Five Storylines for Small College Football

The American Rivers Conference battle between Coe and Wartburg highlight the small-college football slate. Upper Iowa looks to continue winning ways, while Drake tries to get back in the win column. Here are five storylines to watch this weekend in small college football.

COE TRAVELS TO WARTBURG

The Kohawks and Knights face off in an early-season matchup with the winner getting the upper hand on the A-R-C race with both still having to play Central. No. 7 Wartburg has won three straight conference crowns with Coe placing second each of those seasons. The Knights have won nine of the last 10 meetings, including the last seven with a 14-7 win a year ago. Coe has not beaten Wartburg since 2016. The two teams have had close battles with Wartburg, pulling out single-score victories the last three years.

This year’s matchup promises to be another good. The Kohawks (2-1, 1-0 A-R-C) opened conference play with a dominant 62-14 win over Nebraska Wesleyan. Wartburg (3-0, 1-0) pulled away in the second half of its 27-13 triumph at Simpson. Coe’s offense has electric and is one of the nation’s best. The Kohawks ranked first in passing and fourth in total offense, nationally. Coe averages 57 points and 620.7 yards per game. Those are averages, not totals. Kohawk quarterback Brady Kelly is the catalyst, leading the A-R-C with 1,101 passing yards and 14 TDs. Kelly is a dual threat. His 129 rushing yards is good for sixth in the conference. Devon Kollasch (14-339, 5 TDs), Latrell Taylor (17-33, 3) and Jeron Senters (21-298, 4) are his top targets.

Wartburg’s defense is up to the challenge. The Knights only give up 6.7 points a game. They are paced by former Decorah prep Keenan Tyler. He leads Wartburg and ranks third in the A-R-C, with 32 tackles. He also has a sack, tackle for loss and pass breakup. Wartburg has built 27 straight conference victories. Coe will be this year’s first threat to that streak.

UPPER IOWA LOOKS FOR 3RD STRAIGHT WIN

The Peacocks are coming off a marquee victory, beating then-No. 24 Michigan Tech, 21-14, on the road for their first ranked win since 2018. They welcome Lincoln (Mo.) University to Harms-Eischeid Stadium for Homecoming and the Great Lakes Valley Conference opener. Upper Iowa’s defense was impressive last week, holding the Huskies to 208 yards, including just 89 passing. Tate Parsons paced the Peacocks with nine tackles and eight solo. Darryl Overstreet Jr. passed for 205 yards and three TDs, hitting wideout Mante Morrow, tight end Eddie Burgess, a former Montezuma prep, and Logan Rosauer for scores. Overstreet and Morrow have developed into one of the GLVC’s top passing combos. Overstreet has passed for 785 yards and nine TDs. Morrow leads the conference with 375 receiving yards and six scores. Lincoln (2-1, 0-1) is coming off a 24-21 loss to Quincy (Ill.) University, giving up 207 passing yards. Upper Iowa is 2-0 against the Blue Tigers with a 31-3 win last season.

SCHEDULE LIGHTENS UP FOR DRAKE

The Bulldogs have struggled the last two weeks but the opponents have a lot to do with the performances. Drake fell to No. 2 South Dakota State (37-21) and No. 15 South Dakota (42-21), but this week is a little more forgiving. The Bulldogs (1-2) welcome Valparaiso (1-3) for Family Weekend. Drake has won the last two meetings, including a 27-3 victory last year, and eight of the last 10. Valparaiso allowed 58 points to North Dakota and 51 to Western Illinois. Logan Inagawa has stepped into the quarterback spot for the Bulldogs. In the last two games, he has passed for 304 yards and a TD. He also leads Drake in rushing with 131 yards and three TDs on 33 carries.

LUTHER’S RAGAN LEADS A-R-C IN TACKLES

Norse defensive back Tyler Ragan sits atop the A-R-C leaderboard in tackles. He will attempt to add to his total at Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday. Ragan has 37 tackles, averaging 12.3 per game. The dual-sport athlete, who also plays baseball, has 22 solo tackles and 15 assists. Ragan, from Flagstaff, Ariz., reached 240 career tackles with 107 solo stops. The Norse have lost 17 straight A-R-C games with their last win coming against NWU (35-28) on Nov. 12, 2022.

NORTHWESTERN HOSTS DORDT IN TOP-15 NAIA MATCHUP

No. 14 Northwestern (Iowa) and No. 15 Dordt face off in a Great Plains Athletic Conference game. The Red Raiders have dominated the series. They are 18-0 against Dordt and have won two straight shutouts. Dordt hasn’t scored in three of the last four meetings. Former Independence standout Korver Hupke has been a pillar of the Northwestern offensive line at left guard. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound junior was a second-team all-GPAC selection and all-district pick last season. He has started 21 games over the last three seasons.

Comments: k.j.pilcher@thegazette.com