WAVERLY, Iowa – The No. 9-ranked Wartburg College football team (1-0 overall) opened its 2025 campaign with a 21-7 victory over Monmouth College on Saturday night at Walston-Hoover Stadium, marking the Knights' sixth consecutive win in the series.
Running back
Dawson Rud powered the ground attack with 109 rushing yards and a touchdown, recording his sixth career 100-yard performance. Quarterback
Leo Dodd went 15-of-22 through the air for 179 yards and two scores.
Justis Bachman led the receiving corps with five catches for 57 yards, while
Matt Dufoe and
Jagger Schmitt hauled in Wartburg's touchdown receptions.
The Knights racked up 382 yards of total offense and moved the chains for 23 first downs. Defensively, Wartburg forced three interceptions, with
Jason O'Boye,
Blake Janssen, and
Tyler Gayer each picking off a pass. Tyler Keenan anchored the defense with 12 tackles (seven solo) and a sack, while O'Boye added nine stops.
Janssen ended the Scots' opening drive short with the Knights' first forced turnover of the night with a pick at the 13:13 mark. Dodd broke free with a 17-yard gain for a first down. Dodd then scrambled for another double-digit gainer to stick Wartburg inside the five-yard line. Rud put the Orange and Black on the board first with a five-yard rushing touchdown to make it 7-0 with just over seven minutes to play in the opening quarter.
Tyler recorded his only sack of the night to force a punt on a long fourth down. The Scots would force a turnover on downs to limit the damage.
At the half, Wartburg led 7-0 with Dodd totaling 65 yards through the air, and on the ground. Rud went for 12 rushes and 62 yards in the first half.
Out of the break, the Scots forced another turnover with an interception on the Knights' second play from scrimmage to stick them at their own 38-yard line. Monmouth later knotted the game up at 7-7 on a fourth and goal oppurtunity with just under ten minutes to play in the third.
Gayer came up with Wartburg's third pick of the night inside the Monmouth nine-yard line with 6:02 remaining. Dodd rolled out to his right and found Dufoe on a drag route to give the Knights a 14-7 lead on a one play, eight second drive.
After a short punt by the Scots, Dodd took a shot downfield and found Schmitt for a 49-yard score to give the Knights a 21-7 victory to begin the 2025 season.
UP NEXT
The Knights square up with the University of Wisconsin-Stout next Saturday, Sept. 13 in Menomonie, Wis. Kickoff is set for 1 PM.
NOTES
Wartburg extended its regular season winning streak to 19 games...Head Coach
Chris Winter is now 6-for-6 in season openers...The Knights have defeated the Scots in six-straight matchups...Wartburg leads the all-time series 12-2 while outscoring the Scots 237-85 in the last six meetings.
