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Box Score

REDLANDS, Calif. (Sept. 3, 2011) - The North Central College football team was unable to protect a large early lead in its season opener on Saturday, yielding 28 second-half points and losing by a 35-29 count to the University of Redlands at Ted Runner Stadium.

The fourth-ranked Cardinals outgained the hosts and owned more than a 10-minute advantage in time of possession, but a rash of defensive penalties and an improved level of efficiency in the Redlands passing game kept the Bulldogs in contention and ultimately propelled Redlands to the win.

"They were just finding ways to pick us apart, and that's not acceptable for this defense," said senior cornerback Stewart Charles. "We're supposed to be able to compete through adversity. We expected to face adverse situations while we were here. There were some times when we showed some life, but it just didn't turn out our way."

The Cardinals were able to gain the lead on the game's first possession, traveling 46 yards in 11 plays before Nick Dace came on to convert a 35-yard field goal. Joe Antonacci returned a Redlands punt 36 yards to set North Central up with great field position on the Bulldogs' 43. Seven plays later, Brad Crackel found Kyle Fiedorowicz over the middle for a 15-yard touchdown pass and a 10-0 Cardinal lead.

Alex Pirela ended Redlands' next drive with an interception and the Cardinals took over at the Redlands 22-yard line. After a 12-yard run by Jordan Tassio, North Central had a first-and-goal situation at the five-yard line, but had to settle for 26-yard field goal by Dace and a 13-0 advantage with 14:51 to play in the second quarter.

North Central was forced to punt for the first time on its next drive, and punter Tyler Rasche pinned the Bulldogs on their own three-yard line with a 49-yard punt. Redlands, however, marched the 97 yards to the end zone in nine plays, as quarterback Chad Hurst completed 5 of 6 passes for 68 yards. The final pass of the drive was an 11-yard strike to Mark Richardson with 9:46 left in the first half which narrowed the gap to 13-7.

The Cardinals responded with an extended scoring drive of their own, moving 66 yards in 13 plays to move back in front by two scores. On a fourth-down-and-one at the Redlands 17, Ryan Kent ran around left end for 14 yards, and Tassio scored from four yards out three plays later. North Central's extra-point attempt failed, leaving the score at 19-7.

The Bulldogs took the opening drive of the second half 76 yards in 10 plays, scoring when running back Bobby Brown's fumble at the goal line was recovered by Redlands' Taylor Chappatte in the end zone for a touchdown. The Cardinals' ensuing drive came to an end when Tassio was stopped short of the first-down marker on a fourth-down conversion attempt at the Redlands 41.

"We really thought we were in good shape at halftime," said North Central head coach John Thorne.  "We had a couple of key situations on special teams that hurt us. Going for it on fourth down and not getting it really hurt us, so that was one that's on the head coach."

The Bulldogs took the following possession into the end zone to take the lead for the first time, as Hurst capped off a 10-play, 59-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run. North Central punted away its next possession, but linebacker Joey Michals picked off a pass to give the Cardinals new life at the Redlands 48. Crackel completed 3 o 4 passes in an eight-play scoring drive, throwing a six-yard TD pass to Ryan Kent to give the Cardinals the lead once again at 26-21.

North Central threatened to shut the Bulldogs' next drive down on a pair of occasions, but defensive penalties on two third-down plays kept the Redlands offense on the field. Hurst wound up completing a 10-yard scoring pass to Taylor Irwin with 6:39 remaining to put the home team ahead, 28-26.

"I can't say much about the penalties without seeing the film," Thorne said. "We just have to work a lot harder on pass defense and the techniques that we're using. The players are going to regroup and start playing a lot better football."

Crackel led the Cardinals down the field once again on the next possession, running for 25 yards on two carries and completing two passes for 33 yards, and North Central regained the lead once again on an 18-yard field goal by Dace with 1:41 to go.

Redlands, however, turned out to have just enough time left, throwing the ball 10 times before Hurst called his own number for a five-yard TD run up the middle, which turned out to be the game-winner.

Crackel completed 20 of 33 passes for 213 yards, throwing five times to Fiedorowicz for 47 yards. Tassio was the Cardinals' top ground gainer with 67 yards on 16 carries. Michals and Scott Skuteris each totaled eight tackles to lead the North Central defense, while Josh McLeod made seven stops and also picked off a pass.

Hurst completed 26 of 45 passing attempts for 275 yards and led Redlands' ground game with 60 yards on 11 carries. 

The Cardinals open the home portion of their schedule on Saturday, hosting Bethel University (Tenn.) at 6 p.m.