CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . Defending league champion University of Dubuque, which captured its first league title since 1980 last year is the favorite to capture the 2012 Iowa Conference football title. The Spartans received six of seven possible first-place votes (coaches are not allowed to rank their own team) for a total of 52 points. Wartburg College did not receive a first-place vote but was named either second or third on all seven ballots and is second in the Preseason Poll with 48 points.
 
Simpson College sits third with 41 points, followed by Central College (40 points) and Coe College (39). The Storm and Dutch split the two remaining first-place votes. The complete 2012 IIAC football coaches’ poll follows:
 

Rank	School (1st place votes)	Points	2011 Record
1	Dubuque (6)	52	9-2, 7-1 IIAC
2	Wartburg	48	8-2, 6-2 IIAC
3	Simpson (1)	41	5-5, 5-3 IIAC
4	Central (1)	40	7-3, 6-2 IIAC
5	Coe	39	6-4, 6-2 IIAC
6	Buena Vista	23	2-8, 2-6 IIAC
7	Luther	22	3-7, 3-5 IIAC
8	Loras	15	1-9, 0-8 IIAC

 
Preseason National Polls:  Defending Conference Champion Dubuque, Wartburg, Coe and Central are all receiving votes in the D3football.com preseason poll, while Dubuque was picked 23rd in the Beyond Sports Network (BSN) preseason poll.
 
Preseason All-Americans:  A number of Iowa Conference football players have been named to preseason All-America teams. Coe defensive end Frank Weymiller was a first team pick by D3football.com and Lindy’s, Coe safety Demetreus Johnson earned second team honors from D3football.com and Lindy’s and Dubuque center Richard Skaife was named to the second team by D3football.com.
 
Weymiller, Johnson, Skaife, Simpson linebacker Mark Cronin, Wartburg linebacker Jason Shupp and Dubuque quarterback Wyatt Hanus were named to the first team by USA Football News, while Buena Vista punt returner Mason Nielsen and Central linebacker Keith Rush were named to the second team. Simpson wide receiver Taylor Rogers, Luther linebacker Trent Kerrigan and Wartburg defensive back Garrett McGrane picked up third-team honors.
 
In addition, Kerrigan, Coe running back Brendan Leiran and Simpson quarterback Taylor Nelson were listed as players to watch by Beyond Sports Network (BSN).
 
BSN also released its 2012 preseason all-America list. Hanus and Johnson were named to the first team, Weymiller, Nielsen (as a kick returner) and Dubuque tight end Miles Hookstead to the second team, Skaife was picked for the third team, and Shupp, McGrane and Rush received honorable mention.
 
Season Openers: The season begins for all eight Iowa Conference schools Saturday, September 1. Buena Vista hosts Wis.-Platteville, Coe hosts Monmouth (Ill.), Loras hosts Elmhurst, Luther hosts St. Olaf and Central is at Wis.-Oshkosh in 1 p.m. kickoffs. Simpson follows with a 4 p.m. kickoff at Wis.-River Falls. Dubuque and Wartburg close out the day with games against Augustana (Ill.) (6 p.m.) and MacMurray (7 p.m.) under the lights. The 2012 Iowa Conference season begins September 29 with four games – Wartburg at Simpson, Dubuque at Central, Buena Vista at Coe and Luther at Loras.
 
Team-By-Team Preview:  A brief preview for each Iowa Conference team follows.

 

Buena Vista University Beavers
	Head Coach: Jay Anderson (Seventh year at Buena Vista, 25-35 overall [6 years]) 2011 Record: 2-8 overall, 2-6 IIAC (seventh) Starters Returning/Lost:  8/4 offense, 5/6 defense, 2/1 special teams Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  25/16 Iowa Conference Titles (Last): 4 (1978) NCAA Playoff Appearances (Last/Result): 2 (1986; lost to Central 37-0 in first round)

 
Buena Vista returns 15 starters and 25 letter winners from last season’s 2-8 team that finished seventh in the Conference with a 2-6 record. The Beavers will be looking for improvement from a unit that ranked eighth in the league in total offense at 291.8 yards per game. A key will be the play of the offensive line where only two starters from 2011 – seniors Michael Wiegmann and Matt Sefcik – return. Wiegmann picked up second team all-IIAC honors a year ago.
 
