WEEK 2 | Saturday, Sept. 12 | 1:00 p.m. | Waverly, Iowa
No. 9/10 Wartburg vs No. 1 North Central
WATCH | LIVE STATS | LISTEN (KWAY - Matt Ray/Scott Suhr)

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP
The No. 9/10-ranked Wartburg College football team (1-0 overall) welcomes top-ranked North Central College (1-0 overall) to Walston-Hoover Stadium for a top 10 showdown at 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12.

Fans are able to enter Walston-Hoover Stadium 1.5 hours prior to kickoff. 

WARTBURG
Last Game: W, 36-21 at (RV) Monmouth
Streak: W1
Last Season: 10-1, 8-0 A-R-C
'25 Playoffs: Lost in 2nd Round
Head Coach: Chris Winter (6th Season)
Career Record: 54-8
Record at Wartburg: 54-8

The Knights opened the 2026 season with a statement victory on the road, rallying past a tough Monmouth College squad, 36-21. After trailing 21-14 at halftime, Wartburg scored 22 unanswered points in the second half, using four consecutive scoring drives to take control and secure the victory. Junior quarterback Josh Papesh turned in a career-best performance, completing 19 passes for a career-high 265 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, senior running back Dawson Rud rushed for his ninth 100-plus game (100) in his career, adding two touchdowns on 16 carries. The Knights' defense also made its presence felt. Adam Link recorded eight total tackles and intercepted two passes, while Conner McDonald led Wartburg with nine tackles and forced a fumble.

NORTH CENTRAL
Last Game: W, 44-21 vs #2 Bethel
Streak: W1
Last Season: 14-1, 9-0 CCIW
'25 Playoffs: National Runner-Up
Head Coach: Brad Spencer (5th Season)
Career Record: 59-2
Record at NCC: 59-2

Top-ranked North Central opened its season with an impressive 44-21 victory over No. 2 Bethel University in Naperville, Illinois. The Cardinals forced four turnovers and totaled 421 yards of offense in the season-opening win. North Central wrapped up the 2025 season as national runner-up, with its sixth-straight NCAA Division III National Championship game. The matchup marks an early-season clash between two of the nation's top Division III programs, with both teams entering the contest at 1-0.

SERIES HISTORY VS THE CARDS
Saturday's showdown marks just the second meeting in program history between Wartburg and North Central. The teams first met in the 2023 NCAA Division III Playoff Semifinal in Waverly, where the Cardinals secured a 34-27 victory.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE AT ITS FINEST
Wartburg ranked No. 5 in average home attendance during the 2025 season, averaging 4,340 fans. The Knights boast a 56-5 overall record in the past 10 seasons at Walston-Hoover Stadium. 

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

LINK TABS A-R-C DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Link (Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott) turned in a standout defensive performance in Wartburg's 36-21 season-opening road victory over Monmouth College on Saturday, Sept. 5. The senior linebacker tied his career high with eight total tackles and added two interceptions and a forced fumble to help the Knights overcome a 21-14 halftime deficit.

Link's two interceptions marked the first multi-interception game of his career and helped spark Wartburg's second-half comeback, as the Knights scored 22 unanswered points to secure the victory.

The honor marks Link's first career A-R-C Defensive Player of the Week award and the first weekly conference honor for the Knights this season.

MCDONALD COLLECTS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
Wartburg senior defensive lineman Conner McDonald was named a First-Team Preseason All-American by D3football.com. McDonald (Congerville, Ill./Eureka) enters the 2026 season following a standout junior season in which he earned D3football.com First-Team All-American, All-Region and All-Conference honors. He led the Knights' defensive line with 13.0 tackles for loss, including a team-high seven sacks.

McDonald becomes the 16th Knight in program history to earn D3football.com Preseason All-American recognition.

WINTER'S WINNING LEGACY 
Head coach Chris Winter secured his 50th career win in last year's victory over Loras, improving his record to 54–8. Wartburg has now won 32 straight conference games dating back to 2021. Winter currently ranks third among active Division III head coaches in winning percentage (minimum 50 games) and fourth all-time.

