This one means a little more, and Washburn coach Craig Schurig isn’t afraid to say it.
When Emporia State and Washburn meet for the Turnpike Tussle on Saturday in Topeka, the coach said the matchup will have added significance because of the two schools’ history.
“I think it is (bigger). You always want to have a rival, and Emporia’s a natural rival for all sports,” Schurig said. “It definitely creates excitement, whether you’re playing home or away. It doesn’t really matter what the records are coming into the game. We’ve had very good games with them each year.”
This season should be no different, as both teams enter desperately needing a win after suffering through losing streaks.
For Washburn, that stretch has spanned three games, with losses to No. 11 Pittsburg State, No. 2 Northwest Missouri State and Truman.
The biggest obstacle in those games has been trying to work without starting quarterback Jordan Brill, who set a school record last season with 2,775 passing yards. Brill left after the Pitt State game and is now done for the year with a shoulder injury.
“Any time that happens, you just have to change a little bit,” Schurig said. “You’re going with a quarterback that doesn’t have as much experience, so it does change your approach.”
Redshirt freshman Beau Wofford will start his third game for the Ichabods this weekend, coming into the contest 8- of -22 overall with only 88 yards passing.
Schurig has protected the young quarterback so far. Wofford threw only seven times a week ago in a 21-7 loss to Truman, completing three of those throws with an interception.
Still, the coach said the team would be able to do more this weekend with Wofford becoming increasingly comfortable in his role.
“We have more of our offensive gameplan in with him now,” Schurig said. “It should be very similar to what we were at the beginning of the year.”
Washburn was its own worst enemy in its latest loss to Truman, as the Ichabods had six turnovers in seven second-half possessions. The span included five lost fumbles.
“Last week we turned the ball over a lot, and that really cost us,” Schurig said. “If we can take care of execution on offense and defense and protect the football, we feel like we have a good chance.”
Washburn should be well-prepared for ESU. The preparation has taken place over numerous weeks, as the WU coaching staff has received the Hornet game tapes from every contest.
“We’ve been able to watch them about every week because we have followed them through the season,” Schurig said. “They’ve played well. Both offensively and defensively, they’re physical and aggressive. We expect that kind of game here on Saturday.”
ESU enters the game with a 3-5 record, but Schurig said his players wouldn’t underestimate the Hornets.
“They’ve seen them play,” Schurig said. “They know that Emporia’s a good football team.”