Some of the inexperience up front should be offset by the group of seasoned veterans at the skill positions. Buena Vista returns two quarterbacks with starting experience with sophomore Bobby Brown having an edge over senior Bo Darrow going in. The Beavers also return their top four rushers and three of their top four receivers. Brown played in the first six games of the season, throwing for 918 yards and five touchdowns and was the team’s fourth leading rusher with 52 yards on 33 carries. Darrow played in nine of 10 games, throwing for 778 yards and three scores and ranked third on the team in rushing with 110 yards and a touchdown. Running back John Hall, now a senior, led the Beavers last year with 810 yards and six touchdowns on the ground and also caught 18 balls for 146 yards. He ranked fifth in the league in rushing (81.0 yards per game). Senior Logan Lehrkamp was Buena Vista’s leading receiver with 41 catches for 635 yards and four touchdowns while Gunnar Wyatt caught 18 passes for 274 yards to rank third on the team. Lehrkamp ranked 10th in the IIAC with 63.5 receiving yards per game. Wyatt, who also doubled as the Beavers’ placekicker, ranked third on the team in scoring with 26 points on 17 extra points and three field goals.
 
The Beavers return five starters to a defense that finished fifth in the Iowa Conference in total defense (371.4 yards per game). Junior linebacker Brady Randall was third on the team in tackles with 70, adding 2.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, one pass break-up, and two forced fumbles. Junior defensive end TJ Bruch will anchor the defensive line after posting 30 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.
 
In the defensive backfield, junior defensive backs Mack Snelling and Mason Nielsen lead the way. Snelling had 43 tackles, 2.0 for loss, intercepted a team-high two passes and broke up four others and forced a fumble. Nielsen had 34 tackles, broke up three passes, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble. Nielsen, an all-IIAC second teamer in 2011, will also figure in on special teams where he returned 17 kickoffs for 512 yards, leading the league and ranking fourth in Division III with a 30.1 yard-per-return average.
 
Buena Vista head coach Jay Anderson says, “We are excited to get started with the 2012 season. There will be several position battles to be sorted out during camp. The conference race should be exciting to watch this year in the IIAC.”
 

Central College Dutch
	Head Coach: Jeff McMartin (Ninth year at Central, 68-18 overall [8 years]) 2011 Record: 7-3 overall, 6-2 IIAC (tie-second) Starters Returning/Lost:  2/9 offense, 5/6 defense, 3/6 special teams Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  28/27 Iowa Conference Titles (Last): 30 (2009) NCAA Playoff Appearances (Last/Result): 20 (2009; lost to Mary Hardin-Baylor 42-40 in first round)

 
Central returns 11 starters and 29 letter winners from last season’s 7-3 team that tied for second place in the Iowa Conference with a 6-2 record. The challenge for the Dutch early on will be to solidify an offense that lost nine of 11 starters. Leading that charge will senior running back Ross Doehrmann – one of those two starters. Doehrmann ran for 570 yards and five touchdowns to rank second on the team and 10th in the league on a Central squad that led the Iowa Conference in rushing offense at 245.2 yards per game. He also had eight catches for 79 yards. Sophomore Josh Osborn added 405 yards and six touchdowns on the ground and had one reception – a 62-yard TD grab against Coe. Senior wide receiver Ben Lechtenberg was Central’s second-leading receiver last year, hauling in 28 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns. Senior guard Colton Smith is the other returning starter on the Central offense.
 
