WAVERLY, Iowa-- The No. 3/3 Wartburg football team (13-0 overall) will host No. 1/1 North Central (13-0) Saturday, Dec. 9 in an NCAA Semifinal game. Kickoff will be at 2:30 p.m.

The Knights won the American Rivers Conference title for the automatic bid and the Cardinals won the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) title for the automatic bid.

Tickets
$10 adults
$7 seniors/students/children (5-18)
Free: Children under 5
No presale of tickets
Ticket window will open at 1 p.m.
No passes accepted.

Follow the Knights
The game will be televised on ESPN+.
Click here for the live stats. 
Click here for the bracket.

The Series
This will be the inaugural meeting between the programs.

Press Clippings
Preview from KWWL.
Feature on Nile McLaughlin from KCRG.
Feature on Hunter Clasen from D3football.com. 
Preview from The Courier.

Wartburg
Hunter Clasen has rushed for 1,523 yards and 22 touchdowns. He surpassed the 1,000 rushing yards mark for the second-straight year. Clasen has scored a rushing touchdown in 30 of his last 32 games. This streak dates back to the last five games of the 2021 season, and the only games he did not score in was at Coe in 2022 and at Bethel this season. Clasen has scored a touchdown in every playoff game in his career

Nile McLaughlin has thrown for 3,243 yards and 36 touchdowns. He is 26-1 as the starting quarterback. McLaughlin has thrown for at least three touchdown passes in nine of the 13 games. He has set the single-season record with TD passes with 36 (previous record was 35 set by Matt Sacia in 2017) and set the single-season record in passing yardage at 3,243 (previous record was 3,221 set by Matt Scaia in 2017).

Two receivers have over 700 yards as Carter Henry has 757 yards and Drake George has 756. George and Thor Maakestad lead the group with seven TDs each.

Owen Grover leads the defense with 102 total tackles, and is a semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy. Jordan Downing has a team-high 13.5 TFLs and 10.0 sacks. Cael O'Neill is 62-65 in PATs and has made six field goals.

Team notes

• Wartburg has set the season team record with 68 PATs to date
  • previous record was 67 set in 2019
• The Orange and Black have set the season team record with 3,412 passing and receiving yards to date
  • previous record was 3,329 set in 2014
• Wartburg set the season team record with 77 total TDs
  • previous record was 76 in 2022
• Knights have won 26-straight home games
• The Knights have won nine-straight home playoff games
• The Orange and Black have gone 60 games without losing a game at home in regulation
• With Saturday's victory, the Orange and Black have tied a single season record for 13 wins
  • previously set in 2022
• Wartburg has had over 400 yards of total offense in 10 of its 13 games this season.
• Wartburg has had over 400 yards of total offense in six-straight games 
• Wartburg 20-15 all-time in the NCAA Playoffs

Monday Press Conference


Career Record Watch
Clasen is second in total TDs (59) and points (354), all purpose yards (5,657) and rushing TDs (53), third in rushing yards (3,956) and eighth in kick return yards (908).

McLaughlin is third in passing TDs (66), fifth in pass completions (531) and sixth in passing yards (6,722). Cael O'Neill is third in field goals (24) and tied for fourth in PATs (122).

Drake George is sixth in pass receptions (144), and seventh in pass reception yards (1,797) and pass reception TDs (17).

Ben Bryant is first in punt return yards (862) and fifth in punt returns (61).

Rochford is tied for first in interception return TDs (4) and tied for sixth in interceptions (14). Grover is first in total tackles (353), third in assisted tackles (158), and fourth in solo tackles (195).

Downing is first in sacks (30.5), second in fumbles forced (5), and eighth in TFLS (46.0).

Season Record Watch
Clasen is tied for first in rushing TDs (22) and total TDs (26), second in points (156), third in rushing yards (1,523)., sixth in carries (252),

McLaughlin is first in passing TDs (36) and in passing yards (3,243), second in completions (246), and third in passing attempts (395).

O'Neill is tied for first in PATs (62). Kanan Morris is tied for sixth in fumble returns (2). 

Rochford is first in interception return TDs (3) and tied for second in INTs (7). Downing and Justin Grieff are tied for sixth in forced fumbles (2).  Grieff is also eighth in quarterback hurries (7) and Downing is tied for eighth in sacks (10.0).

Ben Parker is tied for fourth in blocked kicks (2).

On the season team lists, this squad is first in PATs (68),  in passing yards and pass reception yards (3,412), and in TDs (77), tied for first in pick-sixs (4), second in pass breakups (65), passing TDs (37), in completions (259),and points (553), third in fumble returns (9), and quarterback hurries (29),  tied for fourth in punt return TDs (2) and blocked kicks (5), and rushing TDs (33), fourth in pass receptions (259), ninth in rushing yards (2,558), and and 10th in punt return yards (407).

National Stat Rankings
The Knights rank in the top 50 of 22 different national statistics. They are tied for 1^st in winning percentage (1.000), 1^st in rushing defense (39.8), 2^nd in defensive touchdowns (5), 3^rd in passes intercepted (22), 5^th in turnovers gained (31), 8^th in scoring defense (11.6), 14^th in first downs offense (288), 16^th in blocked punts (3), 16^th in scoring offense (42.5), 17^th in sacks allowed (0.77), 21^st in punt return defense (2.80), 23^rd in total offense (459.2), 25^th in total defense (261.5), 27^th in third down conversion percentage (0.489), 31^st in blocked kicks (5), 34^th in fourth down conversion percentage defense (0.345), 36^th in rushing offense (196.8), 36^th in team passing efficiency defense (106.23), 39^th in team passing efficiency (155.33), 40^th in turnover margin (0.77), 40^th in third down conversion percentage defense (0.325) and 43^rd in fumbles recovered (9).
 
Individually, the Knights have 11 players ranking in the top 100 of various national statistics. 
 
Hunter Clasen is 2^nd in rushing touchdowns (22), 2^nd in total touchdowns (26), 2^nd in total points scored (156), 4^th in rushing yards (1,523), 7^th in scoring (12.0), 15^th in rushing yards per game (117.2), 22^nd in all purpose yards (140.85), 33^rd in rush yards per carry (6.04) and 98^th in points responsible for per game (12.0).
 
Nile McLaughlin is 8^th in passing yards (3,243), 10^th in passing touchdowns (36), 36^th in points responsible for per game (17.5), 37^th in passing efficiency (156.8), 45^th in passing yards per game (249.5), 46^th in yards per pass attempt (8.21), 53^rd in completions per game (18.92), 61^st in completion percentage (0.623), 64^th in passing yards per completion (13.18) and 67^th in total offense (248.4).
 
Ben Parker is 23^rd in blocked kicks (2).
 
Kanan Morris is 33^rd in fumbles recovered (2).
 
Parker Rochford is 22^nd in interceptions per game (0.5) and 47^th in passes defended (1.2).
 
Blake Janssen is tied for 10^th in punt return touchdowns (1).
 
Jagger Schmitt is tied for 10^th in punt return touchdowns (1).
 
Carter Henry is 99^th in receiving yards (757).
 
Jordan Downing is 45^th in sacks (0.77).
 
Cael O'Neill is 77^th in total points scored (80).
 
Thor Maakestad is 28^th in yards per reception (19.32).

North Central
The Cardinals won the 2019 and 2022 National Championships. 

Joe Sacco has rushed for 1,535 yards and 17 TDs.  Luke Lehnen has thrown for 3,006 yards and 43 scores. DeAngelo Hardy has been his top receiver with 1,179 yards and 19 TDs.

BJ Adamchik leads the defense with 72 tackles. 

Lehnen is a fellow semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy.