PELLA—After a September slate of home games, the undefeated Central College football team finally makes its first road appearance Saturday, traveling to Luther College for an American Rivers contest.
           
Central is 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the league after roaring past Loras College 52-33 Saturday at Pella. Luther (0-4 overall, 0-2 conference) tumbled 52-21 at Coe College last week. Game time is 1 p.m. at Carlson Stadium in Decorah.                                                                                                 
           
On the air and online—The Voice of the Dutch, Trevor Castle, will call Saturday's action on KRLS-FM (92.1), with retired defensive coordinator Don De Waard providing the color. The KRLS pregame show will air at 12:35 p.m. The broadcast can be accessed through www.kniakrls.com or directly at rdo.to/krls. It's also accessible via mobile device with the KRLS app available through iTunes and other outlets.
On Mondays, Castle plays host to coach Jeff McMartin on the KRLS Coaches' Corner at 7 p.m. Those broadcasts are also available on demand through www.kniakrls.com.
Twitter users can get updates through @CentralDutch.
           
AFCA poll—Central is among those schools receiving votes in the AFCA Division III Coaches' Top 25. Mary-Hardin Baylor (Texas) tops the rankings ahead of Mount Union (Ohio) with American Rivers rival Wartburg College rated No. 13.
The series—Central outscored the Norse at Pella last year, 63-14, and holds a 57-21-1 advantage in the teams' all-time series, which launched in 1928.
           
The Norse—Luther presents some preparation challenges, particularly for the Dutch defense. The Norse relied on a run-based option offense in recent years and still lead the league in rushing with 198.0 yards per game, but it's a bit of a hybrid attack this season with a more open spread look, McMartin said.
           
"There are certainly some option elements to what they're doing at Luther," he said. "They're evolving as an offense a little bit. It will be a different week for us but we've gone through this for a number of years now with Luther and had to prepare for them. In a lot of ways this is good for us because it makes us play sound assignment defense. It is about fundamentals, getting stops and getting off the field."
           
Complicating the transition for Luther is a reliance on young talent. The Norse have just one senior and one junior listed in the offensive starting lineup, along with seven sophomores and two freshmen. There are six freshmen in the second unit.
           
Sophomore Parker Kizer has taken over as the starting quarterback after coming off the bench in the early going. He's completed 18 of 39 passes for 180 yards while rushing 49 times for 234 yards and three scores. Senior running back Quon Lambert has gained 196 yards on 31 carries with three touchdowns.
           
The defense is a bit more veteran, with five senior starters.
           
"Defensively, it looks like they're running an odd front," McMartin said. "They'll bring pressure off the edges. They've got some very good defensive players, guys with some experience. We're going to have to be very clear in how we want to attack things. It's a little bit different from what you see from other teams."
           
Sophomore linebackers Hayden Glynn and Bryce Neuse top the Norse tackle charts with 38 and 33, respectively.
           
McMartin isn't paying attention to the Norse season record.
           
"This is their homecoming game," he said. "We know we've had a lot of tough games with them and they've played us really tough. We're expecting a battle. In our league, you have to play hard each week and do things the right way. If you do those things, often times you get rewarded and if you don't, you pay a price."
           
D3football.com honor—Quarterback Blaine Hawkins (junior, Ankeny) was named to the D3football.com team of the week for the second time Tuesday. He tied his own three-week-old school record with six touchdown passes, completing 19-of-23 for 355 yards, 12 yards shy of his own school yardage mark
           
Robinson rises—It's already been a breakout season for wide receiver Hunter Robinson (senior, Lisbon), who was named the American Rivers offensive player of the week after tying a school record with four touchdown receptions Saturday against Loras. He had a career-best 179 yards on five receptions while also returning a punt for 39 yards and a kickoff for 34.
           
Robinson leads the league in punt returns, averaging 19.5 yards on eight returns. He's also tops in all-purpose yardage at 179.3 yards per game and is third in receiving yardage with 18 catches for 348 yards and seven touchdowns.
           