The Dutch had the league’s top overall defense a year ago (339.9 yards per game) due in no small part to a rushing defense that ranked seventh in Division III at just 79.8 yards per game. The flipside of that equation, however, was that opponents were more apt to take to the air against the perennial IIAC contender, resulting in a pass defense that ranked ninth in the nine-team league.
 
To that end, Central will be led defensively in 2012 by first team all-IIAC linebacker Keith Rush. Rush, a senior, led the team in tackles with 79, including a team-high 11.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks. He also broke up a pass, forced a fumble and blocked a kick. He ranked only 16th in the league in total tackles, but was third in sacks and fifth in tackles for loss. Lining up next to Rush will be fellow senior Seth Carson. Carson ranked fourth on the team with 61 tackles while adding 9.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a pair of interceptions.
 
Up front, Central returns defensive tackle Danny Samson. Samson, a junior, made 29 tackles last season, 9.0 for loss and 4.5 sacks. He also forced two fumbles and intercepted a pass against Cornell, returning it 36 yards for a touchdown. In the defensive backfield, senior Jason Breon and sophomore Spencer Boeyink are back. Breon made 36 tackles, including 1.0 for loss, broke up three passes and recovered a fumble. Boeyink had 22 tackles (1.0 for loss), two interceptions, eight pass break-ups and one blocked kick.
 
Placekicker Kevin Sheldon earned first team all-conference honors last year as a freshman after ranking fifth in the IIAC (and first among kickers) in scoring. He converted 47 of 48 PATs and was 7-of-11 on field goals for 68 points.
 
Central head coach Jeff McMartin says, “Central College will work hard to prepare for an exciting 2012 season.  The Iowa Conference is again very strong.”
 

Coe College Kohawks
	Head Coach: Steve Staker (Fifth year at Coe, 29-14 overall [4 years]) 2011 Record: 6-4 overall, 6-2 IIAC (tie-second) Starters Returning/Lost:  6/5 offense, 4/7 defense, 2/0 special teams Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  34/19 Iowa Conference Titles (Last): 3 (2005) NCAA Playoff Appearances (Last/Result): 7 (2010; lost to Wheaton [Ill.] 31-21 in first round)

 
Coe returns 12 starters and 34 letter winners from last season’s 6-4 team that tied for second in the Conference with a 6-2 record. Two-time league MVP Brad Boyle has graduated, but the individual that steps up behind center for the Kohawks this season will have the relative comfort of knowing that three of five starters return from an offensive line that allowed the third-fewest sacks in the IIAC last season. Included in that group are senior Jacob Deaton – a two-time all-IIAC pick – and junior Nathan Yelton, a first team all-league pick last season.
 
Also helping to relieve some of the pressure will be senior running back Brendan Leiran and senior wide receiver Jared Kuehner. Leiran, a two-time first team all-conference selection, ranked second in the conference in rushing last season with 866 yards and nine touchdowns in nine games. He also caught 21 passes for 172 yards and ranked fourth in the league in all-purpose yards (124.2 ypg) and sixth in scoring (6.0 ppg). Kuehner, who received honorable mention from the league’s coaches last season, led the Kohawks with 43 catches for 822 yards and eight touchdowns. He also had four carries for 41 yards and a touchdown.
 
Defensively, only four starters return, but, of those four, two have previously earned all-region honors. Senior defensive lineman Frank Weymiller was named all-region and second team all-America by D3football.com after posting 60 tackles and league-high with 17.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks and four forced fumbles. He also intercepted a pass. Senior defensive back Demetreus Johnson earned first team all-region honors from D3football.com after posting a league-high eight interceptions with two returned for touchdowns. He also led Division III in interceptions per game (0.8 int/gm). Johnson ranked sixth on the team in tackles with 42 and had 2.0 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.
 
On special teams, junior placekicker Wes Anderson returns after converting 45 of 49 extra points and 2 of 5 field goal attempts. He also filled in for an injured Chase Cooling at punter, averaging 35.3 yards per attempt. Cooling, an all-IIAC honorable mention punter in 2010, is now a senior and should reassume those position.
 
