Complete Game Notes (PDF)

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Setting the Scene:  The Cardinals make their long-awaited on-field debut as defending national champions, hosting a Top 25 matchup to open a highly-anticipated season.

Series History: This is the ninth football meeting between the two institutions and the first in nearly 85 years. North Central owns a 7-1 all-time record in the series, the most recent encounter being a 21-0 Cardinal victory in 1936.

National Rankings: North Central was ranked No. 4 and Aurora was ranked No. 21 in the most recent D3football.com Top 25 Poll. The Cardinals and Spartans were ranked No. 3 and No. 23, respectively, in the Preseason Poll released in August. The No. 3 ranking is the Cardinals' highest preseason ranking ever, surpassing No. 4 rankings in 2009 and 2011. 

Scouting the Spartans: Aurora opened the season at No. 6-ranked Saint John's (Minnesota) on Saturday, coming within a single yard of victory in a back-and-forth battle. 

Owning a 33-28 lead heading into the fourth quarter, the Spartans yielded a pair of scoring drives in the final minutes but had one final opportunity to post a game-winning score. On fourth down from the Johnnies' one-yard line with 17 seconds to play, Aurora turned the ball over for the only time in the game. 

The Spartans gained 341 of their 423 yards through the air as quarterback Gavin Zimbelman completed 23 of 44 passes and completing five for touchdowns. Trey Madsen was Aurora's leading receiver with seven grabs for 146 yards and two for TDs.

This Season for the Cardinals: North Central takes the field for the first time since winning its first NCAA Division III national championship on Dec. 20, 2019 in Shenandoah, Texas. 

The Cardinals, who finished the 2019 campaign on an 11-game winning streak, return 13 starters from the title-winning season to give the team a distinct veteran presence heading into the new season. 

Andrew Kamienski established an all-time Division III record with 31 touchdown receptions in 2019, leading the nation in receptions (133) and receiving yards (2,016). North Central's receiving corps also has starters DeAngelo Hardy (50 catches, 693 yards, 6 TDs) and Blake Williams (46 catches, 839 yards, 7 TDs, 1st Team All-CCIW) back in the fold.

Ethan Greenfield, the 2019 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl Most Outstanding Player award winner, led Division III in rushing yards (2,169), rushing touchdowns (29), all-purpose yards (2,580), total touchdowns (32) and total points (192). 

Sharmore Clarke was voted the CCIW's Offensive Lineman of the Year for the second straight season and was one of three North Central offensive linemen to earn All-CCIW recognition. Clarke joined Greenfield, Kamienski and Jake Beesley on multiple All-America teams following the season. 

Beesley led the Cardinals in interceptions (4) and passes defended (15) in 2019 while leading the CCIW in fumbles forced (3). Ben Wong was North Central's leading tackler and earned First Team All-CCIW honors, while Dakota Cremeens was a Second Team All-CCIW pick.

Beesley, Wong Earn Academic All-America Honors: Jake Beesley and Ben Wong were both honored as First Team Academic All-America selections last spring by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). 

Wong is a two-time recipient of the distinction, having been so honored following the 2019 season as well. The awards are the fifth and sixth to be earned by members of the Cardinal football program.

North Central vs. the NACC: The Cardinals own an all-time record of 36-8 against teams from the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. 

North Central's most recent game against a NACC opponent was a 55-0 victory over Benedictine on Sept. 12, 2009. The Cardinals posted wins over St. Norbert in 2010 and 2014 while the Green Knights were still affiliated with the Midwest Conference.

North Central Career Rankings:  Kamienski is the program's alltime leader in career receptions (262), receiving yards (3,754) and receiving touchdowns (46) while ranking fourth in points scored (276) and fifth in allpurpose yards (4,081), Jake Beesley sits 11th in pass breakups (19) and 12th in passes defended (26) and Ben Wong ranks 12th all-time in tackles (173). 

Greenfield ranks fourth all-time in rushing touchdowns (37), fifth in rushing yards (2,886) and sixth in all-purpose yards (3,527) and points scored (246).

Around the CCIW: This is one of just two games around the CCIW this week. Carroll is also in action at Benedictine. The other eight teams opened their schedules last Saturday, just two of which recorded victories. Fifth-ranked Wheaton defeated Northwestern (Minnesota), 56-0, and Augustana picked up a 31-21 win at Rhodes (Tennessee).

Carthage lost to Wisconsin-Whitewater (46-7), Elmhurst to WisconsinRiver Falls (45-7), Illinois Wesleyan to Franklin (35-21), Millikin to Greenville (37-33), North Park to Bethel (59-7) and WashU to Chicago (31-21).

This Day in Cardinal Football History: 1982 vs. Beloit – The Cadinals opened the 1982 campaign with a 25-14 victory over the Buccaneers, taking the lead for good in the second quarter with a two-yard touchdown run by Tom Jenks and a 45-yard field goal by Scott Nemzek which stood as the longest made attempt by a North Central kicker until 1994. 

Fullback Dan Bechina, in his first game in a Cardinal uniform, rushed for 101 yards and scored two touchdowns, including a seven-yard TD pass from quarterback Steve Thompson. North Central limited Beloit to 72 total passing yards in the contest and went on to tie the school singleseason record for wins at the time with an overall record of 7-1-1.

'Red Zone' Returns in 20121: 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.