McMartin said Robinson is a shining example of a player making huge strides over four years through commitment. While some young players make a quick impact, many at Central rely on the program's developmental approach, which features its highly regarded strength and conditioning program as well as on-field learning, and eventually see the payoff.
           
"The thing that's important to remember is that this is a four-year process," McMartin said. "You look at Hunter Robinson. He had a tremendous game on Saturday. But this is the first year he starts for us. Right now, he's playing as good as anybody we have on the football team. He's developed. He's committed himself to four years in the weight room, four years in the summer, four years of reps and drills, playing on the scout team and being a back-up. He's getting an opportunity now to show how far he's come as a football player."
           
Saturday stand-outs—Others impressed on Saturday as well, McMartin said, including Central's other top wide receivers, Erik Knaack (junior, Reinbeck, Gladbrook-Reinbeck HS) had seven catches for 110 yards and one touchdown while Tanner Schminke (junior, Boone) had four receptions for 57 yards and a score.
           
"All three wide receivers were amazing," McMartin said. "We got three great performances. Every one of them had a touchdown catch and they were equally impressive in how they did it."
           
McMartin also liked some of the team's defensive work
           
"Both of our safeties, Jordy Borman (senior, Eagan, Minn.) and Brayden Egli (sophomore, Saint Charles, Interstate 35 HS), did a good job," he said. "We got a good performance from (cornerback) Danny Anderson (senior, Boone) as well. Up front, I thought (defensive linemen) Blade Durbala (junior, Blairstown, Benton HS) and Martin Olson (senior, Kimballton, EHK-Exira HS) had real good games."
           
Borman had his first interception of the season after picking off six passes last year and Anderson had an interception as well. Egli and Durbala had five tackles each. Olson recorded two tackles for loss.
           
Unexpected answer—Running back Joey McIntyre (junior, Hoffman Estates, Ill., St. Viator HS) is an early-season surprise. McIntyre was a member of the Dutch wrestling squad previously and hadn't played football since high school. He joined the squad in the spring, made an early impression and, with opening-game starter Jason Hopp (sophomore, Earlham) limited by injury, got his first collegiate start last week. McIntyre, still learning on the job, rushed for a game-high 92 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
           
"I thought Joey McIntyre made some nice runs," McMartin said. "For his limited experience on the college level, I thought he did really well."
           
It's all still pretty new for McIntyre.
           
"He'd been around our players a lot on campus and as a student strength coach," McMartin said. "When he transitioned out of wrestling, I think he wanted to be a part of it. He'd played running back in high school at St. Viator in Chicago and that was a position that had some opportunities here after we graduated three seniors.
           
"He looked good in the spring but you never really know until you get the pads on. He runs hard and he does cut well. He probably sees holes and blocking set-ups as well as anybody on the team. He's got good vision and plays off blocks well."
           
Work ahead—McMartin didn't have to look hard for things he didn't like, however. Coverage on special teams is near the top of the list.
           
"That did not go well for us," McMartin said. "We need to get better at kick coverage. And I think we can be more effective in the run game, we can protect our quarterback better (Central yielded two sacks), we didn't get a lot of pressure on their quarterback, we can improve in that area. We gave up some yards rushing that we can improve on just by getting guys in better position. We are excited that we won and feel good about that but there a lot of things we can do better."
           
Details matter.
           
"I think we're going into this week really paying attention to the little things and stressing that to our players, not allowing them to think we're where we want to be right now because we aren't," McMartin said. "We can be a better football team. We have room to grow."
            Dutch numbers—Central ranks fifth in the NCAA Division III in team passing efficiency (193.0), sixth in passing yards (349.7 per game), eighth in completion percentage (70.8), ninth in total offense (519.0 yards per game), 11th in scoring (46.3 points per game) and 13th in third-down conversions (53.2 percent),
           
Hawkins is second nationally in passing efficiency (214.8), third in passing touchdowns (15), 10th in total offense (346.3 yards per game) and 13th in passing yards (324.7 per game). Robinson is fifth in punt returns (19.5 yards per return), eighth in scoring (14.0 points per game), ninth in touchdown receptions (7) and 23rd in receiving yards (116.0 yards per game).
           
