Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Live Video/Audio/Stats

Setting the Scene:  Now in sole possession of first place in the conference standings, the Cardinals host North Park as they look to win their 24th straight regular-season contest and 17th consecutive home game.

Series History: This is the 62nd football meeting between the two institutions. The Cardinals own a 49-10-2 all-time record in the series and have won the last 25 matchups dating back to 1996. North Central posted an 84-6 victory over the Vikings at North Park last season.

The Cardinals scored 63 unanswered points in the first half and scored touchdowns on 12 of their 14 offensive possessions, gaining 591 yards rushing and 726 total.

Ethan Greenfield and Terrence Hill ran for 186 and 134 yards, respectively, despite each carrying the ball only nine times, and each scored a trio of TDs.  DeAngelo Hardy scored one touchdown rushing and another receiving.

Garrett Fiduccia and Dakota Cremeens each intercepted passes for the North Central defense.

National Rankings: North Central is ranked No. 1 by D3football.com and the first American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). 

Scouting the Vikings: North Park dropped to 0-7 last week with a 56-34 loss to Augustana, playing catch-up the entire second half after yielding 42 points in the first two quarters.

Quarterback Matt Eck completed 29 of 64 passes for 378 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers. The sophomore is averaging a CCIW-high 39 pass attempts per game, throwing for 230 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
AJ Harris (29 receptions, 387 yards, one touchdown) and Wesley McCloud (14 for 318 with two TDs) are North Park’s leading receivers. The Vikings are the only CCIW team to score three special-teams touchdowns this season.

Linebacker Jaydin Miller is the Vikings’ leader in tackles (54), tackles for loss (5.5) and quarterback sacks (3.5).

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central traveled to then-No. 21/23 WashU Saturday and posted a shutout victory for the third straight week, defeating the Bears, 31-0.

Luke Lehnen tossed three touchdown passes to DeAngelo Hardy and ran for a one-yard score himself, while Tanner Rains tacked on a 24-yard field goal, his conference-leading sixth three-pointer of 2022.

Hardy caught nine passes for a season-high 160 yards while Lehnen finished 16 of 20 passing for 228. Ethan Greenfield ran for 129 yards on 21 carries and BJ Adamchik paced the North Central defense with 10 tackles and a forced fumble. Zack Orr intercepted his team-leding third pass of the campaign.

The Cardinals have kept three straight opponents from scoring for the first time since the 1946 team blanked Carthage, Wheaton and Augustana in succession. A North Central team has never won four straight games by shutout.

Greenfield enters this week’s action 27 yards away from his third straight 1,000-yard rushing effort and remains the Division III leader in yards per rushing attempt (8.25), while Lehnen now leads the CCIW and ranks fifth in Division III in passing efficiency (191.4).

CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week: Hardy was selected as the CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week for his performance against the Bears, joining Dan Lester, BJ Adamchik and Tanner Rains as award winners thus far this season.

NCAA All-Time Active Leaders:  Greenfield is the second-leading active rusher in all of college football and ranks 13th all-time in Division III history with a North Central-record 5,655 yards.

Greenfield also ranks second among active players in career all-purpose yards (6,535) and points scored (474). He ranks 11th in Division III history in scoring and 23rd in all-purpose yards.

Greenfield is the highest-ranked non-kicker among all returning players and is the current active career leader in points per game (11.0).

National Statistical Rankings: Greenfield ranks second nationally  in rushing yards per game (139.0), fourth in rushing touchdowns (12) and third in points (72).

Rains ranks 22nd nationally in scoring (68) and Lester ranks 10th in tackles for loss per game (2.1).

As a team, North Central leads all of Division III in scoring (56.1 ppg), total yards (595.4 ypg), third-down conversion percentage (61.6%) and defensive third-down percentage (19.8%).

North Central Career Rankings:  Hardy ranks fourth in school history in touchdown receptions (27), and receiving yards (2,346) and sixth in total receptions (136).  

Terrence Hill is sixth all-time in total touchdowns (38), seventh in rushing touchdowns (30) and 14th in rushing yards (1,788).  

Hill is 174 yards away from moving into the career top 10.
Lehnen ranks fifth in North Central history in passing touchdowns (51) and passing yards (4,785) and sixth in completions (296).

Around the CCIW: WashU and Wheaton are tied for second in the conference standings a game behind the Cardinals, while Ilinois Wesleyan is in fourth place at 4-2.

Illinois Wesleyan travels to face Augustana this week while Millikin visits Wheaton, WashU goes to Elmhurst and Carthage plays at Carroll.

This Day in Cardinal Football History:  1932 vs. Elmhurst - The Cardinals enjoyed a 38-6 conquest of Elmhurst, breaking loose frequently for long runs and limiting their opponent to just five first downs.

North Central took control early, scoring 20 straight points in the first period. Two of the scores came from halfback Gordy Smith, who ran for TDs of seven and 40 yards. Smith also threw two touchdown passes to end Al Galinausky.

'Red Zone' Returns in 2022: 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 14th 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.