Benedictine Football returns to Grand View University for the third time in two seasons, looking to snap the No. 1-ranked Vikings 31-game winning streak.
THE MATCHUP: The No. 9-ranked Ravens are 2-2 against the Vikings in Des Moines, Iowa after dropping their Week 1 meeting with Grand View 27-24 last year and then falling 17-10 in a snow-packed Duke Williams Stadium in the 2025 NAIA FCS Semifinals back on Dec. 13, 2025.
Saturday's game is the Heart-UEN Clash of the Week, the first of the season for Grand View and the second straight for Benedictine. You can watch the game live on UEN at https://www.urbanedgenetwork.net/watch/1329. If you aren't where you can watch the game, you can always listen live to Tom Kautz and Gus Kautz on the KAIR 93.7 FM stream at https://us7.maindigitalstream.com/3765/. Live Stats are also available at http://statb.us/b/677730. … The game marks the 10th meeting between the two programs since Grand View joined the Heart for the 2015 season.
ABOUT GRAND VIEW: The top-ranked Vikings are 3-0 so far this season and are 1-0 in the Heart North with a season-opening shutout over Peru State in Nebraska, 51-0. The Vikings have allowed a total of 14 points through the first three games of the season with a home win over Central Methodist, 40-7, on Sept. 5 and a road win over Missouri Valley last week, 21-7. … Grand View is averaging 395.7 yards per game (190.3 rushing & 205.3 passing) in its first three games of the season. After passing for over 240 yards in each of the first two games of the season, the Vikings were limited to just 87 yards in the air in the win over Missouri Valley on just 8 of 20 completions with 2 interceptions. … Dalton Van Pelt leads the Vikings in rushing, averaging 69.3 yards per game with 3 touchdowns. Bryan Williams has also rushed for 59 yards per game over three games while adding a fourth rushing TD. Seven of the Vikings 15 touchdowns this season have come on the ground. … Defensively, the Vikings have allowed just 2 touchdowns over its first three games. They have recorded 10 sacks for a loss of 67 yards while recording 1 interception. … Drew Gerdes leads the Vikings with 17 total tackles. Harry Leinen is tied for third with 16 total tackles with one interception. Eli Moses has 3 sacks, followed by y Simeon Reichenbach with 2.5 and Leo Jones with 2. The Vikings have a total of 34 tackles for a loss of 155 yards.
ABOUT BENEDICTINE: Since giving up 35 points in its Week 0 loss at Morningside, the Ravens have allowed just 13 points over their last two games. They have come out of the half to outscore opponents 38-6 this season and are averaging 38.3 points per game. … Benedictine is averaging 265 yards per game rushing, which ranks them ninth in the NAIA so far this season. They also rank eighth in first downs with 79 and are sixth in 3-down percentage at a 56-percent conversion rate. … Xiomar Hernandez is anchoring that No. 9-ranked rushing attack averaging 99.3 per game with 6 touchdowns. He is a 2-yard loss from averaging 100 yards per game this season. … Patrick Heitert is giving the Ravens a rushing asset at quarterback they've not had since Garrett Kettle. Heitert is averaging 77.3 yards on the ground while he's also completing 59.2 percent of his passes for an average of 110.7 yards per game off 29 of 49 passing. … Joseph Lagafuaina is the Ravens top receiver in average through three games. He is at 45.5 yards per game with and average of 18.1 yards per catch. Hernandez is also a threat in the passing game out of the backfield, leading the Ravens in total receiving with 97 yards. Titan Osburn (90 yards) and Christian Pitts (62 yards) also give the Ravens two more downfield threats in the passing game. … Defensively, the Ravens have 13 tackles for a loss this season with 6 sacks for a loss of 50 yards with 5 interceptions. Kolbe Sexton leads the Ravens with 22 tackles while Ben Gilliland is second with 11. The six sacks have from six players with Jonathan Crowe recording the biggest loss on his sack of 12 yards. … Five Ravens have also recorded interceptions with Sam Torline recording a 60-yard pick six in the win 40-7 win over then-No. 13 William Penn last week.
UP NEXT: The Ravens return home on Sept. 26 to host Saint Ambrose University for the first time as a full member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference for Family Weekend at 1 p.m. inside Larry Wilcox Stadium. The match up is the seventh overall between the two programs but the first since the Fighting Bees joined the Heart as an associate member in 2024.
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