KNIGHTS DEFEAT PRAIRIE WOLVES, 61-7

PEYTON MEISNER, GUEST WRITER

The No. 11 Wartburg Football team improved its unbeaten record to 6-0 on the season. Wartburg defeated Nebraska Wesleyan University, 61-7, during the 2019 Wartburg Homecoming game. 

The win stood as the eighth consecutive Homecoming victory for Wartburg, as the Knights improved their American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) record to 4-0.

Quarterback Noah Dodd ’20 had a career day after tying Matt Sacia’s ’19 program record of five touchdown passes in a game. Dodd threw for a career-high 245 yards. It stands as the 10th time in program history a Wartburg quarterback has tallied five touchdown passes.

“Tying the single-game passing touchdown record is just a credit to the entire team, coaching staff, and the fans,” Dodd said. “It feels great to come out on top to give our senior class one last homecoming victory.”

“We clicked in all aspects of the game. The coaches did a great job game prepping us, and the offense, defense and special teams came through in a big way.“

 -Kolin Schulte, Wartburg wide receiver

The Knights spread out the scoring, with Nick Wall ’20 scoring twice. Brandan Childs ’20, Matt Mulford ’20, and Kolin Schulte ’20 added one receiving touchdown each. Bennett Goettsch ’21 and Austin Griffin ’22 added single touchdown rushes from the red zone along with Hunter Clasen ‘23. Clasen’s first career score was a 61-yard run to cap off Wartburg’s fourth-quarter scoring.

Wartburg took a 6-0 lead with a Schulte touchdown reception in the first drive of the game. Schulte leads the team with 11 touchdown receptions. The program’s single-season record is 15. Nebraska Wesleyan answered to take its sole lead of the game on the following drive.

The Knights responded with 55 unanswered points. Wartburg scored 13 points in both the first and second quarters. The game was headlined by a 28-point third quarter. Will Hasken ’20 opened the second-quarter scoring with a 40-yard punt return that was blocked by Eli Barrett ’21.

“We clicked in all aspects of the game,” Schulte said. “The coaches did a great job game prepping us, and the offense, defense and special teams came through in a big way.”

Owen Grover ’23 and Cedric Dobbins ’20 had five tackles each to pace the Knights’ defense. Eleven Knights notched at least three tackles.

Wartburg now holds a 6-0 overall and 4-0 A-R-C record. The Knights will take on Simpson College at 1 p.m., Oct. 19 in Indianola, Iowa.