Game Six | No. 8/9 Wartburg at Dubuque 
1:30 p.m. | Saturday, Oct. 11 | Walston-Hoover Stadium | Waverly, Iowa 
WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS 
  
The No. 8/9-ranked Wartburg College football team (5-0, 3-0 A-R-C) chases history on Homecoming Saturday, hosting the University of Dubuque Spartans at Walston-Hoover Stadium in pursuit of a new A-R-C wins record. 

Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m., following a pregame recognition of the nine individuals being inducted to the 2025 Wartburg College Athletic Hall of Fame at 1 p.m.  
 
KNIGHTS 
Record: 5-0, 3-0 A-R-C 
Last Game: at Luther (W, 36-3) 
Rankings: D3football - No.8 /AFCA - No. 9 
Head Coach: Chris Winter (5th Season) | 48-7 overall 
All-time vs. Dubuque: 52-29 
 
SPARTANS 
Record: 2-3, 2-1 A-R-C 
Last Game: vs Nebraska Wesleyan (W, 21-10) 
Rankings: N/A 
Head Coach: Ryan Maiuri (2nd Season) | 7-8 overall 
  
SERIES INFO 
Dating back to the year 1929, Wartburg has dominated the all-time series, winning 52 out of the two teams' 81 meetings. The Knights have taken down the Spartans 32 of out their last 34 meetings – have won eight-straight. The last time Dubuque came out with a victory was on Oct. 17, 2015 (L, 45-13).  
  
Last 10 Matchups vs. Dubuque 
Oct. 18, 2014 vs. Dubuque (W, 42-9) 
Oct. 17, 2015 at Dubuque (L, 45-13) 
Oct. 29, 2016 at Dubuque (W, 43-35) 
Oct. 28, 2017 vs. Dubuque (W, 23-0) 
Nov 10, 2018 at Dubuque (W, 47-28) 
Sept 28, 2019 DUBUQUE (W, 42-25) 
Oct 23, 2021 DUBUQUE (W, 27-7) 
Oct. 1, 2022 at Dubuque (W, 25-0) 
Oct 14, 2023 DUBUQUE (W, 31-10) 
Nov 9, 2024 at Dubuque (W, 24-8) 
  
WARTBURG 
Running back Joey Anderson paces the Knights' rushing attack with 374 yards and five touchdowns on 69 carries, averaging 74.8 yards per game. He's followed by Dawson Rud with 263 yards and Carson Bruns with 105, as Wartburg has combined for eight rushing touchdowns this season. 

Under center, Leo Dodd has thrown for 488 yards (122 ypg) with three touchdowns and a 56.8% completion rate, while Josh Papesh, making his second start of the year against Luther, added 354 passing yards on 35 completions (64.8%). 
In the receiving game, Dylan Swanstrom leads with 22 receptions for 209 yards (41.8 ypg). Justis Bachman posted a breakout performance against Luther, hauling in five catches for 92 yards to bring his season total to 186. Jagger Schmitt tops the group with two touchdown grabs and 168 yards on 12 receptions. The Knights average 23.4 points per game and 355.6 yards of total offense, with a near-even balance between the run (181.8 ypg) and the pass (173.8 ypg), while limiting opponents to just 6.0 points per contest. 

Defensively, Wartburg remains one of the toughest matchups in Division III. The Knights are holding opponents to just 220.8 total yards per game, ranking 15th nationally and first in the American Rivers Conference. Their 30.6 rushing yards allowed per game ranks fifth in the nation, and the secondary has produced nine interceptions, second in Division III and the A-R-C. Overall, the defense has forced 13 turnovers, the fourth-most in the country. 

Linebacker Keenan Tyler leads the charge with 51 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and a pass breakup. He's followed by Mac Watts (42), Conner Grover (25), Jason O'Boye (21), Sam Roose (19), Owen Hatcher (16), Conner McDonald (16), Tyler Gayer (15), Blake Janssen (14), Jake Walker (14), Jack Drahos (13), and Adam Link (11). McDonald leads the unit with 5.5 tackles for loss, with Walker (5.0) and both Tyler and Hatcher (4.5) close behind. 

The defensive backfield has been opportunistic, as O'Boye, Roose, Janssen, and Gayer each have two interceptions on the year. 
  
