DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - The Loras football team will look to bounce back from last week's loss to Dubuque when they hit the road for a week nine showdown with Luther. With a 3-5 record on the year, Luther will be motivated to earn a victory on senior day and bring themselves to within one victory of finishing .500 for the year.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORD AGAINST LUTHER•••
Loras holds a 36-30-1 record over the Norse in a series that dates back to 1920. Neither team has held a distinct advantage recently, with the last four decisions featuring two wins for both teams. Loras defeated Luther in their 2014 matchup, 22-20, on senior day.

LAST MEETING AGAINST LUTHER •••
Loras defeated the Norse by a final score of 22-20 in 2014. The Duhawks used 15 first quarter points to stave off their opponent as they controlled the lead from then on. Bob Kelly led the Duhawk offense with two passing touchdowns in addition to 162 yards through the air. Calvin Smith added 60 yards on the ground to complement the passing attack. In a defensive battle, this was all the Duhawks needed alongside a 90-yard kick return touchdown in the first quarter. A missed field-goal in the second quarter of action proved costly for Luther in the end as it would've covered the difference in their defeat.

SCOUTING THE NORSE •••
Luther once again brings their triple-option offense to the table when the Duhawks head to Decorah, Iowa on Saturday. The Norse hold a 3-5 record in 2015 and have had a mixed bag of results from their unique offense. In two of the past four weeks, Luther has been held well below their rushing standards, which comes in at 304 yards per game. Wartburg held the Norse to 110 yards on the ground, averaging just 2.2 yards per carry. Central also limited Luther to just 195 yards on 48 carries. Loras will need need a performance similar to those in order to contain each of Luther's three skilled running backs. Christian Moore and Cooper Nelson will be especially difficult to contain given their home run hitting abilities, averaging 7.2 and 8.5 yards per carry respectively. Brady Letney has also seen rushing success from the quarterback position, rushing for 346 yards and seven touchdowns. Letney and Moore have combined for 247 rushes in 2015 and have essentially had a 50/50 split in carries, leaving opposing defense with little clue who will run the ball each play. This season, 13 different players have taken carries for the Norse. Since the implementation of the triple-option offense, Loras has had only marginal success against the Norse defensively. In 2013, the Duhawks allowed 356 yards on the ground and in 2014 Loras showed great improvement, limiting Luther to 238 rushing yards.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AGAINST THE NORSE •••
With their option style offense, only expect Luther to attempt around eight passes in Saturday's contest. These passes could prove dangerous however if the defense isn't prepared for the quarterback run-pass option. Otherwise, the Norse's passing game won't play a big part in this week's contest. Luther will carry the ball for a majority of their plays in hopes of wearing the defense down. This could lead to big plays being broken in the later stages of the game. Loras has had some success with stoping the run, but still rank sixth in the Iowa Conference for run defense, allowing 184.5 yards per game. By comparison, Luther boasts a strong pass defense capable of holding the Duhawks in check, similar to what University of Dubuque did in week eight. Heading into week nine, Luther has allowed just 216.9 yards per game through the air. With that said, look for junior Zach Minch to stay heavily involved on offense after receiving just 13 carries in week eight. With Luther allowing 163.8 yards per game on the ground, Minch is capable of seeing his usual success once again. All week, Loras has focused on their tackling and run defense in preparation for facing the triple-option on Saturday. The Duhawks need to focus on preventing the big play in order to give their offense good field position.

SACKING THE COMPETITION •••
Despite a loss in the record book in week eight, junior Damon Davis had some personal success in Saturday's matchup with the Spartans. Davies collected three sacks in the contest which set a new career-high. This mark moves Davies into second in the Iowa Conference in sacks on the season with 7.5 and third in tackles for a loss with 8.5. Last season, the Flossmoor, Illinois native recorded 7.0 sacks which ranked second on the team to then-junior J.P. Awe (8.0). Davies now holds the team-high this season in both sacks and tackles for a loss in a single game.

COOL UNDER PRESSURE •••
The Duhawks have ramped up the offensive statistics in the 2015 season. Loras has led numerous conference statistical categories this year as well as a number of NCAA statistical categories. One stat is showing exactly the do or die mentality Loras has. This week, Loras ranks fifth in the Iowa Conference standings for third down conversions. So far, the Duhawks have converted 41.9 percent of their third downs, but have performed better when it's needed the most. Loras has converted 61.9 percent of their fourth downs, making the Duhawks an efficient team when their backs are to the wall. No other team in the IIAC has attempted more fourth down conversions than the Duhawks this season, with 21 attempts in eight games. Their 13 conversions lead the Iowa Conference, one more than Wartburg.

MINCH AND BAUMHOVER ATOP RESPECTIVE POSITIONS •••
Despite the offense being halted by University of Dubuque on Saturday, Zach Minch and Nolan Baumhover are at or near the top of there respective positions among other athletes in the Iowa Conference. Minch ranks first in rushing in the Iowa Conference with 1,009 yards rushing alongside six touchdowns. Baumhover ranks second in passing with 1,990 passing yards along with 23 touchdowns. On average, Baumhover has thrown for 284.3 yards per game.

DUHAWKS DEFEATED IN KEY CITY CLASH •••
In the Duhawks annual rivalry game against University of Dubuque, Loras came up short of their expectations. Heading in on a three-game winning streak, the Duhawks were halted by a final score of 42-7. Loras was limited to 218 yards of offense, well below their season average. The Duhawks struggled, converting on 2-of-11 third down chances. Loras was unable to handle Dubuque's rushing attack, allowing the Spartans to rush for 253 yards on 53 attempts.