Coe head coach Steve Staker says, “I feel we have a very good nucleus of returning offensive personnel, tempered by the fact we will have an untested QB. I feel the competition for that position will be good. Defensively we are looking for improvement, led by top returners Frank Weymiller and Demetreus Johnson. I would like to feel that we will be in the hunt. Conference wise I feel that Dubuque looks good with the players they have coming back, especially at QB, therefore could very well repeat. Wartburg will always be in the thick of the race and I see Simpson as a darkhorse. Central has some big shoes to fill, but never the less will be a solid contender. ”
 

University of Dubuque Spartans
	Head Coach: Stan Zweifel (Fourth year at Dubuque, 50-39-2 overall [9 years]) 2011 Record: 9-2 overall, 7-1 IIAC (champion) Starters Returning/Lost:  7/4 offense, 8/3 defense, 2/0 special teams Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  50/12 Iowa Conference Titles (Last):   7 (2011) NCAA Playoff Appearances (Last/Result):  3 (2011; lost to North Central [Ill.], 59-13, in first round)

 
Dubuque returns 17 starters and 50 letter winners from last year’s 9-2 squad that won the program’s first Iowa Conference title since 1980 with a 7-1 mark. The Spartans’ offense returns seven of 11 starters but will need to replace league’s leading rusher (Justin Spaulding) and two of the league’s top three receivers (Gagliardi Trophy winner Michael Zweifel and Demacus Fleming) from 2011. Quarterback Wyatt Hanus is back after throwing for a league-record 35 touchdowns in league play. The senior signal caller, a first team all-league pick last season, led the IIAC in passing and total offense, completing 73.0 percent of his passes for 3490 yards and 44 touchdowns overall. He also added a touchdown on the ground. He ranked second in Division III in passing efficiency (189.36) and fifth in total offense (319 ypg). A big target for Hanus early on will be senior tight end Miles Hookstead, a second team all-IIAC pick. Hookstead made 33 grabs for 349 yards and six touchdowns last season.
 
The offensive line will be anchored by senior center Richard Skaife, a first team all-league pick last year, and junior guard Austin Hatzinger. The Spartans ranked in the top 10 in Division III in passing efficiency (third, 190.25), total offense (fourth, 489.91 ypg), passing offense (fifth, 323.82 ypg), and scoring offense (41.55 ppg).
 
Eight starters return from a Spartans defense that ranked first in the league against the pass (191.0 ypg), sixth against the run (170.3 ypg) and third overall (361.3 ypg). Leading the group in the trenches will be senior defensive lineman Stephen Vassalotti and senior defensive end Marice Hill. Hill ranked fourth on the team with 56 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also intercepted a pass against Central that he returned 44 yards for a touchdown and forced a fumble. Vassalotti, a 2011 first team all-league pick, was fifth on the team in tackles with 53 and posted team-highs with 13.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. He ranked second in the league in sacks and fourth in tackles for loss.
 
Senior middle linebacker Trevor Runkle, a two-time second team all-league pick, posted a team-high 90 stops, ranking 12th in the league. He also had 4.0 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, four pass break-ups and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown against Anderson (Ind.). Senior free safety Malcolm Stewart played in 10 games, amassing 51 tackles (1.5 for loss), intercepted one pass, broke up two others, forced two fumble and blocked a kick.
 
Junior punter/placekicker Steve Jones punted 20 times in 2011, averaging 34.0 yards per kick. He also placed three kicks inside the 20-yard line and had two of 50-plus yards. Picking up PAT/field goal duties full-time in the fourth game of the season, he finished the season converting 39 of 43 PATs and 2 of 4 field goal attempts. He also averaged 58.9 yards on kickoffs.  Fellow sophomore Tyson Carter, ordinarily an offensive lineman, will handle long-snapping duties.
 
