Simpson welcomes one of the top teams in the nation to Buxton Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8, as the Storm host Wartburg at 1 p.m.

Wartburg enters the game ranked No. 5 in Division III while boasting a perfect 8-0 record. Still in search of their first Iowa Conference win of the season, the upset-minded Storm would like nothing more than to disrupt the Knights' title run.

Matchup

2014 Wartburg Knights

• Roster | Coach Rick Willis | Schedule | Stats
• Record: 8-0, 5-0 IIAC
• National rankings (D3football.com/AFCA): 5/5
• Last game: Beat Buena Vista 43-24

2014 Simpson Storm

• Roster | Coach Jim Glogowski | Schedule | Stats
• Record: 3-5, 0-5 IIAC
• National rankings (D3football.com/AFCA): nr/nr
• Last game: Lost to Central 17-0

Game Information

Kickoff

• Buxton Stadium, Indianola, Iowa - 1 p.m.

Watch Live

• Live Video/Stats – www.simpsonathletics.com 

Web sites, social media

• Simpson – www.simpsonathletics.com | @StormSports
• Wartburg – www.go-knights.net | @KnightsSID

Weather

• 45 degrees, mostly sunny at kickoff | Full Weather Report

Game Notes

Inside the series

• Saturday marks the 70th meeting between Wartburg and Simpson in a series that dates back to 1944.
• Wartburg leads the all-time series 41-26-2.
• Simpson is 12-19-1 against Wartburg in Indianola.
• Simpson has won two of the last three meetings, but suffered a 34-24 loss last season in Waverly.
• Simpson is 2-4 against Wartburg under Jim Glogowski.
• The teams met seven times from 1944-49 and began playing annually in 1952.
• Wartburg owns the longest winning streak in the series, taking 13 in a row from 1998-2010. Simpson won in 2011 (38-37 OT) and 2012 (20-19).
• Simpson vs. Wartburg under Glogowski:
  • 2013: Wartburg 34, Simpson 24
  • 2012: Simpson 20, Wartburg 19
  • 2011: Simpson 38, Wartburg 37 (ot)
  • 2010: Wartburg 27, Simpson 14
  • 2009: Wartburg 42, Simpson 31
  • 2008: Wartburg 21, Simpson 13

A look at the Knights

• Wartburg enters this weekend as one of 17 undefeated teams remaining in Division III.
• The Knights own a 10-game, regular season winning streak dating back to 2013. Their last loss came against Coe on Nov. 2, 2013.
• A stingy Wartburg defense has allowed more than 14 touchdowns in a game just once this season. Buena Vista put up 24 last week in a 43-24 Wartburg win.
• Thanks to the league's No. 2 rushing attack, Wartburg is averaging better than 41 points per game in 2014. The Knights have been held below 40 points just twice.
• Quarterback Logan Schrader is the No. 2 passer in the league, averaging 250 yards per game with 19 TDs against just 5 INTs.
• Featured running back Brandon Domeyer averages 83.2 yards per game and leads all IIAC running backs with 11 TDs on the ground. 
• Quarterback-turned-wide-receiver Taylor Jacobsmeier is the team's top receiver with 42 catches for 768 yards and 6 TDs. He has also thrown eight passes this season, completing five for three TDs.
• IIAC sack-leader Zach Twedt is not in the 2-deep for the second week in a row. He is currently tied for the league lead with 7.0 sacks.

Storm defense among nation's best

• The Simpson defense ranks in the top 12 in the nation in three categories:
  • Fumbles recovered - 7th (12)
  • Punt return defense - 3rd (0.63 yards per return)
  • Red zone defense - 12th (opponents score just 56.7 percent of the time they get inside the 20)
• The Simpson defense went eight straight quarters and more than 136 minutes without allowing a touchdown, keeping opponents out of the end zone from the second quarter against UW-River Falls through the first quarter against Buena Vista. Simpson allowed a rushing touchdown to River Falls running back Kywon Cartwright in the first quarter on Sept. 13, didn't allow a touchdown against Illinois Wesleyan on Sept. 20 and held Buena Vista out of the endzone in the first quarter on Oct. 4. The streak totaled 136:01.

