DUBUQUE, Iowa - The University of Dubuque football team jumped out quickly and held a 12-0 lead over the #13 Wartburg College Knights for nearly a half. The Knights would score three ties in under the final three minutes of the opening half to grab their first lead of the game 17-12. Wartburg added 16 second half points while UD added two points on a safety with 2:56 to go in the game in the final 33-14 loss on Chalmers Field.
UD gained 20 first downs and trailed in possession time 28:22 to the Knights 31:38. The Spartans were 5-15 in third down conversions and 0-4 in fourth down conversions. Wartburg was 4-11 in third down conversions and 1-3 in fourth down conversions. The Spartans scored on just 2-5 cjances in the red zone as the Knight scored on all three chances in teh redzone. UD compiled seven penalities for a loss of 60 yards and the Knights had five penalties for 44 yards.
Joey Rhomberg completed 31-49 pass attempts for 251 yards and rushed nine times for 43 yards.
Elijah Peters passed once for the Spartans 55 yard touchdown to a wide open
Cameron Brown in the opening quarter to give UD the early edge.
Noah Roling ran the ball 10 times for 19 yards and
Kali Freeman rushed twice for eight yards. Freeman grabbed nine catches 54 yards.
Ben Egan led all tacklers with 14 on the afternoon trailed closely by
Jeremiah Speer who collected 10 tackles.
Trey Roberson had seven tackles, one for a loss of five yards, an interception, and a pair of pass break-ups.
Joziah Perez finished with six tackles, but helped the Spartans early with a forced fumble which turned into points for UD. He added two pass break-ups and a quarterback hurry for the Spartans. UD's defense held the potent Knights offense to less than half of their scoring output than what they had been averaging in A-R-C action.
Timothy Graddy returned two kickoffs for 32 yards.
Bennett Harp made a pair of field goals, one from 35 yards at 2:50 in the first quarter and the second from 26 yards at 11:23 of the second quarter. Harp kicked off four times for 230 yards with three touchbacks. Brady Buckmann punted twice for 45 yards.
UD will travel to Storm Lake to face the Buena Vista University Beavers on J. Leslie Rollins Field in Storm Lake, Iowa on Halloween with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The Spartans then travel to Cedar Rapids the first Saturday of November to play at Coe College before returning home in the final A-R-C contest when they will host the Loras College Duhawks in the Key City Clash/Hall of Fame game on November 14 at 1:00 p.m.