Dubuque head coach Stan Zweifel says, "This year's race will be decided by at least four teams. How that is decided is how consistent the team can be all year.”
 

Loras College Duhawks
	Head Coach: Paul Mierkiewicz (Second year at Loras, 66-50 overall [11 years]) 2011 Record: 1-9 overall, 0-8 IIAC (ninth) Starters Returning/Lost:  7/4 offense, 5/6 defense, 3/3 special teams Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  48/18 Iowa Conference Titles (Last): 0 (n/a) NCAA Playoff Appearances (Last/Result): 0 (n/a)

Loras returns 15 starters and 48 letter winners from last season’s 1-9 team that finished ninth in the Conference with an 0-8 record. The Duhawks return seven starters offensively, but five are senior offensive linemen. The trio of Sam Ross, Nick Holeton, and Alex Lehmann form the foundation of a unit that will look to improve on last season’s offense that ranked seventh in rushing offense (105.5 yards per game), eighth in scoring offense (16.3 points per game) and ninth in total offense (256.6 ypg) and passing offense (151.1 ypg). Ross was an all-IIAC honorable mention last year. Michael Donnelly and Andrew McFadden complete the front.
 
At quarterback, junior Sean Brennan will be a candidate to replace the graduated Vaughn Gesing. Brennan played in six games last season, completing 41 of 73 passes for 53 yards and four touchdowns. Junior running back Javan Aimable ranked second on the team in rushing last season with 212 yards and one score, while senior Ryan Baez had 23 carries for 50 yards working his way back from an early-season injury. Sophomore Nate Even is the Duhawks’ top returning receiver. He hauled in 24 passes for 292 yards.
 
Defensively, Brandon Ronan is back after ranking third on the team with 79 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and 0.5 sacks. The senior linebacker also broke up three passes and forced two fumbles. Senior Aaron Strong will anchor the defensive line. He posted 39 tackles last season (3.0 for loss), broke up two passes, forced one fumble and recovered two, one of which he returned for a touchdown in the season opener against Elmhurst. Dave Pirkle will be a leader in the defensive backfield. Last year, he made 37 tackles (1.0 for loss), broke up eight passes, intercepted three others and forced a fumble.
 
Senior placekicker Tyler Wilker earned second team all-IIAC honors last year after converting 19 of 21 PATs and making 6 of 8 field goal attempts. He also averaged 52.7 yards per kickoff.
 
Loras head coach Paul Mierkiewicz says, “We need to continue to grow as a football team and get better. We will play hard for four quarters and we expect to get better each week. I feel this is traditionally one of the toughest conferences in the country. Usually the team that can stay healthy has the best chance to be successful.”

 

Luther College Norse
	Head Coach:  Mike Durnin (Fifth at Luther, 18-22 overall [4 years]) 2011 Record:  3-7 overall, 3-5 IIAC (sixth) Starters Returning/Lost:  7/4 offense, 7/4 defense, 2/0 special teams Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  35/16 Iowa Conference Titles (Last): 11 (1978) NCAA Postseason Appearances (Last/Result): 2 (1970; to Capital [Ohio] 34-21 in Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl)

 
Luther returns 16 starters and 35 letter winners from last season’s 3-7 team that finished sixth in the Conference with a 3-5 record. With seven starters returning, the Norse should still be quite strong on defense despite the loss of all-America linebacker Kyle McGivney to graduation. Junior defensive back Robby Jewell, a second team all-IIAC pick last year, anchors a defensive backfield that helped the Norse rank second in the IIAC in pass defense (197.4 yards per game) and fourth overall (369.6 ypg). Jewell was third on the team with 63 tackles (2.0 for loss). He also intercepted five passes, broke up 12 others and forced a fumble. Jewell led the IIAC in passes defended. Senior linebacker Trent Kerrigan, an all-IIAC honorable mention last season, ranked second on the team with 104 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss. He added 1.5 sacks, two pass break-ups, forced two fumbles and had two fumble recoveries.
 
