GAME EIGHT | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 1:00 PM | Waverly, Iowa
No. 12/13 Wartburg vs Simpson
WATCH | LIVE STATS | LISTEN (KWAY-Matt Ray/Scott Suhr)

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP
The No. 12/13-ranked Wartburg College football team (5-2, 4-0 A-R-C) hosts Simpson College (3-4, 2-2 A-R-C) for a Halloween matchup at Walston-Hoover Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 1 p.m.

SERIES HISTORY VS THE STORM
Wartburg holds a 51-27-2 advantage in the all-time series, which enters its 81st meeting on Saturday. The Knights earned a 27-13 road victory over the Storm last season and have won nine of the last 10 meetings. Wartburg is 25-14-1 against Simpson at home, including a 46-21 victory in the teams' most recent meeting at Walston-Hoover Stadium on Oct. 19, 2024. Simpson's last win in Waverly came in 2018, when the Storm claimed a 37-36 overtime victory.

ABOUT THE STORM
Simpson has picked up victories over Crown (W, 52-0), Buena Vista (W, 51-20), and Loras (W, 38-21), despite dropping its previous two home A-R-C games against Dubquue (L, 56-27) and most recentely Coe (L, 28-24). The Storm boast the league's top-ranked third-down conversion percentage of .447, as well as overall completion percentage of .700. Simpson uses a strong passing attack led by quarterback Jayden Thoreson, who has passing for 1,172 yards ad 14 touchdowns so far this season. Thoreson's favorite target, Noah Cracraft, leads the A-R-C in recieving scores (11), yards (793), and yards per game (113.3). Out of the backfield, Demarico Young has rushed for six scores and has tallied 723 yards on the ground. 

LAST TIME OUT
WARTBURG
The Knights rallied from an early 12-point deficit with 33 unanswered points to defeat the University of Dubuque 33-14 Saturday at Chalmers Field, extending its winning streak over the Spartans to 10 consecutive games. Dawson Rud paced the Knights with 158 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries, while Josh Papesh completed 21 of 33 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown. Dylan Swanstrom added a career-high eight receptions for 79 yards. Defensively, Pryce Rochford led the Knights with a career-high nine tackles, while Sam Watts recorded four tackles and two sacks. Mason Van Pelt and Owen Rosenberg each intercepted a pass, with Rosenberg securing the first interception of his career. Wartburg limited Dubuque to 76 rushing yards on 24 attempts.

SIMPSON
The Storm fell to Coe College 28-24 Saturday after building a 17-point lead. The Storm scored 24 unanswered points across four scoring drives to take a 24-7 advantage but were held scoreless in the second half.
Simpson completed 27 of 40 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns while adding a 29-yard field goal. The Storm converted 8 of 18 third-down attempts and scored on all three red-zone opportunities, while forcing three Coe fumbles and recovering one. Simpson finished with 262 total yards, including 188 through the air and 74 on the ground.

AROUND THE A-R-C
NEB. WESLEYAN @ COE  - 1 PM - CEDAR RAPIDS, IA
DUBUQUE @ BUENA VISTA - 1 PM - STORM LAKE, IA
CENTRAL @ LORAS - 1 PM - DUBUQUE, IA

CURRENT A-R-C STANDINGS
Coe: 5-2, 4-0 A-R-C
Wartburg: 5-2, 4-0 A-R-C
Dubuque: 4-3, 3-1 A-R-C
Central: 4-3, 2-2 A-R-C
Simpson: 3-4, 2-2 A-R-C
Nebraska Wesleyan: 1-6, 1-3 A-R-C
Loras: 2-5, 0-4 A-R-C
Buena Vista: 1-6, 0-6 A-R-C

A-R-C DOMINANCE 
Last season, Wartburg became the first program since Central (1964–67) to win four consecutive A-R-C championships. The Knights have won 38-consecutive conference games. Wartburg is looking to become the first team to win five-straight league championships since Central did so from 1983-1987. No A-R-C team has won six-straight. 

