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

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Sept. 24: Millikin University Big Blue (1-1, 0-0 CCIW) at North Central College Cardinals (3-0, 1-0 CCIW)

Kickoff: 6 p.m., Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium
Video: Naperville Community Television, Channel 17/nctv17.com
Radio: 89.1-FM WONC
Live Stats: www.sidearmstats.com/ncc/football
Game Updates: @NCC_Athletics
Series History: Millikin leads, 36-31-1

Setting the Scene: The Cardinals look to send themselves into a bye week with a fourth straight win after opening conference play with an impressive performance on the road.

Series History: This is the 69th football meeting between the two institutions. Millikin owns a 36-31-1 advantage in the all-time series, though North Central has won the past 11 meetings.

The Cardinals registered a 49-21 victory in last season's meeting in Decatur, negating a 21-14 fourth-quarter deficit with five unanswered touchdowns.

North Central ran the ball on each of its final 20 offensive plays, gaining 173 yards, and had a short field for its final two scoring drives after a fumble and a turnover on downs in Big Blue territory. 

Dylan Warden, who came on in relief to author all five touchdown drives at quarterback, finished with 103 yards and three touchdowns on 11 rushing attempts. 

National Rankings: North Central is ranked No. 7 in the D3football.com Top 25 Poll, rising two spots from the No. 9 spot it held the previous two weeks.

Scouting the Big Blue: Millikin plays its CCIW opener this week after having last weekend off. The Big Blue opened the season with a 40-21 win over Greenville on Sept. 3 before a 26-14 loss to Rose-Hulman in their home opener on Sept. 10.

Roughly two thirds of Millikin's offensive yardage has come in its passing game, as sophomore quarterback Nicco Stepina has completed 52.5 percent of his passes for 533 yards with five touchdowns and only one interception. He has also rushed for 74 yards and a score, while freshman George Jimerson, Jr. and sophomore Andre Colvin have split the carries at running back. Freshman receiver David Jackson has a team-high 154 receiving yards and two TDs.

Millikin's defense has had its difficulties stopping the run, allowing 262 yards per game on the ground, and was on the field for 97 plays against Rose-Hulman. Linebacker Nikia Averitte and safety Mykal Neal are the Big Blue's leading tacklers with 18 and 17 stops, respectively, and Neal has the team's lone interception.

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central entered into CCIW play Saturday with a dominant victory at Illinois Wesleyan, scoring the game's first 27 points and allowing only 151 yards in a 34-7 win over the Titans.

The Cardinals allowed IWU to run just 51 total plays, owning a nearly 15-minute advantage in time of possession. North Central intercepted six passes, breaking the previous single-game school record of five which had been set on three separate occasions, most recently in a 41-24 win at Elmhurst on Oct. 13, 2007. 

Broc Rutter continued to guide the Cardinals' offense effectively, completing 19 of 37 passes for 274 yards and throwing touchdown passes to Alex Ulmer and Nolan Brannick in the first half. 

North Central also got a two-yard TD run from Dylan Warden and a 26-yard field goal from Liam Crotty before halftime, while a 27-yarder from Crotty and a seven-yard scoring run by Oshayne Brown completed the Cardinals' scoring in the second half.

North Central has held its last two opponents scoreless in the first half and outscored its opposition, 55-7, before halftime this season.

Six for Six: Each of the Cardinals' interceptions Saturday came from a different player, as Jeremy Niklos, Tyler Oakley, Pat Cravens, Kevin Nalefski, Brandon Kibby and Bryan Beauchamp all got into the act.

The NCAA Division III record for the team with the most players with an interception in the same game is eight, set by Samford University in 1986.

NCAA Statistical Leaders: Through three games, North Central is ranked second nationally among 234 Division III programs in passes intercepted (9) and turnover margin (+3.67 per game) while ranking third in total turnovers forced (13) and 15th in team passing efficiency (175.03).

Niklos ranks seventh nationally in interceptions per game (1.0), Zane Lodico is ninth in punting average (43.4 yards per punt) and Rutter sits 11th in passing touchdowns (9), 14th in passing efficiency (175.0) and 18th in passing yards (846).

CCIW Player of the Week: Lodico was named the CCIW Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday. At IWU, he punted five times for a 41.0-yard average, landing three kicks inside the 20-yard line and allowing only one return. He is the current CCIW leader in punting average.

Around the CCIW: Other conference games this week feature Augustana playing at Carthage, Elmhurst traveling to Wheaton and Illinois Wesleyan playing at North Park. Carroll hosts Wisconsin-La Crosse in a non-conference contest.

North Central Career Rankings:  Brown and Austin Breunig currently rank 11th (1,518) and 15th (1,416), respectively, in the Cardinals' history in career rushing yards. Breunig also ranks 12th in rushing touchdowns (18), 13th in total touchdowns (19) and 18th in all-purpose yards (1,634). Brown ranks 15th in rushing touchdowns (15) and 20th in all-purpose yards (1,591).

Quarterback Justin Hunniford currently sits 11th all-time in touchdown passes (10) and completed passes (118) and 14th in passing yards (1,527).

Ryan Kuhl ranks ninth all-time in touchdown receptions (12) while Ulmer ranks 12th (10). Ulmer is also 11th in receiving yards (1,089) and 17th in receptions (63).

Justin Stuursma ranks 18th in the Cardinals' history in tackles for loss (18.5) and quarterback sacks (7) and Kibby ranks 20th all-time in interceptions (5).

'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 the newly-redesigned northcentralcardinals.com.