ABOUT THE SPARTANS 
Dubuque comes in after a home win over Nebraska Wesleyan (W, 21-10) last Saturday. The Spartans are 0-2 in road games this season. Quarterback Joey Rhomberg leads a passing attack that averages 285.6 yards per game. Rhomberg leads the A-R-C with 23.80 completions per contest and second with 16 passing scores. The Spartan defense leads the conference in the red zone (65.4%), and tallies seven team tackles for loss (7.0).  
  
HISTORY ON THE LINE ON HOMECOMING SATURDAY 
The Knights enter the weekend riding a 29-game conference win streak, which ties the 1982-1987 mark set by Central College. If Wartburg were to beat Dubuque this weekend, that record will be set in the hands of the Knights.  
 
2025 HALL OF FAME CLASS 
Nine individuals will be inducted into the Wartburg College Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the annual Homecoming & Family Weekend festivities this Saturday.  

• Kenny Anderson – 2014 - Men's Wrestling  
• Mindy (Viering) Best – 2004 – Women's Soccer 
• Ramey (Sieck) Creery – 2014 – Volleyball 
• Colt Feltes – 2015 – Men's Track & Field 
• Bob Nielson – 1982 – Football 
• Mark Olenius – 1991 – Men's Basketball/Golf 
• Alana (Enabit) Scarano – 2015 – Women's Cross Country/Track & Field 
• Matt Tschetter – 2012 – Football 
• Landon Williams – 2014 – Men's Wrestling 

 
WINTER'S HEAVY FLURRY IN WINS 
Winter has compiled a 48-7 record at the helm, including last year's 10-2 mark with an 8-0 run through conference play. Wartburg has now strung together 28 straight league victories dating back to 2021.  
  
32 STRAIGHT WINNING SEASONS 
The Knights are chasing their 33rd consecutive winning season. Over the past nine years, Wartburg has gone 91-18.  
  
A-R-C DOMINANCE 
Wartburg is seeking to become the first team since Central (1964–67) to win four straight A-R-C championships.  
 
PLAYER SPOTLIGHTS  
   
OUT OF THE BACKFIELD 
Running backs Joey Anderson and Dawson Rud have controlled the backfield this season, combining for 637 yards. Anderson averages 74.80 per game, as Rud sits at 52.60 per contest - the duo have combined for seven scores. Anderson's five rushing scores rank second in the conference.  
 
BACHMAN BREAKOUT 2.0 
 WR Justis Bachman set a new career high against Luther, hauling in five catches for 92 yards.  
 
TACKLIN' TYLER   
LB Keenan Tyler has tallied 51 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, one sack, and a pass breakup. Tyler's 10.3 tackles per game rank second in the A-R-C and 32nd in Div. III.  
 
NO FLY ZONE 
Tyler Gayer, Blake Janssen, Jason O'Boye and Same Roose have each picked off two passes to lead the nation as a team in the category. The nine total interceptions rank second nationally.  

WINTER AND CO. ON THE ROAD 
Winter is 21-5 in true road contests, with his last road loss coming Sept. 14, 2024, at then-No. 12 Saint John's (35-13). 
  
HOPPES BOOTS HISTORIC PUNT VS SIMPSON  
Jaxson Hoppes delivered a school-record breaking 84-yard punt in the second quarter in Wartburg's 27-13 win over Simpson. Hoppes' boot shatters the previous program mark of 64 yards set in 2013 and sits just shy of the Division III all-time list.   
  
NCAA Div. III Longest Punts  
Yds.         Player, Team (Opponent)                                                 Year  
95             Austin Baker, Heidelberg (John Carroll)                         2018  
91            Gunnar Rastenburg, Maranatha Baptist (Presentation)  2014  
90            Jake Baumgartner, Bluffton (Saint Vincent)                    2021  
90            Sean Lipscomb, Redlands (Pomona-Pitzer)                   2002  
90            Dan Heeren, Coe (Lawrence)                                         1974  
88            Brooks Barker, Hardin-Simmons (Howard Payne)          2021  
88            Steve Vagedes, Ohio Northern (Capital)                         1999  
86            Vicente Lyon, Hobart                                                       2024  
86            Kurtis Brondyke, Central (IA) (Loras)                              2010  
86            David Anastasi, Buffalo (John Carroll)                            1989  
86            Dana Loucks, Buffalo (Frostburg St.)                             1987  
86            John Pavlik, Wabash (Centre)                                        1978  
85            Jeff Shea, Cal Lutheran (Azusa Pacific)                         1996  
  
With Hoppes' performance, he earned his second consecutive A-R-C Player of the Week award, as well as being named to the D3football.com Team of the Week as a punter in week three.  
  
