Waverly, Iowa -- The Wartburg College football team improved to 11-0 with a 35-34 overtime victory over Franklin College (Ind.) in the opening round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. Next up for the Knights is Trine University (Ind.), which defeated Monmouth (Ill.), 63-24.

“An instant classic,” is how Knights head coach Rick Willis characterized the contest, which wasn’t decided until DB Peyton Imhoff broke up a 2-point attempt that would have given Franklin the win. Wartburg had taken the lead on the first possession of overtime when RB Connor Schrader bulled into the end zone from six yards out. QB Matt Sacia connected with WR Riley Brockway a couple of plays earlier on a massive 4th-and-8 conversion.

The first half was a shootout and ended tied 21-21. The teams combined for 456 yards, 31 first downs, 11-of-13 on third down and 2-of-2 on fourth down. Wartburg answered an early Franklin TD with Brockway recovery of a fumble into the end zone by TE Matt Mulford, who carted the ball just short of pay dirt before having it jarred loose. Schrader then gave the Knights the lead on a 7-yard TD run.

Franklin’s potent offense tied the game and then powered to a 7-point lead with use 1:35 left in the half. A huge moment in the game came when Wartburg was able to use that last 95 seconds to tie the game at 21 on Brockway’s 3-yard TD run.

The defenses looked like they wouldn’t be able to restore order when Wartburg scored on its first possession of the second half. RB Dylan Binion scored on a 20-yard pass from Sacia. Franklin came right back with a long kickoff return that shortened the field. Not long after, the Grizzlies tied the game at 28. The defenses then bent but didn’t break, and no points were scored from the 9:30 mark of the third through the end of regulation. 

Sacia passed for 170 yards on 17-of-28 with two TDs. Now with 30 this season, Sacia tied a school record set by Schrader’s brother, Logan, a couple years back. The Knights had two 100-yard rushers -- Schader with 116 yards and two scores and Binion with 104 yards and no touchdowns. Brockway was the leading yardage receiver in the game with 88 yards on six catches.

LB Rob Rottler led the Knights on defense with 12 tackles (five solos). LB Connor Frerichs had eight tackles, while DB JoJo McNair had seven tackles.

The site of next Saturday’s Trine-Wartburg game will be announced tomorrow. Wartburg was ranked second in the West Region, while Trine was ranked third in the North Region.