Playing by the rules

• Simpson is one of the least penalized teams in the nation, getting flagged just 34 times through eight games. The Storm receive an average of 4.25 flags per game, the sixth-best clip in Division III.
• Simpson's 31.13 penalty yards per game are the third-lowest mark in Division III.

Rushing by committee

• Simpson's rush offense has been a group effort in 2014. Four players – three running backs and quarterback Dylan Berkey – have carried at least 68 times through seven games.
• On the heels of a season-high 79-yard effort last week, Jordan Beem leads the team with 366 rushing yards. Ethan Calvert comes in with 365 yards, a team-best 4.9 yards per carry and three TDs. Kenny has 267 yards rushing and Berkey has 267 with a team-high five TDs.
• All three running backs average at least 4.0 yards per carry.

Berkey makes most of opportunity

• It took three years, but senior quarterback Dylan Berkey finally got his opportunity to run the Simpson offense in the 2014 season opener against Iowa Wesleyan. Berkey sat behind 2013 IIAC Offensive MVP, Taylor Nelson, for the past three seasons. 
• In his first game as a starter, Berkey completed 20 of 30 passes for 228 yards with a touchdown, rushing for three scores as Simpson beat Iowa Wesleyan 43-7 on Sept. 6.
• This season Berkey is 116 of 209 with 8 TDs and 9 INTs. He is completing 55.5 percent of his passes and averages 197.9 yards per game, sixth in the IIAC.
• Berkey had the first 300-yard passing game of his career in the loss to Buena Vista, going 22 of 38 for 304 yards.

Big-play Walker Holland sparks offense

• Senior Walker Holland has emerged as a big-play receiver for the Simpson offense in 2014. He leads the team with 39 catches for 626 yards on the year, averaging 78.2 yards per game and more than 16 yards per reception.
• Of his 39 receptions, 30 have been "money" catches (receptions that go for first downs or touchdowns) and 9 have been for 20 yards or more. 
• Against Wisconsin-River Falls, all three of Holland's catches went for 38 yards or more, catching a 43-yard touchdown in the first quarter, a 40-yarder in the second and a 38-yard touchdown in the fourth. All three of his receptions against Illinois Wesleyan resulted in first downs, including a clutch 69-yarder on a slant in the fourth quarter that set up the game-clinching field goal in a 13-3 win.
• Holland made a career-high eight receptions in the loss against Buena Vista.

Clark goes long

• Junior wide receiver Corbin Clark made an 83-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter of Simpson's loss to Buena Vista on Oct. 4.
• The reception was the longest by a Simpson receiver since 2011 and is tied for the fourth-longest reception in school history.

Proficiency in the kicking game

• Simpson has the rare luxury of two, game-tested placekickers in senior Logan Klein and freshman Drew Jensen. 
• Klein is 4-for-5 in field goals on the year and 5-for-7 in extra points, all of his misses coming because of blocks. Jensen has made 4 of 5 field goals overall and is 13-for-13 on extra point attempts.
• Simpson's 8 made field goals rank second in the Iowa Conference.
• Klein has also been getting the job done in the punting game. His 35.6-yard average ranks third in the IIAC. Klein has pinned opponents inside their own 20 eight times and has three boots of 50-plus yards.

Klein named IIAC Special Teams Player of the Week

• Logan Klein earned IIAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after week one when he made two field goals and went a perfect 4-for-4 in extra point attempts. 

Glogowski climbs wins list

• Seventh-year head coach Jim Glogowski improved to 33-30 (now 33-35) during his career with Simpson's 13-3 win over Illinois Wesleyan on Sept. 20. The win moved him ahead of Jay Niemann (32-29 from 2002-07) for third on Simpson's all-time wins list. He needs one win to tie R.G. "Hap" Miller (34-47-3 from 1948-57) for second on the all-time list.
• Glogowski has a way to go to become Simpson's all-time wins leader. Jim Williams holds the title, going 106-48-1 during his 15-year career from 1987-2001.