WAVERLY, Iowa- The No. 14/16 Wartburg football team (8-0 overall, 6-0 A-R-C) hosts Simpson (1-7, 1-5) in the annual Senior Day Saturday at 1 p.m. The Football senior class will be recognized before the game.
 
The Series
Wartburg holds the all-time series lead at 47-27-2.
 
Wartburg  
The Knights broke an 80-year old school record last week with their fifth shutout of the season. The previous mark was four set in 1942.
 
Senior Hunter Clasen leads the team with 818 yards on the ground and 12 touchdowns. Senior Nile McLaughlin (Eldridge) has thrown for 1,885 yards and 18 touchdowns.
 
Drake George leads the receivers with 410 yards, and Thomas Butters (Kalona) leads the group with four TD catches.
 
Ben Bryant, who set the season record for punt return yards last year, leads the team with 15 punt returns for 293 yards. He also has 279 rushing yards for three touchdown, and 141 receiving yards for two touchdowns.
 
Senior Owen Grover leads the defense with 55 tackles, and junior Nate Link (Eldridge) follows with 49 tackles.
 
Senior Jordan Downing leads the team with 12.5 TFLs, and 8.0 sacks.
 
Active NCAA Home Win Streaks
Clemson (FBS) – 38
Cincinnati (FBS) – 30
Oregon (FBS) – 23
Linfield (III) – 22
Alabama (FBS) – 18
North Central, Ill. (III) – 17
Montana State (FCS) – 17
Northwest Mo. St. (II) – 17
Wartburg (III) – 16
Georgia (FBS) – 16
Mary Hardin Baylor (III) – 15
North Carolina State (FBS) – 15
Notre Dame, Ohio (II) – 15
Aurora (III) – 15
Ole Miss (FBS) – 14
 
Wartburg has won its last 16 home contests, which dates back to September 29th, 2018 when Simpson defeated the Knights 37-36 in overtime.
 
Wartburg is 50-4 in the last 10 season at Walston-Hoover Stadium
 
The Knights have gone 49 games without losing at home in regulation. The last home Wartburg loss in regulation was to Coe on November 2, 2013 (24-10).
 
Career Record Watch
Ben Bryant is third in average yards/punt return (15.3), fourth in punt return yards (642) and tied for fifth in punt return TDs (1).

 Antonio Santillan is tied for fifth in interception return TDs (1), tied for sixth in assisted tackles (131), and eighth in total tackles (258). Downing is tied for eighth in sacks (16) and ninth in yards from TFLs (140).
 
Season Record Watch
Cael O'Neill is tied for sixth in field goals (9), and eighth in PATs (41).
 
Bryant is third in punt return yards (293) and fourth in average yards/punt return (18.31).
 
Downing is tied for sixth in fumbles forced (2), and 10^th in yards from sacks (60).
 
As a team, Wartburg is fifth in yards from sacks (241), tied for sixth in field goals (9), seventh in punt return yards (416), tied for ninth in yards from TFLs (342), and tied for 10^th in PATs (42).
 
National Stat Rankings
Wartburg ranks in the Top 50 of 24 national stat rankings. The Knights are: first in winning percentage (1.000), red zone defense (.400), and rushing defense (30.0), second in team sacks (4.12), third in scoring defense (4.8), fourth in TFLs (9.1) and turnovers gained (24), fifth in total defense (193.8), third down conversion percentage defense (.238) and interceptions (17), sixth in team passing efficiency defense (81.90), eighth in fourth down conversion percentage defense (.167) and turnover margin (1.50), 11^th in first down defense (98), 12^th in punt returns (18.09), 22^nd in kickoff return defense (14.79), 25^th in total offense (462.2), 27^th in rushing offense (213.9), 28^th in sacks allowed (1.00), 31^st in defensive TDs (2), 36^th in passing yards allowed (163.8), 38^th in red zone offense (.857), 42^nd in completion percentage (.637) and first downs offense (181).
 
Individually, six players rank in the top 50.
 
McLaughlin is 30^th in completions/game (19.75), 36^th in passing TDs (18), 44^th in passing yards (1,885), 47^th in completion percentage (.640), and 50^th in passing yards/game (235.6),
 
O'Neill is seventh in field goals/game (1.12), 10^th in field goal percentage (.818), 35^th in points (68), and 39^th in scoring (8.5).
 
Parker Rochford is 11^th in passes defended (1.6) and 29^th in interceptions/game (.5).
 
Lamphier is seventh in punt return TDs (1) and Bryant is fourth in punt returns (18.3).
 
Downing is 19^th in sacks (1.00), and 45^th in TFLs (1.6).
 
Clasen is ninth in rush yards/carry (7.37), 13^th in rushing TDs (12), 21^st in total TDs (12), 23^rd in total points (72), 28^th in scoring (9.0), 29^th in rushing yards (102.2),
 
Simpson
Quarterback J Jensen III has thrown for 2,196 yards and 21 TDs. His top target has been Reed Worth who has 955 yards on 51 catches for 12 TDs. Desmond Alexander leads the team on the ground with 518 yards and two TDs.
 
Wyatt Schaban leads the defense with 84 total tackles and 10.5 TFLs.