Complete Game Notes (PDF)

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Setting the Scene:  The Cardinals make their final road trip of the regular season chasing a 20th consecutive win as well as a share of their 15th conference title.

Series History: This is the eighth football meeting between the two institutions. North Central has won six of the previous seven encounters, most recently by a 46-13 count on the Bears' home field Sept. 21, 2019.

WashU returned a field goal 71 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first quarter to tie the score at 13-13. The Cardinals moved back in front on the next drive and closed the game with 33 unanswered points. North Central finished the game with 640 yards of total offense, the ninth-highest single-game total in the program's history.

Andrew Kamienski set a new North Central record with 15 receptions, gaining 181 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Blake Williams made eight catches for 138 yards, while Ethan Greenfield (118 yards) and Terrence Hill (116) both topped the century mark in rushing yards.

National Rankings: North Central remains in the No. 1 spot in the D3football.com Top 25 Poll this week, receiving 18 of 25 first-place votes.

The Cardinals are also ranked No. 1 by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), receiving 38 of 47 first-place votes.

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

Scouting the Bears: WashU comes into this week's game on a four-week winning streak, dispatching Carroll, 35-12, at home Saturday.
The Bears held Carroll without a touchdown until late in the third period and forced four turnovers which led directly to 21 points.

Quarterback Matt Rush threw for an even 300 yards, completing six passes  to Cole Okmin for 112. Linebacker Alex Harvey made a team-high eight tackles and safety Andrew Whitaker intercepted two passes.

WashU has scored 32.3 points per game this season while allowing 17.4. 262 of the Bears' 411 average yards of offense have come via the passing game.

Rush is completing 65.7 percent of his passes and thrown 21 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Okmin is the Bears' top pass catcher and leads the team in touchdowns receiving (8) and rushing (5).

WashU ranks third in the CCIW in total defense at 304.6 yards allowed per game. Linebacker Connor Burke is the team's top tackler (40), while defensive end Jamel Streater leads the way in tackles for loss (8) and quarterback sacks (5). Whitaker and TJ Perusek have each made three interceptions. 

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central improved to 8-0 with a 54-27 victory at Millikin, scoring 42 points in the second and third quarters to pull away after an early struggle.

The Cardinals scored on six straight offensive possessions and had two players cross the goal line three times. Ethan Greenfield ran for three touchdowns and 183 yards, while DeAngelo Hardy made five catches for 129 yards including three scoring receptions.

The win is the Cardinals' 19th straight and is North Central's eighth straight victory on Millikin's home field.

Greenfield enters play needing 152 rushing yards to surpass Steve Holden '06 as the Cardinals' all-time leading rusher. 
 

This Day in Cardinal Football History:  1999 vs. North Park – The Cardinals closed out their first season in the new Cardinal Stadium with a 14-10 Senior Day victory over North Park.

With the hosts trailing, 10-7, North Central linebacker Justin Hart recovered a fumble on the Vikings’ 33-yard line with 3:45 to play. Quarterback Jeremy Walsh ran for a seven-yard touchdown five plays later to give the Cardinals the lead, and Norman Robinson’s 15th and final career interception put an end to affairs shortly thereafter.

Robinson’s interception total stood as a North Central career record until it was broken by current Cardinal defensive coordinator Shane Dierking in 2013.

'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.