SCORING AT A PREMIUM
Through the first four games of conference play, the Knights have outscored their opposition 242-61. 

Oct. 3 - W, 69-26 at Nebraska Wesleyan
Oct. 10 - W, 72-14 vs Buena Vista
Oct. 17 - W, 68-7 at Loras
Oct. 24 - W, 33-14 at Dubuque

BORCHERS BULLDOZES WAY TO D3football.com TOTW
Senior defensive lineman David Borchers earned a spot on D3football.com's Team of the Week for week eight, after recording four tackles, two tackles for loss, one of which resulted in a safety, and added a pass breakup and quarterback hit in Wartburg 33-14 road victory over Dubuque. Borchers becomes Wartburg's first D3football.com TOTW honoree so far this season. 

RUD REACHES 3K RUSHING YARD MILESTONE
With a season-high 158 rushing yards against Dubuque last weekend, reigning A-R-C Offensive Player of the Week, running back Dawson Rud, totals 3,191 yards in his Wartburg career, moving up to   No. 7 on the all-time rushing leaders list. Rud ranks No. 10 in Division III averaging 7.21 yards per carry, and No. 5 total touchdowns with 14 on the season - 12 rushing (career-high). 

1. 4839 - Bobby Beatty (940-4839) - 1991-94
2. 4503 - Trevor Shannon (832-4503) - 1995-98
3. 4080 - Hunter Clasen (660-4080) - 2019,21-23
4. 3700 - Justin Beatty (698-3700) - 1999-02
5. 3381 - Brandon Domeyer (668-3381) - 2012-15
6. 3235 - Gary Nelson (810-3235) - 1967-70
7. 3191 - Dawson Rud - 2023-26
8. 3187 - Brad Hodapp (580-3187) - 2000-03
9. 2981 - Brad Ott (762-2981) - 1984-87
10. 2961 - Dan Hammes (580-2961) - 2003-06

ALL THREE PHASES OF THE GAME
Through its first seven games of the season, the Knights have taken control of all three phases of the game, topping the A-R-C in several categories. Wartburg leads all of Division III with 24 takeaways this season.  

Blocked Kicks - 4 (No. 17 in Division III)
Blocked Punts - 4 (No. 2)
First Downs (Def.) - 118 (No. 86)
First Downs (Off.) - 161 (No. 31)
Fumbles Recovered - 6 (No. 42)
Kickoff Returns - 22.06 (No. 44)
Passes Intercepted - 18 (No. 2)
Punt Return (Def.) - 3.44 (No. 30)
Rushing (Def.) - 95.1 (No. 58)
Rushing (Off.) - 244.4 (No. 17)
Scoring (Off.) - 44.6 (No. 12)
Total Defense - 305.7 (No. 80)
Total Offense - 442.7 (No. 29)
Turnover Margin - 1.71 (No. 8)
Turnovers Gained - 24 (LEADS DIVISION III)

A LOOK AT NPI (D3 DATACAST)
Wartburg rose to No. 53 in the National Power Index (NPI), following its victory over Dubuque last Saturday. The Knights produce an NPI score of 60.062, and is projected as the 39th overall seed in the Division III Playoffs. 

2026 WARTBURG POTW HONORS
LB Adam Link - Sept. 8
WR Drew Hobart - Sept. 21
RB Dawson Rud – Oct. 5, Oct. 26
DL Jake Walker – Oct. 5

ALL-TIME WINNINGEST DIV. III HEAD COACHES (Min. 50 Games) – NCAA Statistics  
- Brad Spencer (2022-23 – pres.) – North Central (Ill.) 64-3 Overall (5th Season)**
- Vince Kehres (2013-14 – 2019-20) – Mount Union 95-6 Overall (7 Seasons)  
- Geoff Dartt (2022-23 – 2025-26) – Mount Union 72-7 Overall (6th Season)**  
- Larry Kehres (1986-87 – 2012-13) – Mount Union 332-24 Overall (27 Seasons)  
- Chris Winter (2021-22 – 2025-26) – Wartburg 58-10 Overall (5th Season)**  
** - Indicates Active Head Coach  

LOOKING AT THIS YEARS ROSTER
The 2026 Wartburg football roster features 62 sophomores, 44 incoming freshmen, 37 juniors, 33 seniors and one 5th year. 

