Extreme heat stops Washburn-Colorado Mines before overtime, leaving game a 16-16 tie

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Washburn and Colorado School of Mines played to a rare 16-16 tie Saturday when extreme heat in central Kansas forced officials from the Division II schools and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association to halt the game before starting overtime.

The kickoff already had been moved to 9 a.m. to avoid the worst of the record-setting heat. But the temperature was approaching triple digits and the heat index well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) when the fourth quarter ended in a deadlock. The two teams along with league officials and the referees engaged in a lengthy discussion before calling the game a tie.

“Obviously the weather is hot. There's no way around it,” Washburn coach Zach Watkins said, "and there are decisions made way above the coaches. But it's all about keeping the kids safe. It's the weather, the timing, the coming back from it.

“I just got done talking with the team,” Watkins said, “and we're 1-0-1 and we move on.”

The last tie in major college football happened in 1995, when Wisconsin and Illinois finished 3-3. Overtime was introduced before the following season, effectively ending the chance for tie games across all divisions.

Logan Madden had 268 yards passing and two touchdowns for the host Ichabods, who had opened the season with a win over Truman State. Joseph Capra had 214 yards passing and a touchdown for the Orediggers, who lost to Western Oregon last week.

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