Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Nov. 12: Elmhurst College Bluejays (5-4, 4-3 CCIW) at North Central College Cardinals (9-0, 7-0 CCIW)

Kickoff: 1 p.m., Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium
Video: Naperville Community Television, Channel 17/nctv17.com
Radio: 89.1-FM WONC
Live Stats: sidearmstats.com/ncc/football
Game Updates: @NCC_Athletics
Series History: North Central leads, 54-21-1

Setting the Scene: Already with an automatic bid to the postseason in hand, the Cardinals look to celebrate Senior Day by completing the fourth 10-0 regular season in their history.

Series History: This is the 77th football meeting between the two institutions. North Central owns a 54-21-1 record in the all-time series and has won each of the last 17 meetings dating back to a 14-0 victory in 1999.

The Cardinals posted a 56-21 victory over Elmhurst in last year's regular-season finale in Naperville, rolling up 552 yards of total offense. Austin Breunig ran for 192 yards and four of North Central's eight touchdowns, while Justin Hunniford completed 17 of 20 passes for 286 yards and three scores.

National Rankings: North Central is ranked No. 5 in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 Poll and No. 6 in the D3football.com Top 25 Poll once again this week.

Scouting the Bluejays: Elmhurst shook off a two-game losing streak Saturday with a 56-14 rout of Millikin, forcing five turnovers which led to four of the Bluejays' eight touchdowns.

Elmhurst intercepted three passes in the first half as it built a 35-7 lead over the Big Blue and got a five-touchdown performance from quarterback Orlando Hernandez (four rushing, one passing). 

Hernandez has accounted for roughly three-quarters of the Bluejays' offensive production this season, accounting for 21 of the team's 28 offensive touchdowns. He has thrown for 1,534 yards and 15 scores while also rushing for a team-high 491 yards and six TDs. 

Elmhurst's defense has limited five of its seven CCIW opponents to 14 points or less. The Bluejays lead the conference with 15 interceptions, paced by sophomore cornerback Tristan Bolas' league-best six picks.

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central secured a ninth regular-season victory for the sixth time and clinched at least a share of its 12th CCIW championhip on Saturday with a 34-21 victory at Carthage.

After yielding the game's first score, the Cardinals scored 28 unanswered points to take control of the contest. The North Central pass rush kept the Red Men off balance the entire afternoon, establishing a new single-game school record with 11 quarterback sacks. The previous record of eight had been set four times, most recently in a 59-13 first-round playoff win over Dubuque in 2011.

Josh Leonhard paced the Cardinals' pursuit with 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, while Billy Douds and Tommy Sora collected two sacks apiece.

North Central completed its two longest passing plays of the season, as Broc Rutter connected with Austin Breunig for an 83-yard touchdown pass and found Alex Ulmer for a 59-yard completion. The Cardinals also got their longest running play of the year from Will Konneck, who scored from 38 yards out.
 
CCIW Players of the Week: Leonhard was named the CCIW's Defensive Player of the Week for his role in the Cardinals' victory, while punter Zane Lodico was named the Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this season after posting a 40.0-yard average on six punt attempts.

CCIW Statistical Leaders: North Central leads the CCIW in scoring offense (39.7 points per game), net punting (34.3 yards per punt), turnover margin (+1.22 per game), passing efficiency (179.4), defensive passing efficiency (107.3), quarterback sacks (42), fewest quarterback sacks allowed (12), third-down conversions (43.8%), third-down defense (26.4%) and red-zone defense (62.5%).

Rutter leads the conference in passing yards (262.8 per game), passing touchdowns (30) and passing efficiency (184.1) while Ulmer is the CCIW leader in receptions (5.89 per game) and receiving yards (91.4 per game). 

Jeremy Niklos is the conference leader in passes defended (13), while Douds leads in forced fumbles (3) and Liam Crotty is first in points scored by kicking (59).

NCAA Statistical Leaders: Through nine games, North Central is ranked first nationally among 244 Division III programs in quarterback sacks (4.67 per game), fifth in passing efficiency (179.4), 11th in tackles for loss (8.8 per game), 12th in pass completion percentage (.668) and third-down defense, 15th in kickoff return defense (15.25 yards per return) and 17th in turnover margin.

Rutter ranks third nationally in passing efficiency, seventh in passing touchdowns and 10th in completion percentage (.673), while Pat Cravens is 11th in punt return average (14.5) and Douds is 13th in quarterback sacks per game (1.17).

Around the CCIW: Other conference games this week feature Carthage playing at North Park, Carroll visiting Wheaton and Illinois Wesleyan traveling to Millikin. Augustana's season is complete.


North Central Career Rankings:  Breunig and Oshayne Brown currently rank 10th (1,783) and 12th (1,613), respectively, in the Cardinals' history in career rushing yards.

Breunig also ranks eighth in rushing touchdowns (22), 10th in total touchdowns (24) and 10th in all-purpose yards (2,322), while Brown ranks 13th in rushing touchdowns (17).

In his first season with the Cardinals, Rutter is now fifth in North Central history in touchdown passes while ranking sixth in passing yards (2,365) and seventh in completions (167).

Ulmer ranks sixth all-time in receiving yards (1,649) and receptions (102) and ninth in receiving touchdowns (13),  while Ryan Kuhl sits sixth in receiving touchdowns (18) and 11th in receiving yards (1,116) and receptions (84) and Crotty is eighth in extra-point kicks made (44). 

Niklos currently ranks 10th all-time in pass breakups (20) while Justin Stuursma ranks 11th in tackles (175) and 12th in tackles for loss (25.5), Douds sits 12th in quarterback sacks (12.5) and Brandon Kibby ranks 14th all-time in interceptions (6).

'Red Zone' Returns in 2016: Once again, fans of North Central College football can get an insider's look at the Cardinals' football program, as 'The Red Zone' highlight show returns for its ninth season on Naperville Community Television, Channel 17.

The show airs each Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and midnight, Friday at 8:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 11:30 p.m., Saturday at 8:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. It will feature interviews with coaches and players, highlights of the previous week's game, and a look ahead to the upcoming opponent.

Each show is viewable online at nctv17.com and is archived at youtube.com/northcentralsports as well as at northcentralcardinals.com.