WAVERLY, Iowa -- The No. 8/9-ranked Wartburg College football team (6-0, 4-0 A-R-C) made history on Saturday afternoon at Walston-Hoover Stadium, defeating the University of Dubuque (2-4, 2-2 A-R-C) 33-7 to claim its 30th consecutive American Rivers Conference victory, setting a new all-time conference record. The Knights' streak surpasses the previous mark of 29 set by Central College from 1983–87.

Wartburg totaled 441 yards offensively, as quarterback Leo Dodd tossed a new career-high 230 yards on 20 completions and a touchdown. Halfback Dawson Rud rushed for 112 yards in an 187-yard effort from the Knights' ground game. Wide receiver Jagger Schmitt hauled in four catches for 98 yards and a score, while Justis Bachman totaled 55 yards on four receptions. With his targets, Bachman threw a touchdown pass to Sam Heither on a fake field goal attempt to begin the second quarter.

On the defensive side, the Knights held the Spartans to just 45 yards rushing. Tyler Gayer led Wartburg in tackles with nine (six solo) with 1.5 TFLs. Mac Watts registered eight while Sam Roose and Keenan Tyler each collected seven. Roose and Jason O'Boye each picked off a pass to total the Knights' interception tally to 12 on the season.

Wartburg wasted no time setting the tone. On the opening drive, Rud capped an eight-play, 65-yard march with a seven-yard touchdown run to give the Knights an early lead. The special teams unit followed up moments later, as Heither blocked a punt that Topher Bigalk scooped and returned for a touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0 less than six minutes into the game.

The Knights struck again midway through the first quarter when Dodd connected with Schmitt for a 64-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive to make it 21-0. Wartburg's defense continued to dominate, with O'Boye intercepting a Dubuque pass late in the quarter for the Knights' 11th pick of the season.

To start the second quarter, Wartburg dug into its playbook for a bit of trickery. On a fake field goal, Bachman took the snap and tossed a perfect strike to Heither in the corner of the end zone, pushing the Knights' lead to 28-0. Dubuque responded with a quick five-play, 75-yard drive to get on the board, but Jaxson Hoppes added a 39-yard field goal before halftime to make it 31-7 at the break.

At halftime, Wartburg had racked up 274 yards of total offense compared to Dubuque's 191. Rud led the ground attack with 70 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Dodd went 10-of-14 passing for 147 yards and a score.

The Knights' defense continued to shine in the second half. Roose recorded Wartburg's second interception of the game. After a blocked field goal by Dubuque pinned the Spartans deep, Jack Drahos broke through the line for a safety, extending the lead to 33-7 late in the third quarter.

Wartburg's defense shut the door from there, preserving a 33-7 victory to secure the program's 13th consecutive Homecoming win and solidify its place atop the A-R-C record books.
 
UP NEXT
Wartburg turns to the Loras College Duhawks on Saturday, Oct. 18. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m., at the Rock Bowl in Dubuque, Iowa. The Duhawks (1-4, 1-2 A-R-C) picked up their first win of the season at Nebraska Wesleyan, 31-28.