D3-CFB Game Preview: Luther Norse (0-3) vs. Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves (0-3)

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Venue & Logistics

Location: Abel Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska (home of Nebraska Wesleyan University)

Kickoff Time: 11:00 AM CT (12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT)

Conference Context:

Luther College (Decorah, IA): Member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC)

Nebraska Wesleyan (Lincoln, NE): Also a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC)

Context: A key early-season ARC matchup between two programs trying to climb the standings.

Weather Forecast (Lincoln, NE)

Temperature: ~73°F (23°C) at kickoff

Conditions: Mostly sunny with scattered clouds

Winds: 7–12 mph from the southwest

Precipitation: ~10% chance of rain

Impact: Excellent early fall football weather, with only light winds possibly affecting the kicking game.

Injury Report (as of latest updates)

Luther Norse: No major reported injuries; QB depth remains a watchpoint after a physical loss to Central College.

Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves: No confirmed long-term absences; defensive line rotation expected after a tough outing vs. Coe.
(Note: DIII programs often release limited injury details, so official confirmations may be sparse.)

Key Player Matchups

Quarterback Play:

Luther: QB struggled in a 63–20 loss to Central (Sept 20, 2025) but showed flashes in a 34–0 win over Martin Luther (Sept 13, 2025).

Nebraska Wesleyan: QB has been inconsistent, throwing for 200+ yards in a 20–13 OT loss to Mayville State (Sept 13, 2025) but struggling in a 62–14 loss to Coe (Sept 20, 2025).

Running Game:

Luther: RB corps has been inconsistent, but produced multiple TDs in the Martin Luther win.

Nebraska Wesleyan: Ground game has been limited, averaging under 100 yards in two of three games.

Defensive Edge:

Luther: Defense forced turnovers in the Martin Luther shutout but was overwhelmed by Central’s balanced attack.

Nebraska Wesleyan: Defense has struggled, conceding 37 to Dakota State and 62 to Coe.

Recent Team Form

Luther Norse (1–2 in 2025)

L 13–33 @ Millikin (Sept 6)

W 34–0 vs. Martin Luther (Sept 13)

L 20–63 vs. Central (Sept 20)

Struggles: Defense conceding 32 points per game in losses

Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves (0–3 in 2025)

L 7–37 @ Dakota State (Sept 6)

L 13–20 (OT) vs. Mayville State (Sept 13)

L 14–62 @ Coe (Sept 20)

Struggles: Winless, defense conceding 39.6 points per game

Series History

All-time head-to-head: Nebraska Wesleyan has had the upper hand recently

2024: Nebraska Wesleyan 40 – 12 Luther

2023: Nebraska Wesleyan 35 – 10 Luther

Trend: Nebraska Wesleyan has won the last two meetings convincingly, both by 20+ points.

Betting Trends

Luther is 1–2 ATS (against the spread) in 2025

Nebraska Wesleyan is 0–3 ATS this season

The Over has hit in 2 of Luther’s 3 games

Nebraska Wesleyan has failed to cover in 6 straight ARC games

Luther has covered in 3 of its last 5 ARC games

Historical Betting Results

2024: Nebraska Wesleyan (-6.5) covered in a 40–12 win (Total: Over 47.5)

2023: Nebraska Wesleyan (-7.5) covered in a 35–10 win (Total: Under 49.5)

Totals: Split results – one Over, one Under in the last two years

Game Odds

Luther Norse                                                     51

Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves         – 4

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 26, 2025