LINCOLN, Neb. – Wartburg scored 38 unanswered points to rally past Nebraska Wesleyan 38-28 in the Prairie Wolves first ever Iowa Intercollege Athletic Conference football game on Saturday at Abel Stadium in Lincoln.
 
NWU jumped ahead 20-0 as they scored on their first four offensive possessions and introduced themselves loudly to the Iowa Conference perennial power.  It was big plays on special teams that sparked the Prairie Wolves early offensive explosion.
 
The Prairie Wolves took the opening kickoff 49 yards on a return by Joel Wiedel up to midfield.  Wiedel then capped the drive with a 1-yard TD plunge on a 4^th down play.
 
Wartburg showed their up-tempo offensive style and got all the way inside the NWU 5-yard line.  The NWU defense forced a field goal, that was blocked by Preston Franzen.  Franzen then scooped up the ball and rambled 76 yards to the 2-yard line.  Once again Wiedel capped the drive with a 3-yard run to put the Prairie Wolves ahead 14-0.
 
Andy Chleborad intercepted a Wartburg pass on the Knights next drive to give NWU the ball right back. Kramer Rath capped the drive with a 25-yard field goal.  After a quick three and out, NWU got the ball back again.  Jack Cobb broke free on a 37-yard run to put NWU into Wartburg territory.  Once again, Rath made a 32-yard field goal to make the score 20-0.
 
The Knights scored 10 points late in the 2^nd quarter making the score 20-10 at halftime.  It was the second straight week that NWU led by 10 points at halftime.  Unfortunately, for the second straight week the lead didn't hold up.
 
Wartburg quarterback Matt Sacia found Riley Brockway for a pair of 3^rd quarter TD passes putting the Knights ahead 24-20.  Bulldozing running back Connor Schrader scored on a 7-yard TD run, then the Knights ended their 38-point run with a 27-yard TD pass from Sacia to Griffin Brennec.
 
It was turnovers that cost the Prairie Wolves in the 2^nd half.  Quarterback Ben Green was intercepted four times in the 2^nd half after going the first 10 quarters of the year without a turnover.  NWU was held under 50 yards in the 3^rd quarter, and had a stretch of completing 1-16 passes. NWU did tack on a late TD as Green found Crew Keller on a pass reception, then Keller pitched the ball back to Sammy Zitek who ran it into the endzone.
 
The Knights piled up 565 yards of total offense, compared to 300 for NWU.  Just like last week's loss to Illinois Wesleyan, the Prairie Wolves had over 200 yards of total offense in the first half, then were held under 100 in the final two quarters.
 
Knights quarterback Matt Sacia threw for 344 yards with three touchdowns, hitting Riley Brockway nine times for 168 yards.  Running back Connor Schrader ran 27 times for 165 yards and two TDs.
 
Joel Wiedel led NWU with 80 rush yards and two touchdowns.  Green ended up 16-36 for 151 yards with a TD and four interceptions.  Bryce Darner and Crew Keller both caught three passes for the Prairie Wolves.
 
Preston Franzen reached double figures in tackles for the third straight game with 12 stops.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan hosts Coe College next Saturday for homecoming.