NATIONAL RANKINGS  
Wartburg remains at No. 8 in the D3football.com Top 25 poll and No. 9 in the latest AFCA Coaches' Poll. The Knights have now appeared in the Top 25 for 39 straight weeks, dating back to Sept. 19, 2022, and have been a preseason top-10 program for three consecutive years.  
 
Wartburg Preseason Ranking  
2023 – No. 5  
2024 – No. 4  
2025 – No. 9  
 
Wartburg Regular Season Ranking By Week – D3football.com 
Week 1 – No. 10 
Week 2 – No. 10 
Week 3 – No. 7 
Week 4 – No. 8 
Week 5 – No. 8 
  
Wartburg Regular Season Ranking By Week - AFCA 
Week 1 - No. 9  
Week 2 – No. 10  
Week 3 – No. 11  
Week 4 – No. 9  
Week 5 -  No. 9
  
AFCA Division III Coaches' Poll – Presented by Hudl - Week 5

1. North Central (51)
2. Mount Union
3. Johns Hopkins
4. UW-La Crosse
5. Salisbury
6. Hardin-Simmons
7. UW-Platteville
8. Bethel (Minn.)
9. Wartburg
10. DePauw
11. St. John's (Minn.)
12. UW-Whitewater
13. Trinity (Tex.)
14. UW-Oshkosh
15. Carnegie Mellon
16. Central (Iowa)
17. UW-River Falls
18. John Carroll
19. Cortland
20. Hope
21. Christopher Newport
22. Mary Hardin-Baylor
23. Muhlenberg
24. Wheaton
25. Randolph-Mason

Dropped Out: Hampden-Sydney (21), Wabash (25)
 
D3football.com Top 25 Week 5 Poll 

1. North Central (Ill.) (23) 
2. Mount Union (2) 
3. Johns Hopkins 
4. UW-La Crosse 
5. Salisbury 
6. UW-Platteville 
7. Bethel 
8. Wartburg 
9. Hardin-Simmons 
10. UW-Whitewater 
11. UW-Oshkosh 
12. DePauw 
13. St. John's 
14. UW-River Falls 
15. John Carroll 
16. Trinity (Texas) 
17. Carnegie Mellon 
18. Central 
19. Wheaton (Ill.) 
20. Hope 
21. Christopher Newport 
22. Mary Hardin-Baylor 
23. Cortland 
24. Linfield 
25. Muhlenberg 

Dropped Out: No. 24 Hampden-Sydney, No. 25 Susquehanna 
 

A-R-C STANDINGS – As of Oct. 4 
Just two teams remain undefeated in conference play – Wartburg and Central.  

• Wartburg (5-0, 3-0 A-R-C)  
• Central (5-0, 3-0 A-R-C)  
• Coe (3-2, 2-1 A-R-C)  
• Dubuque (2-3, 2-1 A-R-C) 
• Simpson (2-2, 1-1 A-R-C) 
• Nebraska Wesleyan (1-4, 1-2 A-R-C) 
• Buena Vista (1-3, 0-2 A-R-C) 
• Loras (0-4, 0-2 A-R-C) 
• Luther (0-5, 0-3 A-R-C) 

 
A-R-C PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOREES 
Defense – Keenan Tyler (Week 1), Sam Rose (Week 2) 
Special Teams – Jaxson Hoppes (Week 2), Jaxson Hoppes (Week 3) 
 
D3football.com TEAM OF THE WEEK MEMBERS 
Jake Walker, DT (Week 4) 
Jaxson Hoppes, P (Week 3) 
Sam Roose, CB (Week 2) 
  
PRESEASON CONFERENCE RECOGNITION  
The Knights are picked to win the conference, tallying 61 points and five first-place votes in the ARC poll.  
 
2025 A-R-C Football Preseason Coaches' Poll  

1. Wartburg (5) – 61 points  
2. Central (3) – 58 points  
3. Coe (1) – 49 points  
4. Dubuque – 46 points  
5. Simpson – 35 points  
6. Nebraska Wesleyan – 27 points  
7. Loras – 24 points  
8. Buena Vista – 16 points  
9. Luther – 8 points  

   
SATURDAY HOMECOMING SCHEDULE 
8 AM: Knight Run/Walk 
10 AM: Homecoming Parade 
10:30: Renaissance Faire 
1:30 PM: Kickoff vs. Dubuque 
4 PM: Oktoberfest 
7 PM: Kammerstreicher & Castle Singers Concert