WAVERLY, Iowa-- The No. 3/3 Wartburg football team (11-0 overall) advanced to the Second round of the NCAA Playoffs with the 49-14 win over Illinois College (9-2) Saturday afternoon.

Press clippings
Click here for the recap from the Waterloo Courier.
Click here for the highlights from KWWL.
Click here for the photo gallery from D3Photos.

Top performers

• Nile McLaughlin: 252 yards, 3 TDs
• Hunter Clasen: 131 yards, 1 TD
• Dawson Rud: 125 yards, 1 TD
• Carter Henry: 115 yards, 2 TDs
• Nate Link: fumble recovery touchdown return
• Jordan Downing & Mac Watts: 6 tackles
• Cael O'Neill: 7-7 PATs

Notes/streaks

• Henry: third career 100-yard receiving game
• Henry: second-straight playoff game over 100 yards receiving (dates back to Mount Union in 2022 National Semifinal)
• Henry: third career multi-TD game 
• Henry: second-straight playoff game with multiple TDs
• Kaleb Lamphier has interceptions in consecutive games (the first two interceptions of his career)
• Nate Link's second career defensive touchdown
• Rud: first 100-yard rushing game of his career
• The fumble recovery for a score was the fourth defensive TD of the season and the ninth in the last two seasons for the Knights
• Five of Carter Henry's 11 career receiving touchdowns have come in the playoffs
• O'Neill tied Wartburg's NCAA single game high with his seven PATs
  • last accomplished by Jordan Johnson against Trine on Nov. 25, 2017
• The Knights have had a defensive touchdown in their last two home playoff games
• The Orange and Black set a new team NCAA Playoff record in points (49), rushing yards (300), and total yards (563)
  • broke the mark of 47 set against Trine on Nov. 25, 2017
  • broke the mark of 281 set against Franklin on Nov. 18, 2017
  • broke the mark of 500 set against UW-Whitewtaer on Dec. 6, 2014
• Wartburg tied its team NCAA Playoff record in punts inside the 20 with three and PATs with seven
  • previously occurred against Bethel on Nov. 30, 2013 and UW-LaCrosse on Nov. 19, 2022
  • previously occurred against Trine on Nov. 25, 2017
• Nile McLaughlin has nine career playoff touchdown passes in five career playoff games 
• McLaughlin's 11th career game and second postseason games with at least three TD passes
• McLaughlin has thrown for at least three TDs in seven of the 11 games this season
• This was his ninth career game with at least 250 yards passing
• His second career playoff game with at least 250 yards passing
• In the last four games, Wartburg has outscored their opponents 136-14 in the first half 
• Wartburg has won its last 24 home contests, which dates back to September 29th, 2018 when Simpson defeated the Knights 37-36 in overtime.
• Wartburg is 59-4 in the last 10 season at Walston-Hoover Stadium
• The Knights have gone 58 games without losing at home in regulation. The last home Wartburg loss in regulation was to Coe on November 2, 2013 (24-10).
• This was the inaugural meeting between these two programs.
• Defensively, the Orange and Black held the Blueboys to 33 net rushing yards

Highlights


Post game press conference


Next event
The Knights will face the winner of Whitworth/Chapman next Saturday, Nov. 25 at noon. Game location to be announced Sunday.