Central's 387 passing yards Saturday ranked fifth in school history, the 52 points tied for ninth, the six touchdowns tied for 10th and the 569 yards of total offense ranked 12th. Robinson's 179 receiving yards ranked eighth. He tied for first in points scored with 24.
           
Punter Que Baker-McCaulay (freshman, Mesa, Ariz., Tempe HS) had to compete for his job Saturday against two other punters who saw action but responded with a 48.7-yard average that was Central's third-highest for a game. Baker-McCaulay upped his season average to 39.3 yards.
           
"I thought Que did a great job," McMartin said. "He really came back and did very well."

Blaine bits—Hawkins has climbed to second in school history in passing touchdowns (50), fourth in passing yards (4,562), sixth in completions (330) and 10th in attempts (496). He's completed 66.5 percent of his throws (330-496-10) and has a 173.0 pass efficiency rating. His 82.6 completion percentage Saturday ranked fourth on the all-time single-game charts, his 354 passing yards ranked second and his six touchdown passes tied his own record set in the Sept. 7 opener with the University of Northwestern-St. Paul (Minn.).
Hawkins has already thrown for 975 yards, an average of 325.0 per game, and 15 touchdowns with two interceptions.
Hawkins is the league total offense leader at 346.7 yards per game

Stretching the field—Hawkins completed six passes longer than 35 yards Saturday, including strikes of 40 and 37 yards in a three-play third-quarter touchdown assault.
           
"We were able to make some big plays and that probably bought us some opportunities where we maybe weren't as sharp as we wanted to be but still have success," McMartin said.
           
Field work—Central's participation report listed 108 players who saw action Saturday. McMartin is high on the younger Dutch players and the program's future, but development must continue.
           
"It was good to get a lot of people in the game but obviously there's work to be done," he said. "They played hard and we got great effort out of them, but there are a lot of things to improve upon. It's good for us to see that on film and allows us to coach them better."
 
Probable starters
OFFENSE
QB          3             Blaine Hawkins (5-11, 200, jr.)   
RB           24           Joey McIntyre (5-8, 210, jr.)        
SB           1             Caleb Schlatter (5-11, 200, jr.)   
TE           83           Ross Norem (6-3, 230, sr.)           
WR         11           Erik Knaack (6-0, 190, jr.)             
WR         2              Hunter Robinson (6-0, 190, sr.) 
LT            68           Cody Smith (6-4, 295, sr.)             
LG           50           Ed Henning (6-1, 270, sr.)            
C             53           Jake Suggett (6-0, 300, sr.)          
RG          58           Josh Mayhew (6-1, 260, jr.)         
RT           70           Travis Wagner (6-5, 270, jr.)       
 
DEFENSE             
DL           67           Matt Glockel (6-0, 245, jr.)          
NG         52           Tom Adolph (5-11, 250, so.)       
DL           92           Blade Durbala (6-1, 285, jr.)        
OLB        33           Tate O'Tool (5-11, 185, sr.)          
ILB          21           Drew Smith (5-9, 195, so.)           
ILB          12           Connor Lewin (6-1, 195, sr.)        
OLB        59           Hunter Maddy (6-3, 220, jr.)       
CB           14           Danny Anderson (6-1, 190, sr.)  
SS           22           Jordy Borman (5-10, 170, sr.)     
FS           4              Brayden Egli (6-1, 180, so.)          
CB           13           Tre Wilridge III (5-7, 145, jr.)       
 
SPECIALTY
K             19           Jon Alberts (5-11, 180, jr.)           
P             99           Que Baker-McCauley (6-2, 265, fr.)          
KR           12           Connor Lewin (6-1, 195, jr.)        
                8              Jason Hopp (6-0, 225, so.)           
PR           2              Hunter Robinson (6-0, 180, jr.)
                14           Danny Anderson (6-1, 190, sr.)
LS            46           Justin Thomas (6-0, 185, fr.)
H             80           Logan Huinker (6-2, 165, so.)