Box Score
WAVERLY, Iowa—The 14th ranked Wartburg College football team moved to 2-0 on the year as it overcame a 14-0 deficit to defeat non-conference opponent, Gustavus Adolphus (0-1) 26-21 Saturday night.
The Knights moved to 7-0 in their home openers under the lights in the Walston-Hoover era (since 2001). Saturday marked the kickoff of the 10th year anniversary celebration of the stadium.
Senior Danny Stiefel (Sterling Heights, Mich.) threw for 253 yards which brought the streak to 44 consecutive games that a Wartburg quarterback has thrown for triple digits.
Junior Curt Hruska (New Hampton) led the receiving group with his six receptions for 105 yards and had two touchdown catches. Sophomore Logan Ruffridge (Cedar Rapids) also had six receptions for 77 yards.
Junior Connor Dahlstrom (Eldridge) led the Orange and Black on the ground with his 29 carries for 82 yards.
Gustavus was the first team to strike as Logan Becker had a five-yard run to put six points on the board. Tom Huepenbecker made the extra point to give the Golden Gusties the 7-0 lead with 6:11 remaining in the first quarter.
Phillip Butler extended their lead with his three-yard run and Huepenbecker put the extra point through the uprights which gave Gustavus the 14-0 lead five seconds into the second quarter.
Senior Marcus Williams (Council Bluffs) put the Knights on the board with his 27 yard field goal five minutes later. Hruska scored his first touchdown of the game on a 24 yard pass from Stiefel at 7:18 left in the second quarter.
The Orange and Black would score once more in the frame as Ruffridge ran the ball 15 yards into the endzone to give them the 17-14 lead.
The Golden Gusties regained the lead at 21-17 on Phillip Butler’s 45-yard run with 9:39 remaining in the third quarter.
The lead changed hands once more as Williams made his second field goal of the night, this one for 21 yards, with 2:05 left in the third.
Hruska would seal the win for the Knights on his eight-yard touchdown reception from Stiefel with 13:36 left in the game as Wartburg’s defense held Gustavus in their territory for the remainder of the game.
Seniors David Brooks (Bettendorf) and Josh VanDenHul (North Sioux City, S.D.) co-led all defenders with six solo blocks on the night. Classmate Matt Tschetter (Milford) had two tackles for loss and also added a sack.
Wartburg returns to the gridiron next Saturday when it hosts Buena Vista in its Iowa Conference opener at 1 p.m.
