Central Missouri. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The Ichabods went 80 yards in 13 plays to cut WU's deficit to 41-21, capped by a Van Dyne to Maury Sullivan 11-yard touchdown pass, but the Mules answered with an 11-play drive to go in front 48-21.
UCM scored on its next two drives to take command at 58-21 before Washburn wrapped up the scoring when Hayden Clark hit Sullivan for a 7-yard touchdown with 61 seconds to play.
Bell and Sullivan each had four catches to lead the Ichabods and combined for three touchdowns. Carter had 50 rushing yards on seven attempts while Van Dyne finished 10 of 26 passing for two touchdowns and Clark finished 5 for 12 for 44 and a score.
Bell led the Ichabods with 193 all-purpose yards, 148 from kickoff returns. Zeller averaged 51.2 yards per punt on four attempts.
Mason Capper had 10 tackles with eight solo stops and Jaquez White and Andrew Pujado each had six stops.
UCM's Zebrowski finished 40 for 48 passing for 369 yards and five touchdowns. Marcellous Hawkins had 144 yards on six carries and two scores. Zach Phipps had 82 yards receiving on six catches. Cade Miller had seven tackles to lead the Mule defense.
The Mules outgained the Ichabods 659 to 314 with a 377 to 151 advantage through the air.
The Ichabods will return to action next Saturday at Nebraska-Kearney.
No. 13 WU volleyball suffers first MIAA loss
No. 13 Washburn (9-2 overall, 3-1 MIAA) lost its first MIAA contest of the season Saturday afternoon, dropping a 3-0 decision on the road at Central Missouri (7-5, 4-0).
Washburn kept each set close and held a lead in every set but ultimately fell in all three, 25-21, 25-20 and 25-22.
A kill from Jalyn Stevenson put the Ichabods up 8-4 in the first set and the lead would later grow to five points at 11-6 after a Rachel Schwensen kill. The Jennies were able to come back and tie the set at 18 and Central Missouri won the final five points of the set to win 25-22.
The second set was determined by the Jennies' offense which picked up a match-high 17 kills while the Ichabods were held to just nine, the lowest for either side in a set. Washburn still led 9-4 after a kill from Stevenson, but Central Missouri won 12 of the next 14 points, including six straight on kills to take a 16-11 lead.
Back-to-back blocks from Austin Broadie and Bella Limback pulled the Ichabods within a point but the Jennies pulled away down the stretch with three straight kills to win the set.
Washburn held an early lead in the third set as well after consecutive kills from Schwensen and Stevenson made it 11-6 but Central Missouri reeled off a 6-2 run to tie the set at 16.
Washburn got kill from Limback and Broadie to go in front 22-20 but once again the Jennies won the final five points to win 25-22.
Stevenson had 17 kills and added 11 digs for a double-double. Sydney Conner led with 17 assists while Corinna McMullen added 16 assists and nine digs and Taylon Rottinghaus had a match-high 23 digs.
The Ichabods return home next weekend, beginning with a match against Missouri Western at 6 p.m. on Friday.
