Complete Game Notes (PDF)

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Setting the Scene:  After two weeks on the road, the Cardinals return home for the first of two straight contests under the lights at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium looking to extend their longest current winning streak against any current opponent.

Series History: This is the 82nd football meeting between the two institutions. North Central owns a 58-22-1 advantage in the all-time series and has won the last 21 contests dating back to 1999.

The Cardinals routed Elmhurst, 82-7, on the Bluejays' home field Nov. 2, 2019, as Broc Rutter threw six touchdown passes in a first half which saw North Central stake itself to a 54-0 lead. Backup quarterback Jake Johnson threw a 71-yard touchdown pass and ran for scores from four and 49 yards, respectively.

The Cardinals totaled 678 yards of offense, the fourth-highest in the program's history, while allowing only 136. Rutter completed 23 of 28 passes for 277 yards, hitting DeAngelo Hardy and Andrew Kamienski each five times. Ethan Greenfield ran for two TDs and 182 yards on 17 carries.

Zach Butler led the North Central defense with nine tackles, two tackles for loss and an interception.

National Rankings: North Central remains in the No. 1 spot in the D3football.com Top 25 Poll this week, receiving 17 of 25 first-place votes. The Cardinals are also ranked No. 1 by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), receiving 36 of 44 first-place votes.

This is the second straight week North Central has been No. 1 in both polls.

Scouting the Bluejays: Elmhurst secured its first win of the season Saturday, defeating Millikin, 28-7, at Langhorst Field.

The Bluejays were victorious despite getting outgained in total offense, 323-201, as each of their three scoring drives covered less than 50 yards. Quarterback Noah Henkel threw two touchdown passes to Winston Brown and ran for a score of his own, the team's first rushing TD of the season. Elmhurst also got a 23-yard fumble return for a touchdown by linebacker Bryce Gable.

The Bluejays nearly doubled their scoring total for the season in the game, now standing with 62 points in heir five games. Elmhurst has averaged 184 yards of offense (64 rushing, 120 passing) per game with a high of 282 Sept. 18 against Carthage.

Henkel has completed 43.9 percent of his passes for 559 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Brown has been Henkel's most popular receiving target, catching 24 of the Bluejays' 64 completed passes.

Gable, who also registered 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and an interception against Millikin, leads the Bluejays in tackles (62) and tackles for loss (11.5) and is tied for second nationally in fumble recoveries (3).

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central assumed sole possession of first place in the CCIW standings with a 64-13 win at Carthage Saturday, scoring the game's first 33 points and gaining a season-high 639 yards of total offense.
The Cardinals gained 467 yards on 44 plays in the first half and carried a 47-13 advantage into halftime. North Central limited the Firebirds to just 56 total yards in the second half, defeating Carthage for the 16th consecutive meeting.

Luke Lehnen completed 18 of 25 passes for a season-high 353 yards and three touchdowns while also running for two TDs for the second straight week. Kamienski caught nine passes for 140 yards and Hardy made three grabs for 107.

The Cardinals own four of the top six single-game point totals in the CCIW this season.

This Day in Cardinal Football History: 1965 vs. Anderson – Despite outgaining Anderson in total yards, 279-106, the Cardinals needed a fourth-quarter rally to top the Ravens, 20-19, for a Homecoming victory. Fullback Richard Morris scored from one yard out early in the final period before North Central put together a 79-yard scoring drive which culminated in a game-winning eight-yard scoring run by quarterback Mike Wehrli.

End Bruce Fulton scored the Cardinals’ first touchdown of the game on a five-yard pass from Luther Selbo, who would go on to set many North Central passing records which stood for nearly 40 years and earn induction into the North Central Athletic Hall of Fame.

'Red Zone' Returns in 2021: 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 13th 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.