Football

Football Week 8 Preview: Elmhurst

NCC Football

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Live Video/Audio/Stats

Setting the Scene:  The Cardinals look to extend their recent run of dominant play to a fourth straight week as they make the short trek to Langhorst Field in search of a 21st straight win over Elmhurst.

Series History: This is the 81st football meeting between the institutions. The Cardinals own a 57-22-1 lead in the all-time series and have won each of the last 20 encounters dating back to 1999. 

The teams met in Naperville on North Central's Homecoming Weekend a season ago, and the Cardinals won in a shutout, 55-0.  

North Central scored six of its seven touchdowns through the air while registering nine quarterback sacks, the second-highest single-game total in the program's history.  

Broc Rutter completed 18 of 21 passes for 306 yards and five TDs, throwing two each to Cory Hartema and Andrew Kamienski and one apiece to Alex Rose and Tyler Egan. Ben Wong made nine tackles, while DJ Warkenthien and Talha Ayhan each recorded two sacks.
 

National Rankings: North Central is ranked No. 7 in the most recent NCAA Division III National Top 25 Poll released by D3football.com and No. 8 in the latest poll from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

Scouting the Bluejays: Elmhurst absorbed a fourth straight loss on Saturday, dropping a 34-0 decision at Millikin. 

The Bluejays have averaged 208.7 yards per game on offense this season. Senior Jake Tahaney and freshman Noah Henkel have split the quarterbacking duties, combining to throw for 844 yards and four touchdowns with nine interceptions. Tahaney has also scored a team-high four rushing touchdowns. 

The Elmhurst defense has yielded 446.3 yards and 42.1 points per contest. Freshman linebacker Bryce Gable leads the Bluejays with 53 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss.

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central did all of its scoring in the first half of a 49-6 victory over Carthage, its 15th straight triumph over the Red Men. 

The Cardinals torched Carthage for 515 yards of offense before departing the field for halftime and held their second straight opponent without an offensive touchdown. 

Ethan Greenfield ran for a career-high 208 yards on just 13 carries, and his 250 all-purpose yards matched the sixth-highest single-game total in the program's history. 

Rutter completed 18 of 22 passes for 308 yards and tossed TD passes to five different receivers. Blake Williams gained a team-high 129 yards on seven catches. Cameron Martin made three tackles for loss, while Dan Gilory recorded two quarterback sacks and Julian Bell intercepted a pass.

National Statistical Rankings: The Cardinals currently rank first among 247 Division III programs in total offense (555.7 yards per game) and red-zone defense (41.7%) while ranking fourth in scoring offense (48.6 points per game), first downs (188) and third-down conversion percentage (54.5%). North Central also ranks seventh in passing offense (337.1 ypg) and 10th in scoring defense (12.0 ppg). 

Rutter ranks third nationally in passing efficiency rating (193.5) and completion percentage (71.9) while ranking fourth in passing touchdowns (26) and fifth in passing yards per game (324.1). Greenfield sits third in rushing yards per carry (7.71) and Kamienski ranks fourth in receptions per game (9.4), fifth in touchdown receptions (12) and eighth in receiving yards per game (128.0).

 

Brandon Greifelt
Ethan Greenfield

CCIW Career Records: Already the CCIW's all-time career leader in passing yards (8,921) and passing touchdowns (92), ith 256 passing yards last week, Rutter is 22 completions shy of matching that conference record as well. The  current record of 678 was set by Keith Bishop, who played from 1981-85. Bishop started his career at Illinois Wesleyan before transferring to Wheaton. 

CCIW Single-Season Records:  The Cardinals enter this week's game in striking distance of a pair of CCIW single-season records, needing 498 yards of total offense to match Wheaton's total of 3,880 from 1983 and six touchdown passes to Millikin's record total of 31 set a year ago. North Central's current average of 563.7 yards per game is well above the current record of 513.7, set by Wheaton in 2012. 

Rutter enters this week's game with 23 touchdown passes in CCIW play this season. The current conference single-season record is 28, set by Millikin's Nicco Stepina last season. 

Kamienski has caught 57 passes and scored all 12 of this season's touchdowns against conference foes. The CCIW record for receptions in a single season (72) is jointly held by Ed Brady of Illinois Wesleyan (1983) and Jim Jorden of Wheaton (1985), while the conference record for receiving touchdowns (17) was set by Millikin's Jordan Smith in 2018. 
 

North Central Career Rankings:  Rutter is the Cardinals' all-time leader in pass completions (868), passing attempts (1,292), passing yards (11,943) touchdown passes (115).  

Kamienski is the program's all-time leader in career receptions (195) and became the Cardinals' career leader in receiving yards (2,634) last week. He ranks third all-time in receiving touchdowns (27), fifth in all-purpose yards (2,961)and 10th in points scored (162) while Ayhan ranks 11th in quarterback sacks (14.5) and 19th in tackles for loss (22). 

In just his second season of collegiate play, Greenfield ranks 12th all-time in rushing yards (1,550), 15th in rushing touchdowns (18), 17th in total touchdowns (20) and 19th in all-purpose yards (1,920). 
 

Around the CCIW: Wheaton remains atop the CCIW standings this week with the Cardinals a game behind. WashU and Illinois Wesleyan are tied for third.  
Wheaton travels to face Carroll this week, while Augustana visits WashU, North Park goes to Carthage and Millikin plays at Illinois Wesleyan. 

This Day in Cardinal Football History: 1968 vs. Elmhurst – North Central stuffed four straight Bluejay rush attempts from inside the two-yard line late in the fourth quarter to preserve a 14-12 victory. Quarterback Jerry Snyder accounted for both Cardinal touchdowns, throwing a four-yard pass to Don Sturn and running for a one-yard score in the first period.


 

NCC Football 1968
The Kroehler Field scoreboard following the Cardinals' win. Don Sturn (right) scored the game's opening touchdown.

'Red Zone' Returns in 2019: 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 12th season on Naperville Community Television, Channel 17. 

The show airs each Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 12:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 3:30, 7:00 and 9:30 p.m., Saturday at 12:30 and 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 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.