Ichabods take down No. 4 Gorillas in overtime

Oct. 1 , 2005

Box Score | Season Stats
TOPEKA - The Washburn Ichabods snapped a 25-game losing streak while topping the No. 4 ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas in a 35-34 overtime win. With the win, the Ichabods improved to 5-1 and 3-0 in the MIAA and the Gorillas dropped to 4-2, 3-1 in conference play. The win was the first for the Ichabods over the Gorillas since Oct. 4, 1980 in Topeka in a 38-36 win. The Ichabods will prepare for Northwest Missouri, ranked No. 7 in the latest AFCA Coaches Poll next week in a battle of undefeated MIAA teams as the Bearcats topped Emporia State 14-0.

The Ichabods won the opening toss and jumped on the board with an eight-play, 80-yard drive as Trent Hearn would score on a 3-yard touchdown run. It would be the first of three touchdown rushes for Hearn as he would finish the day with 162 yards on 30 carries. He rushed for all 25 yards on the Ichabods' overtime drive.

After the Ichabods took the early lead, Washburn would add another touchdown as Jordan Brill hooked up with Jake Lebahn on a 24-yard strike capping an eight-play, 95-yard drive. The Ichabods would add another as Hearn had a 22-yard scamper after PSU's Andy Majors was picked off by Calvin Stuckey at the Washburn 12 and he returned it 55 yards to the Pitt State 33.

On the next Pitt State drive, they would score on a Germaine Race 26-yard run. On the ensuing kickoff, Fletcher Terrell ran back his second kickoff of the season as he returned the kickoff 83 yards for a score to push the Ichabod lead back to 28-7 heading into the break.

In the second half, the Gorillas took the first drive of the third quarter and marched 65 yards in five plays to cut the Ichabod lead to 28-14. On the ensuing kickoff, the Ichabods would fumble and the Gorillas would take possession back at the Washburn 16. However, four plays into the drive, the Ichabods' Mike Gonzalez would force a fumble at the Washburn 6 and recover the ball at the Washburn 13 to end the Gorillas' scoring threat.

The Gorillas would score on a 12-play, 93 yard drive cutting the lead to 28-21. After trading possessions and a missed field goal by the Ichabods, the Gorillas would drive 80 yards to tie the score at 28 with 32 seconds remaining.

The Ichabods won the overtime toss and elected to be on defense first. The Gorillas scored in three plays as Race rushed for two yards, however the extra point attempt by Nathan Alleman missed, sailing to the right.

The Ichabods took over at the Pitt State 25. Hearn rushed three straight times for the Ichabods on carries of 6, 12, and 7 yards for the touchdown. After a Gorilla time out, Connor Sabel's extra point was perfect through the uprights giving the Ichabods its highest win over a nationally ranked opponent since joining the NCAA ranks, improving them to 4-31 since joining Division II.

Hearn averaged 5.4 yards per carry while racking up the 162 yards, his most since rushing for 175 against Missouri-Rolla as a freshman. Ra'Shawn Mosley had 36 yards on the ground as the Ichabods rushed for 217 as a team.

Brill passed for 205 yards with 70 receiving yards going to Cason Lehman and Mike Odupitan.

Mike Gonzalez had a career-high 18 tackles to lead the Ichabod defense. He capped the day with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Jarod Tetuan had 12 tackles with a forced fumble and Aaron Neal and Grant Gould each had 10 tackles.