WAVERLY, Iowa-- The Wartburg football team (7-2 overall, 6-1 American Rivers) travels to face Dubuque (7-2, 6-1) Saturday at 1 p.m. The winner of this game will be the A-R-C Champion and receive the automatic bid to the NCAA Playoffs.

The Spartans enter the weekend on a five-game winning streak.

Follow the Knights
Click here for the live video, live audio, and live stats provided by Dubuque.
Click here for the live audio, provided by KWAY.

The Series
Wartburg holds the all-time series lead at 46-29, which includes 10 of the last 11. The programs have now met every year since 1956.

Wartburg
Senior quarterback Matt Sacia (Eldridge) has thrown for 2,500 yards and 29 touchdowns. He has finished with triple-digit passing yards in 29 straight games and 31 of his last 32, dating back to the 2016 season.

Junior Kolin Schulte (Anamosa) leads the receivers with 876 yards on 38 catches and seven TDs. He has tallied triple digits in receiving yards in four of the last five games. Sophomore JoJo McNair (Joliet, Ill.) joins him above the 600-yard mark with 610 yards and nine TDs.

Sophomore Mason Carter (North Liberty) has a team-high 430 yards on 77 carries with five TDs. Junior Bennett Goettsch (Marengo) has 407 yards on 94 carries with 10 TDs. Junior Connor Bailey (Knoxville) has 352 yards and three TDs.

Senior Marcus Johnson (Huxley) leads the defense with 80 tackles. Classmate Dillon Rademaker (Greene) leads the team with 17.0 TFLs..

Career Record Watch
Sacia is the all-time leader in TD passes (88). He is now is second in passing yards with 8,498 and in pass completions with 618.

Single Season Record Watch
Sacia's 29 TD passes are third-best in a single season. His 2500 passing yards are eighth-best and his 178 pass completions are ninth-best.

McNair's nine TD catches are tied for tenth-best. Freshman Kain Eagle's (Denver) 44 PATs stand fifth-best.

Dubuque
Dwayne Allen Jr. leads the team on the ground with his 1,064 yards on 180 carries for seven TDs. Quarterback Sean Duffy has thrown for 1,883 yards for 22 TDs. His top receiver has been Emanuel Jenkins who has 56 catches for 634 yards and seven TDs.

Jacob Owens leads the defense with 59 total tackles.

Against the Conference
Wartburg leads the A-R-C in scoring average (45.4 points/game), scoring defense (15.9 points/game), passing (312.7 yards/game), and rushing defense (75.3 yards/game).
Carter is the sixth-leading back in the conference with an average of 71.8 yards/game. Sacia leads the league in passing average (201.3 yards/game), and Schulte leads in receiving yards/game (101.9).

National Stat Rankings
Wartburg ranks in the top 100 of thirty-four statistical categories, which the NCAA released Monday.
 
The Knights rank 1^st in completion percentage (.726), 1^st in blocked punts allowed (0), 3^rd in team passing efficiency (188.69), 8^th in scoring offense (45.4), 10^th in fourth down conversion percentage (.714), 11^th in blocked punts (3), 12^th in third down conversion percentage defense (.257), 16^th in passing offense (299.6), 21^st in team passing efficiency defense (97.75), 22^nd in red zone offense (.863), 23^rd in total offense (467.8), 24^th in first downs defense (125), 24^th in fewest penalty yards per game (42.44), 25^th in third down conversion percentage (.482), 25^th in total defense (264.7), 28^th in fewest penalties per game (4.89), 29^th in fewest penalty yards (382), 31^st in rushing defense (85.2), 33^rd in tackles for loss allowed (4.78), 33^rd in fewest penalties (44), 35^th in first downs offense (205), 38^th in winning percentage (.778), 41^st in punt returns (12.27), 43^rd in time of possession (32:04), 45^th in scoring defense (16.4), 46^th in passes had intercepted (6), 48^th in passing yards per completion (13.76), 64^th in passing yards allowed (179.4), 68^th in net punting (33.65), 78^th in blocked kicks (3), 90^th in red zone defense (.714), 91^st in rushing offense (168.2), 96^th in turnovers lost (15), and 97^th in in punt return defense (7.5).
 
Individually, nine Knights rank in the top 100 of thirty statistical categories: Sacia ranks 2^nd in completion percentage (.721), 2^nd in passing efficiency (191), 5^th in yards per pass attempt (10.12), 7^th in passing touchdowns (29), 17^th in points responsible for (180), 17^th in points responsible for per game (20), 18^th in passing yards (2,500), 19^th in passing yards per game (277.8), 28^th in total offense (280.1), 34^th in passing yards per completion (14.04), and 36^th in completions per game (19.78); Rademaker ranks 15^th in tackles for loss (1.9) and 94^th in sacks (.67); senior Dane Steidler (Eldridge) ranks 12^th in punt return touchdowns (1); senior Coen Brown (Cedar Rapids) ranks 69^th in passes defended (1.3); Schulte  ranks 5^th in yards per reception (23.05), 34^th in receiving yards (876), 37^th in receiving yards per game (97.3), and 78^th in receiving touchdowns (7); Carter ranks 71^st in rush yards per carry (5.58); McNair ranks 12^th in punt return touchdowns (1), 13^th in kickoff return touchdowns (1), 32^nd in receiving touchdowns (9), 36^th in punt returns (10.1), 37^th in kickoff returns (25.8), 47^th in passes defended (1.3), 48^th in total touchdowns (12), 53^rd in total points scored (72), 60^th in combined kick returns (461), 66^th in all purpose (129.89), and 67^th in scoring (8); Goettsch (Marengo) ranks 29^th in scoring (9.4), 44^th in rushing touchdowns (10), 62^nd in total touchdowns (11), and 73^rd in total points scored (66); and sophomore Nick Deppe (Plainfield, Ill.) ranks 94^th in punting (36.5).