WAVERLY, Iowa – In a rematch of a matchup that determined last year's American Rivers Conference champion, the No. 15/20-ranked Wartburg football team emerged victorious with a 42-25 triumph over the University of Dubuque Saturday, Sept. 28 at Walston-Hoover Stadium.
Wartburg is searching for the program's 17
th overall and third straight conference title after previously accomplishing the feat during the 2002-04 seasons.
Dubuque came out swinging in the first quarter, opening with a field goal and two touchdowns by to take a 17-0 lead. However, those were the only points the Spartans scored in the first three quarters.
Wartburg's scoring bonanza began with 5:33 left in the half, as
Jace Moore completed four-straight passes to set up
Bennett Goettsch for a 4-yard touchdown rush.
"We expected to see the best Dubuque team show up and I think they certainly did, but at the same time I think once we get something going, that puts some doubt in their mind," Wartburg head coach
Rick Willis said. "Things have been going pretty well and it's easy for guys to think that it's easy, but it's never easy."
Jason Fisher recovered a fumble with 1:47 left and the Knights wasted no time running the Philly Special. Moore pitched the ball to
Brandan Childs who completed the 36-yard touchdown pass to
Kolin Schulte. Wartburg took the momentum and a three-point deficit into halftime.
In the third quarter, Schulte snagged the go-ahead score, a 25-yard pass from Moore.
Will Hasken followed the score with his first interception of the season. Over the next four minutes, Wartburg fought to get into the red zone and finally scored off a one-yard quarterback sneak by Moore for the last score of the quarter, taking a 28-17 lead into the fourth.
Wartburg capitalized on UD miscues, as
Trey Heffner brought down Spartan punter Andy Vujnovich, setting Wartburg up for a first and goal situation. Moore found Childs in the end zone on the third down for the first touchdown of the fourth.
The Spartans attempted an onside kick after scoring a touchdown of their own, but
Nick Wall grabbed it at Wartburg's 49-yard line to start the Wartburg drive. Moore scored the consequent touchdown, giving the Spartans only 3:29 to make a comeback. Instead,
Antonio Santillan snatched his second career interception on the second play of the drive, creating the final score of 42-25.
Individually, Moore led in both passing and rushing, going 22-29 with one interception passing while scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Kolin Schulte had another 100-yard receiving game, coming away with 114 receiving yards and two touchdowns off six catches.
Kain Eagle went 6-for-6 on PAT attempts.
Record Watch
Kolin Schulte completed his seventh touchdown reception of the season, putting him halfway toward the school record 15, first done by Ryan Rausch in 1999 and again by Riley Brockway in 2017. Schulte previously tied Brockway's record of most touchdowns received in a game with four.
Up Next
Wartburg (4-0, 2-0 A-R-C) will continue A-R-C action on the road against Buena Vista University. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at J. Leslie Rollins Stadium.
