DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Loras College football team returns to the Rock Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 10, to host Simpson College as part of Homecoming Weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. as the Duhawks look to secure their first American Rivers Conference victory of the season.

LAST TIME OUT

Loras dropped its conference opener, 35-14, at Coe College on Oct. 3. After falling behind 28-0, the Duhawks scored consecutive second-half touchdowns to pull within 14. Joey Helminiak connected with Isaac Oster on a 59-yard touchdown in the third quarter before finding Brock Couch for an 11-yard score in the fourth. Helminiak finished with 282 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Jeremy Pittman led the ground game with 93 yards on 21 carries. Oster totaled four receptions for 75 yards, and Will Speltz paced the defense with 11 tackles.

Simpson opened A-R-C play with a 51-20 road victory over Buena Vista on Oct. 3. The Storm built a 31-7 halftime advantage and finished with 449 yards of total offense, including 263 rushing yards. Demarico Young rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown, while Hank Wilmes added three rushing scores. Quarterback Jayden Thoreson completed 16-of-21 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. Noah Noland and JJ Martin-England each recorded eight tackles to lead the defense.

ABOUT THE DUHAWKS

Loras enters Saturday at 2-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The Duhawks earned nonconference victories over St. Olaf and Northwestern before opening their league schedule at Coe. Saturday marks their first appearance at the Rock Bowl since the season-opening win over St. Olaf on Sept. 5.

Joey Helminiak leads the Duhawk offense with 1,140 passing yards and nine touchdowns while completing 60.1 percent of his attempts. Isaiah Washington paces the receiving corps with 367 yards and two touchdowns on 16 catches, averaging 22.9 yards per reception. Isaac Oster leads Loras with 20 receptions, totaling 237 yards and two scores, while Brock Couch has contributed 18 catches for 200 yards and a team-high three receiving touchdowns. On the ground, Jeremy Pittman leads the Duhawks with 241 rushing yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry across three appearances.

Defensively, Will Speltz leads both Loras and the A-R-C with 37 tackles, including 24 solo stops, while Henry Ivers follows with 28 tackles. Mason Boothe has added 23 tackles and leads the Duhawks with 2.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss, tying for the conference lead in both categories. Jonah Clark has recorded two sacks, followed by Drew Diers with 1.5. In the secondary, Charles Williams leads Loras with three interceptions, tied for the most in the conference, and has returned two for touchdowns. Braxten Johnson and Brandon Glover Jr. have each collected two interceptions, with Glover adding a team-high four pass breakups.

ABOUT THE STORM

Simpson enters Saturday at 2-2 overall and 1-0 in American Rivers Conference play following its 51-20 victory over Buena Vista. The Storm's other victory came in a 52-0 shutout of Crown, while their losses came against Augustana and Howard Payne. Simpson finished last season at 6-4 overall and 5-3 in conference play and returned seven starters on each side of the ball for 2026.

Quarterback Jayden Thoreson has completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 990 yards and 11 touchdowns without an interception. Noah Cracraft leads the conference with 560 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches, averaging 140.0 yards per game. Demarico Young provides balance on the ground, leading the A-R-C with 511 rushing yards while averaging 6.4 yards per carry. His four rushing touchdowns complement an offense that leads the conference in both scoring and total yardage.

The Storm also enter with the conference's top-ranked total defense, allowing 330.3 yards per game, and rank second against the run at 110.3 yards per contest. Noah Noland and JJ Martin-England each registered eight tackles against Buena Vista, helping Simpson hold the Beavers to 62 rushing yards. With an efficient passing game, a productive rushing attack and a defense coming off a strong conference opener, the Storm present a challenge on both sides of the ball.

BY THE NUMBERS

Saturday's matchup features the A-R-C's top two teams in total offense, with Simpson averaging 457.5 yards per game and Loras producing 419.3. The Duhawks lead the conference in passing offense at 294.8 yards per game, while the Storm lead in rushing offense at 202.0. Washington averages 22.9 yards per reception, giving Loras a threat downfield.

Defensively, the Duhawks rank fourth in the league against the run, allowing 127.0 yards per game, setting up a key matchup against Simpson's ground attack.

SERIES HISTORY

This will be the 49^th all-time matchup between these two squads dating back to 1925. Simpson hold a 34-14 advantage in the series with the last Duhawk win coming in 2023, a 82-16 win in Dubuque.