STORM LAKE - After dropping a heartbreaking 40-39 (OT) loss on the road last week at Loras College, the Buena Vista football team returns home this week to play its final game inside J. Leslie Rollins Stadium this season as it hosts Luther College for a 1 p.m. kick-off.
The two teams will take the field with each looking to capture its first conference win of the year. The Norse fell at home last week to the University of Dubuque, 69-14, and remain winless overall on the season (0-7). Their last win came against Buena Vista in Decorah, 41-26, on October 13, 2018. The Beavers, meanwhile, are looking to end a current 18-game conference losing skid that dates back to the 2017 campaign. The team's last conference triumph came at the University of Dubuque, 44-41, on October 7, 2017. Despite the tough stretch, the Beavers have had the lead at some point during the second half during three of its six A-R-C setbacks this season and have been within at least 10 points in two of the other three.
Luther is allowing an average of nearly 58 points per game against conference opponents so far this season while being held to just 16.0ppg. The Beavers, meanwhile, are scoring 20.3ppg thru six contests despite giving up 40.3ppg.
Saturday's match-up could come down to which team can limit the running game the best. The Beavers sit seventh in the league, allowing just over 154.0ypg while the Norse are third in rushing yards per contest at 201.4ypg. On the flip-side, BVU has rushed for an average of 83.0 yards per game after going over 200 rushing yards in each of the first two contests. Through its first five league games, Luther is allowing over 300 yards per game on the ground which is ninth in the A-R-C.
The Norse and their triple offense attack is led by Quon Lambert's 54.3 yards per game, followed by quarterback Parker Kizer's 45.4ypg.
Adrian Griffin and
Bryland Menicucci have led the BVU attack by each averaging over 25 yards per game and combining for three rushing touchdowns against A-R-C foes.
Junior
Eric Pacheco has been hard to slow down this season, and he will come in looking to add to his stellar campaign. He has hauled in a career-high 59 catches this season and is second in the league with 7.3 catches per game. He's also averaging 94.3 yards per game during conference play which is third-best among all receivers in the league.
Pacheco is also looking to continue moving up both the BVU single-season and career lists in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns. His 59 catches this season rank sixth on the single-season list and just one away from fifth and sixth away from fourth. The single-season record is 83 set by Jalen Henningsen in 2016. Pacheco has a pair of 10-catch games this season and looks to extend his streak of five games with at least seven receptions. He needs only six grabs to move into second on the all-time career receptions list of 157. He sits just 103 yards away from becoming the first player in school history to record multiple 1,000-yard seasons. He finished with 1,072 receiving yards as a sophomore last season which was the second-most in single-season history (1,101; Gunner Gilliand in 2014).
Luther comes in ranked sixth during conference play in pass defense, allowing 271.2ypg. The Beavers are among the league's leaders in passing offense, sitting fourth at 250.7ypg.
The Norse have won two straight games in the series after BVU had won four of the previous five. The Beavers have won three of the last four games against Luther played in Storm Lake.
Eight BVU seniors will be recognized prior to the game as they get set to play their final career home game.
Saturday's game will be televised locally on BVTV and streamed online at www.bvuathletics.com. A local radio broadcast from play-by-play man, Chris Boeckman, can also be heard at 97.5FM KBVU.
