DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras football team brings to a close its 2015 season on Saturday as they host No. 13 Wartburg in the Rock Bowl. The Duhawks are hoping to secure a 5-5 record for the first time since 2010.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORD AGAINST WARTBURG •••
Wartburg owns a 25-9 advantage all-time against Loras, including the last 10 meetings, dating back to 2004. The two sides met for the first time in 1986, with Loras earning the 16-12 victory. The Duhawks' last win against the Knights came in 2004 by a final score of 31-14. Loras ran a very balanced offense that day, passing for 198 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Wartburg was held to just 260 yards of offense.

LAST MEETING AGAINST WARTBURG •••
Last season, Loras found themselves on the short end of a one-sided contest, with the Knights winning in convincing fashion, 81-21. The game was highlighted by senior Nate Even breaking two school records for receiving. The senior broke school records for receptions and receiving yards in a season, both set by Kendall Griffin in 1992. Even was the key to Loras' offense, hauling in seven receptions for 155 yards and three touchdowns. The Duhawks struggled defensively, allowing Wartburg to accumulate 674 yards of total offense.

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS •••
Wartburg enters Saturday's action with a record of (8-1, 5-1), good for second place in the Iowa Conference. The 19th-ranked Knights boast the highest scoring offense in the conference, as well as the second best defense in terms of points. Wartburg ranks second in the conference in total offense, 29 yards per game behind the Duhawks. The Knights boast a balanced offensive attack, ranking highly in both rushing and passing yardage per game. Defensively the Knights are as stingy as ever, but have slipped up in run defense at times this season, averaging 152.3 yards allowed per game. Wartburg's pass coverage has been a key cog in the machine, surrendering only an average of 211.4 yards per game. The Knights feature three talented rushers, which includes quarterback Logan Schrader. They're led by Brandon Domeyer, who has recorded 15 touchdowns on 782 yards so far this season. Last season, Domeyer torched the Duhawks for 115 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries. Wartburg has been prone to turnovers in the passing game, however, as Schrader has a 15-to-9 touchdown to interception ratio.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AGAINST THE KNIGHTS •••
Last week against Simpson, Wartburg struggled on defense, allowing the Storm to net 567 yards of total offense, well above their season average. Simpson did damage both on the ground and through the air, recording 234 rushing and 333 passing yards. The Storm had two rushers clip the 100-yard mark, which could be a positive sign for junior Zach Minch who struggled last week against Luther. Simpson also played turnover-free football, which Loras will need to do if they hope to finish the season at 5-5. Through the air, seven Storm receivers hauled in passes of 15 or more yards, eluding to a potential gap in the Knight's armor. One area in which the Duhawks will need to focus their attention is stopping the quarterback rush. So far this season, Loras has struggled to contain dual-threat field generals and Wartburg's Logan Schrader is no different. Last week, Schrader rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns while throwing for 380 yards and three touchdowns.

FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR THE DUHAWKS •••
There's no question that the 2015 Duhawk football team has taken major strides under second year head coach Steve Helminiak. After finishing 3-7 and 1-9 the previous two seasons, the Duhawks can finish this season at 5-5 for the first time since 2010. The offense has also taken steps towards becoming one of the best offenses in Division III under second year offensive coordinator Jake Olsen. Heading into the season finale against Wartburg the Duhawks rank second in the NCAA for passing yards per game with 368.8. Freshman Nolan Baumhover has reaped the benefits, setting multiple school records in 2015.

DUHAWKS OUT OF SYNC •••
The (4-5, 3-3) Duhawks have much to be proud of this season due to the number of records that've been broken and the steps they've taken as a program, eclipsing their win total from last season. There have been countless times this season where the offense has performed well in one half, but not the other. The same can be said of the Duhawks defense who has had their fair share of struggles in each game. This theme has stood over the course of the past two games, each of which Loras has lost. In the loss to cross-town rival University of Dubuque, Loras totaled only 108 yards of offense in the first half without scoring a point. Offensively, the Duhawks scored on their first possession of the second half, but the defense couldn't figure out the Spartans strong rushing attack. Last week against Luther, Loras took a 21-14 lead into the half. Things went awry in the second half however, leading to a Norse win. After gaining 224 yards in the first half alongside 21 points, the Duhawk  offense managed to gain just 93 yards in the second half. Luther went on to score 17 unanswered points in the second half to take the lead and earn the victory. In order to knock-off the No. 13 Wartburg Knights this Saturday, the Duhawks will have to play to their potential on both sides of the ball for a full 60 minutes.

DUHAWKS HONOR 14 SENIORS •••
On Saturday afternoon, 14 seniors will step onto the Rock Bowl for the final time. This senior class has helped in the transition of head coaches and in the redirection of the Loras football program. These seniors are Dan Vatch, J.P. Awe, David Roche, Jon Powers, Anthony Adams, Nate Even, Nik Schulte, Nate Carrier, Tim Mikeworth, Mitch Powers, Logan Kuehl, Ryan Rolfes, Brendon Rosner and Frank Pehlke. Each of these seniors have made contributions on and off the field over the course of the last four seasons. Even headlines the class as one of the most prolific receivers in program history, breaking multiple school records in his 2014 season which saw him haul in 77 receptions for 1,282 yards. Awe and Kuehl have been mainstays defensively, collecting 170 and 199 tackles respectively entering Saturday's contest. Roche has been a constant on the offensive line, leading a group of mostly underclassmen this season from the center position.