PAPESH TOSSES CAREER-HIGH 265 IN WEEK ONE
Junior quarterback Josh Papesh (Valley View, OH/Saint Ignatius HS) completed 19 of his 24 pass attempts for a career-high 265 yards and two touchdowns during week one on the road at Monmouth. 

A LOOK BACK AT 2023 IN WAVERLY
In the 2023 NCAA Playoff Semifinal, North Central walked in Walston-Hoover Stadium undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country. Wartburg trailed 20-0 early in the second quarter, but rallied to take a 27-26 lead with just over 12 minutes to go in the fourth, marking the only time that the Cardinals trailed the entire season. In the end, North Central tallied a 34-27 win over Wartburg, later falling to Cortland in Stagg Bowl 50, 38-27. This was the last time the Knights hosted the No. 1 team in the nation. 

ALL-TIME WINNINGEST DIV. III HEAD COACHES (Min. 50 Games) – NCAA Statistics  
- Brad Spencer (2022-23 – pres.) – North Central (Ill.) 59-2 Overall (5th Season)**
- Vince Kehres (2013-14 – 2019-20) – Mount Union 95-6 Overall (7 Seasons)  
- Geoff Dartt (2022-23 – 2025-26) – Mount Union 67-6 Overall (6th Season)**  
- Larry Kehres (1986-87 – 2012-13) – Mount Union 332-24 Overall (27 Seasons)  
- Chris Winter (2021-22 – 2025-26) – Wartburg 54-8 Overall (5th Season)**  
** - Indicates Active Head Coach  

AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
The Knights hold a 25-21 record against ranked opponents since the 2003 season. Wartburg's last ranked win came last season against No. 14 Central College (W, 28-13) in Waverly. 

NCAA PLAYOFF HISTORY
The Knights have appeared in 18 NCAA Playoff games in program history with an 18-17 overall record. Wartburg has never made it to the Stagg Bowl in Canton, OH. 

32 STRAIGHT WINNING SEASONS 
Wartburg secured its 32nd all-time winning season last season. Over the last nine years, the program holds a record of 94–19. The Knights' consistency ranks among the top programs across all NCAA divisions.

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

A-R-C DOMINANCE 
Last season, Wartburg became the first program since Central (1964–67) to win four consecutive A-R-C championships.  

WEEK-BY-WEEK RANKING - AFCA
Preseason - No. 9
Week 1 - No. 10

AFCA DIVISION III COACHES' POLL - AUG. 24
1. North Central (52)
2. Wheaton
3. Johns Hopkins
4. UW-Platteville
5. UW-River Falls (1)
6. Mount Union
7. Bethel (Minn.)
8. St. John's (Minn.)
9. John Carroll
10. Wartburg
11. UW-Whitewater
12. Trinity (Tex.)
13. DePauw
14. UW-La Crosse
15. Berry
16. Hardin-Simmons
17. Salisbury
18. Christopher Newport
19. Mary Hardin-Baylor
20. Hope
21. Coe
22. Susquehanna
23. Linfield
24. Cortland
25. Endicott

Others Receiving Votes: WashU, 24; Springfield, 23; Franklin & Marshall, 21; Utica, 18; Wabash, 15; Hanover, 9; UW-Oshkosh, 8; UW-Stout, 8; Augustana (Ill.), 7; LaGrange, 5; Brockport, 4; Calvin, 4; Illinois Wesleyan, 3; Ithaca, 3; Adrian, 2; Baldwin-Wallace, 1; Dickinson, 1; Lake Forest, 1; Muhlenberg, 1; Ohio Northern, 1; Whitworth, 1.

WEEK-BY-WEEK RANKING - D3football.com
Preseason - No. 9
Week 1 - No. 9

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

Others receiving votes: WashU 34; Franklin & Marshall 31; Utica 26; Muhlenberg 23; Wabash 13; SPringfield 9; Wesleyan 9; Whitworth 8; UW-Stout 7; Hanover 6; Brockport 6; Ithaca 5; Monmouth 4; Rowan 3; Lake Forest 2; Trinity (Conn.) 2; Baldwin Wallace 1

2026 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