Up front, Luther brings back senior defensive end Obi Ukabiala. Ukabiala made 33 tackles (5.0 for loss) with 1.0 sack, one pass break-up. He also returned a fumble 63 yards for a touchdown against William Penn.
 
Offensively, the entire offensive line returns led by seniors Ian Naatz and Reece Rickertsen and junior Andrew Turnacliff. Naatz was an all-IIAC honorable mention in 2010, Turnacliff in 2011. Last year, the Norse ranked fourth in the IIAC in rushing offense (155.4 yards per game) and sixth in total offense (329.3 ypg). Having an experienced front five plus returning starting tight end Zach Jipp will be a significant benefit for the Norse early on as they search for someone to fill the void left by the graduation of all-conference quarterback Chris Reynolds. Reynolds accounted for 65.7 percent of Luther’s total offense last season. Senior running back Dan Ridenour will help in that effort. Ridenour rushed for 433 yards and two touchdowns and caught 14 passes for 41 yard a year ago. Jipp also caught 13 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown.
 
On special teams, placekicker Seth Streeter and punter Donny Norlander return. Streeter, a senior, made just five of 10 field goals last season but was good on 18 of 22 PATs for a team-leading 33 points. He also averaged 39.0 yards per kickoff. Norlander, also a senior, averaged 31.2 yards per punt, dropping eight inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
 
Luther head coach Mike Durnin says, "We are looking forward to a great year with a group of young men who are very team-orientated and have a great desire to be the best they can be at the process! While we may not have the marquee names from the past years, this is an outstanding group of players and there are a number of new players who could very easily factor into the game plan. Our players and staff are excited to face the various challenges all of our opponents present, ever present that the main emphasis will be the continuous journey of being the best we can be in the process of becoming a championship-level program. The IIAC will be as tough as ever. Dubuque, Wartburg & Central all received pre-season ranking votes. It will be interesting to see the league evolve this year with a lot of new faces in key positions on every team."

 

Simpson College Storm
	Head Coach: Jim Glogowski (Fifth year at Simpson, 17-23 overall [4 years]) 2011 Record: 5-5 overall, 5-3 IIAC (fifth) Starters Returning/Lost:  7/4 offense, 6/5 defense, 4/4 special teams Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  44/25 Iowa Conference Titles (Last): 12 (1997) NCAA Playoff Appearances (Last/Result): 6 (2003; lost to St. Norbert 26-20 [2OT] in first round)

 
Simpson returns 17 starters and 44 letter winners from last season’s 5-5 team that finished fifth in the Conference with a 5-3 record. The Storm return an experienced set of skill players on offense, but will need to fill a couple of holes up front to start the season. Junior quarterback Taylor Nelson was named to the all-IIAC second team in 2011 after throwing for 2,617 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also had a school-record 246 completions last season. A dual-threat, Nelson also ran the ball 110 times – one-third of Simpson’s overall carries last season – for 214 yards and five touchdowns.
 
When he chooses to give up the ball, Nelson has the services of three players who drew the eyes of the league’s coaches last season. Senior wide receiver Taylor Rogers caught 63 passes for 747 yards and eight touchdowns last season, earning him first team all-IIAC honors. He ranked second in the IIAC only to Dubuque all-American Michael Zweifel in receptions per game (6.3 rpg) last season and was fifth in receiving yardage per game (74.7 ypg). Junior Mike Kuhn, an all-IIAC honorable mention, caught 48 passes for 455 yards and two scores. He also returned nine kickoffs and six punts, averaging 16.6 and 8.7 yards per return, respectively. Fellow junior Brad Vogel was cited by the coaches as a return specialist, but he also made 26 grabs for 319 yards and two touchdowns. Vogel also ranked second in the league in kickoff returns, averaging 22.9 yards per attempt.
 
