DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras football team continues Iowa Conference play on Saturday with a showdown with Buena Vista in Storm Lake, Iowa.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORD AGAINST BUENA VISTA •••
Heading into Saturday, Loras and Buena Vista draw even with 20 wins apiece in the series, making this weekend the rubber match. The Duhawks last defeated the Beavers in 2010 by a final score of 17-14. Loras was led offensively by Ryan Baez who accumulated 95 yards on the ground and the deciding touchdown in the second quarter.

LAST MEETING VERSUS BUENA VISTA •••
Last season, the Duhawks lost 48-29 at home in the Rock Bowl. Buena Vista's Bobby Brown threw for five touchdowns and 432 yards on 47 attempts. The Beavers also dominated on the ground as Dylan Barrett took 25 carries for 163 yards and a touchdown. Loras had offensive success in bursts against the Beavers with Bob Kelly throwing for 238 yards and three touchdowns on 41 attempts.

SCOUTING THE BEAVERS •••
Buena Vista enters Saturday's contest having been trounced in week four 43-13 against Simpson. Contrary to the opponents Loras has faced thus far, the Beavers feature the Iowa Conference's lowest scoring offense at just 11.8 points per game. With just 293.5 yards per game, Buena Vista's offense has been limited both through the air and on the ground by opposing defenses so far this season. Not only do the Beavers struggle offensively, but their defense has given up 421.2 yards on average through four weeks. These defensive holes should allow Loras' top-ranked offense to thrive. Buena Vista especially struggles with their rushing attack, being limited to 2.8 yards per carry. The Beavers have also allowed the most passing touchdowns in the Iowa Conference with 11 as opposed to just one interception. Cody Mowery leads the conference in rushing attempts (93) and ranks second in rushing yards (445). Loras struggled in the first half with third-ranked Sam Lahr this past weekend and will need to bottle up Mowery the same way they did Lahr in the second half of last weeks' contest.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AGAINST THE BEAVERS •••
On the heels of a heartbreaking 30-27 defeat at the hands of Coe, the Duhawks look to improve upon their first half play in week five. With the addition of freshman Nolan Baumhover in the starting lineup, Loras will best utilize his dual-threat capability. The 6-3 freshman has both the size and speed to make a large impact on the Iowa Conference throughout his collegiate career. Baumhover started the Duhawks' week two match-up against UW-Stout prior to being sidelined with an injury. In week five, watch for Baumhover to play closer to his week two self, in which he gained 55 yards on the ground (net 39) and 380 through the air.

Defensively the Duhawks must get out to a quicker start than in weeks' past. Opponents have scored 110 points through four weeks in the first half as opposed to 55 in the second half. Over the course of the past two games, Loras has allowed just 10 second half points. Halftime has been crucial for the Duhawk defense, allowing for necessary adjustments that are more challenging to make on the sidelines.

WILLIS ENJOYING BREAKOUT SEASON •••
2015 has brought a new-and-improved Willis to the field as he ranks third in the conference in receptions with 33 and third in yards with 402. In last weeks loss to Coe, Willis sparked the Loras offense with an 80-yard touchdown reception. Not just an offensive threat, Willis has succeed in the return game as well. Through four games, the junior leads the Iowa Conference in kick return average at 25.1 yards per return. Thanks to his prowess in the return game, Willis leads the conference in all-purpose yardage per game with an average of 203.2 total yards.

DUHAWKS' SECOND HALF PLAY •••
The Duhawks offensive prowess this year has never fallen under question. They've gained 2,051 yards and scored a combined 142 points through four games. The defense, on the other hand has been inconsistent. Specifically, in the last two games, they've given up 72 points in the first half as opposed to just 10 points in the second half. If the Duhawks second half defense can  prevail for a full 60 minutes in addition to their high powered offense, Loras can become a dangerous team in the Iowa Conference.

OFFENSIVE MOMENTUM CARRIES INTO SECOND HALF •••
In each of the past two weeks, the Duhawks have come alive in the second half. Loras scored 29 of their 56 points against Augustana after halftime and held the Vikings to just three points. Two weeks later, Loras scored 20 of their 27 points against Coe in the fourth quarter. It's apparent the Duhawks have the necessary skills to defeat their opponents, but unfortunately the momentum hasn't kicked-in until late in games. It will be crucial for Loras to emerge with this momentum from the openng kickoff against Buena Vista.

DUHAWKS LEADING THE IIAC ON DEFENSE •••
Juniors Calvin Harridge, Damon Davies, and Austin Epple all hold conference leads four games into the 2015 season. Harridge has staked his claim atop the total tackle charts, leading the conference with 53 and an average of 13.2 per game. As one of the best pass rushers in the IIAC, Davies currently leads in sacks with 3.5. Following an injury riddled 2014 season, Epple leads the conference in tackles for a loss with 7.0. Epple has caused problems for opposing guards all season long. Last week Epple recorded 3.0 tackles for a loss against Coe.

MOVING THE CHAINS •••
Entering Saturday's IIAC match-up against Buena Vista, the Loras football team through four games has picked up 112 first downs. Seventy-nine out of the 112 first downs have come through the air with both Nik Schulte and Nolan Baumhover contributing to the attack. The 112 first downs picked up by the Duhawks is 23 more than their opponents in 2015.

DUHAWKS LEADING THE IIAC ON OFFENSE •••
In just the third-year of the Helminiak era, the Duhawks have found themselves leading the Iowa Conference in multiple offensive categories. Contrary to their 1-3 record, the Duhawks sit on top of Scoring Offense, Total Offense, Pass Offense and First Downs for the Iowa Conference.