Complete Game Notes (PDF)

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Setting the Scene:  A battle for sole possession of first place in the CCIW standings is on tap at Art Keller Field as the Cardinals go for their 16th consecutive win vs. Carthage and their 16th straight victory overall.

Series History: This is the 66th football meeting between the two institutions. North Central owns a 35-27-3 advantage in the all-time series and has won the last 15 contests dating back to 2005.

The Cardinals defeated Carthage, 49-6, in the most recent meeting Oct. 26, 2019, scoring all of their points in the first half before heavy rains set in.

North Central outgained the Red Men, 614-172, as Broc Rutter completed 18 of 22 passes for 308 yards and five touchdowns and Ethan Greenfield ran for 208 yards and two scores on just 13 carries.

Blake Williams caught seven passes for a game-high 129 yards and was one of five Cardinals to catch a TD pass, while Ben Wong finished with nine tackles and Dan Gilroy registered two quarterback sacks.

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 moved ahead of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) into the No. 1 spot in the most recent American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 Poll this week, marking their first No. 1 regular-season ranking in that poll.

Scouting the Firebirds: Carthage remained unbeaten in the CCIW standings and topped the 60-point mark for the second straight week Saturday, collecting a 63-42 victory at Millikin.

The Firebirds put the contest out of reach with a run of 21 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters, including the fifth and sixth touchdown passes for the day by quarterback Bryce Lowe and a 63-yard interception return touchdown by Jalen Dennis.

Carthage gained a total of 520 offensive yards and forced four turnovers to mitigate the 651 yards gained by Millikin. Lowe completed 17 of 23 passes for 336 yards, hitting Eddie Ell seven times for 187 yards and three scores, and Travis Boston ran for a team-high 101 yards on 16 rushing attempts.

The Firebirds are averaging 41.5 points per game and are gaining 256 of their 378 yards per game via the pass. Lowe has completed 68.7 percent of his passes and thrown for 12 touchdowns with just one interception. Ell is Carthage's top receiver with 15 catches for 286 yards and six scores.

The Firebirds' defense has allowed 457 yards (300 passing, 157 rushing) and 35 points per game. Garrett Warner and Zach Hale are Carthage's top tacklers with 31 stops each..

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central improved to 4-0 with a 62-7 rout of Carroll, limiting a fourth straight opponent to single-digit scoring and scoring touchdowns nine of the 10 times it possessed the ball.

After allowing a touchdown on the game's opening drive, the Cardinals permitted Carroll to gain just 146 yards and owned a 34-7 advantage by halftime. North Central outgained the Pioneers, 625-221, recording a season-high 31 first downs and topping 300 yards rushing and passing for the second time this season.

Luke Lehnen completed 18 of 22 passes for 239 yards and two scores while also running for a season-high 107 yards and two TDs. Andrew Kamienski caught five passes for 53 yards and DeAngelo Hardy made four grabs for 102.

Ben Wong led the Cardinals with seven tackles while Jamauri Spivery made 3.5 tackles for loss and Jake Beesley broke up two passes.

This Day in Cardinal Football History: 1937 vs. Wheaton – After playing their rivals to a scoreless tie the previous year, the Cardinals scored a 12-7 victory over Wheaton on the Crusaders’ home field.

Fullback Paul Shoger scored the game’s first touchdown early in the fourth quarter, then intercepted a pass which was returned to the Wheaton 42-yard line.

Joe Morin scored from seven yards out on a fake reverse, giving the Cardinals what proved to be an insurmountable advantage.

Shoger suffered a broken foot on the interception and saw his collegiate career come to a close after scoring his first and only touchdown in a North Central uniform.

'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.