Nelson also has a familiar face behind him at the running back position. Junior Michael Chia led the Storm in rushing last season with 533 yards and two touchdowns on 133 carries. He also caught 24 passes for 148 yards and a score. Senior guards Danny Kelley and Cameron Lewellen return up front. Kelley started nine games at right guard and earned honorable mention from the coaches. Lewellen started the final four games at left guard after sharing time to start the year.
 
Defensively, Simpson will be led by senior Mark Cronin and junior Ted Haag at linebacker. Cronin led the team and ranked fifth in the conference in tackles (100) en route to second team all-IIAC honors. He also had 10.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, two interceptions, seven pass break-ups one fumble recovery and three forced fumbles. Haag posted 64 tackles with 3.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks while also breaking up a pass and forcing two fumbles. Senior defensive back Tyler Craig was sixth on the team with 46 tackles (1.5 for loss) while senior Mike Munson returns on the defensive line after making 29 tackles (1.5 for loss), recovering a fumble and blocking a kick last season.
 
Simpson head coach Jim Glogowski says, “We have had a productive offseason. We are all looking forward to the challenge ahead. It should be another exciting year in the IIAC.”
 

Wartburg College Knights
	Head Coach: Rick Wills (14th year at Wartburg, 113-27 overall [13 years]) 2011 Record: 8-2 overall, 6-2 IIAC (tie-second) Starters Returning/Lost:  7/4 offense, 8/4 defense, 0/2 special teams Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  37/13 Iowa Conference Titles (Last): 12 (2010) NCAA Playoff Appearances (Last/Result): 9 (2010; lost to Bethel [Minn.] 28-20 in first round)

Wartburg returns 15 starters and 37 letter winners from last season’s 8-2 team that tied for second in the Conference with a 6-2 record. Senior offensive lineman Jon Orr, a two-time all-conference pick, anchors an offensive line that helped the Knights to a top-four offense in the IIAC last year. It is unclear at this point who the top candidate is to replace two-year starter Dan Stiefel at quarterback. That individual will have some weapons around him, though.
 
Senior wide receiver Curt Hruska was the team’s top receiver last year with 44 catches for 663 yards and three touchdowns. He ranked fifth in the league in receptions per game (4.9 rpg) and sixth in receiving yards per game (73.7 ypg). Also back for the Knights are a pair of senior all-conference running backs. Reese Thompson, a two-time all-league pick, ran for 436 yards and four touchdowns last season and caught 10 balls for 81 yards. Connor Dahlstrom led the team in rushing with 610 yards and seven touchdowns on 113 carries. He ranked sixth among IIAC running backs in yardage and tied for ninth in scoring (seventh among non-kickers).
 
The Knights’ defense will be led by a quartet of seniors covering each level. Last year, Wartburg had the top-ranked scoring defense in the IIAC (20.8 ppg) and ranked second against the run (140.2 ppg) and in overall defense (355.2 ypg).
 
Linebacker Jason Shupp, a 2011 all-IIAC first-teamer, ranked third in the conference with a team-high 105 tackles, while ranking third with 14.0 tackles for loss and fourth with 6.5 sacks. He also broke up two passes and forced a fumble. Fellow backer Mark Lueschow, an all-IIAC honorable mention, made 80 stops with 11.0 tackles for loss, an interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He also blocked two kicks.  
 
Up front, defensive lineman Ross Naylor was named to the all-IIAC second team after making 36 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He also broke up a pass. Defensive back Garrett McGrane, a two-time first team all-IIAC pick, posted 81 tackles (3.5 for loss), broke up five passes and intercepted three more, returning two for touchdowns (at Monmouth [Ill.], vs. Buena Vista). He ranked 13th in the league in tackles and tied for 12th in passes defended.
 
Wartburg head coach Rick Willis says, “We have an interesting mix of experience and question marks. We expect to be fighting for a championship in a tough but wide-open IIAC race. ”