Longest Active Winning Season Streaks — All Divisions 
Linfield (Ore.) – 68 seasons 
Mount Union – 46 seasons 
Wartburg – 32 seasons 
Northwest Missouri State (DII) – 30 seasons

D3Football.com Week Top 25
1. Wheaton (20)
2. UW-Platteville (4)
3. St. John's
4. North Central 
5. UW-Whitewater (1)
6. Hardin-Simmons
7. Endicott
8. WashU
9. Hope
10. Christopher Newport
11. Cortland
12. Wartburg
13. Baldwin Wallace
14. John Carroll
15. UW-River Falls
16. Bethel
17. Mary Hardin-Baylor
18. Trinity (Texas)
19. Berry
20. Susquehanna
21. Linfield
22. Chapman
23. Rowan
24. Heidelberg
25. DePauw

Dropped out: No. 20 UW-La Crosse; No. 23 Salisbury.

Others receiving votes: Utica 52; Calvin 21; Trinity (Conn.) 20; Mount Union 20; Lake Forest 19; Washington & Jefferson 16; Franklin & Marshall 15; UW-Stout 12; Springfield 12; UW-La Crosse 11; Concordia-Moorhead 11; Salisbury 6; Brockport 2; Concordia Wisconsin 1; Ithaca 1; Montclair State 1; Ursinus 1.

AFCA DIVISION III COACHES' POLL
1. Wheaton (37)
2. UW-Platteville (15)
3. St. John's
4. UW-Whitewater (1)
5. North Central
6. Hardin-Simmons
7. WashU
8. Christopher Newport
9. Hope
10. Endicott
11. Cortland
12. John Carroll
13. Wartburg
14. Mary Hardin-Baylor
15. Trinity (Texas)
16. Baldwin Wallace
17. Bethel 
18. UW-River Falls
19. Berry
20. Susquehanna
21. DePauw
22. Calvin
23. Lake Forest
24. Rowan
25. Heidelberg

Dropped Out: Salisbury (20), Ursinus (25)

Others Receiving Votes: Springfield, 75; Utica, 46; Linfield, 42; Chapman, 41; Mount Union, 36; Concordia-Moorhead, 22; Trinity (Conn.), 22; Hampden-Sydney, 20; Franklin & Marshall, 19; Benedictine (Ill.), 18; Concordia (Wis.), 18; Washington & Jefferson, 14; Illinois Wesleyan, 7; Ursinus, 4; Salisbury, 3; LaGrange, 2; U.S. Merchant Marine, 2; Amherst, 1; Brockport, 1; Montclair St., 1; UW-La Crosse, 1.

WEEK-BY-WEEK RANKING - AFCA
Preseason - No. 9
Week 1 - No. 10
Week 2 - No. 10
Week 3 - No. 18
Week 4 - No. 18
Week 5 - No. 16
Week 6 - No. 15
Week 7 - No. 13
Week 8 - No. 13

WEEK-BY-WEEK RANKING - D3football.com
Preseason - No. 9
Week 1 - No. 9
Week 2 - No. 6
Week 3 - No. 11
Week 4 - No. 12
Week 5 - No. 11
Week 6 - No. 11
Week 7 - No. 11
Week 8 - No. 12

CONSECUTIVE WEEKS RANKED
D3football.com - 45 weeks
AFCA - 42 weeks

A-R-C PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
1. Wartburg College - 49 (7)
2. Coe College - 42
3. Central College - 38
4. University of Dubuque - 29
5. Simpson College - 27
6. Loras College - 20
7. Nebraska Wesleyan University - 10
8. Buena Vista University - 9