Football

Week 5 Football Preview: Carroll

NCC Football

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Live Video/Audio/Stats

Setting the Scene:  Rivalry trophy securely in hand for another year, the Cardinals look to stay atop the CCIW standings against a Carroll team surging after a thrilling win of its own.

Series History: This is the 58th football meeting between the institutions. Carroll owns a 34-21-2 advantage in the all-time series though the Cardinals have won all five times since the Pioneers returned to the CCIW in 2016.

The 2021 meeting in Waukesha resulted in a 62-7 North Central victory. The Cardinals found the end zone on nine of 10 possessions, gaining  625 yards  as Luke Lehnen completed 18 of 22 passes for 239 yards while also leading North Central in rushing with 107 yards on nine attempts.

Ethan Greenfield also ran for a pair of scores while DeAngelo Hardy caught four passes for 102 yards.  Jamauri Spivery registered 3.5 tackles for loss, including 2.5 quarterback sacks.  

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

Scouting the Pioneers: After twice rallying to tie the score in the fourth quarter, Carroll rallied to top Augustana, 44-41, Saturday to improve to 2-1 in conference play.

An 80-yard touchdown run by Jaxon Case with 3:35 left in regulation tied the score at 35-35, and the Pioneers had a chance at a game-winning field goal as time expired but the 49-yard kick sailed wide.

The teams traded field goals in the first overtime period and Augustana converted another before the Pioneers secured the win on Josh Raby's four-yard touchdown pass to Keon Miller.

Carroll gained 321 of its 502 yards on the ground  and converted all six of its red-zone chances.

Case ran for 238 yards  on 23 carries while Raby copleted 16 of 29 passes for 181 yards and three scores. Damon Loker made a team-high 13 tackles.

The Pioneers rank third in the CCIW in points per game (40.3) and yards per game (427.5).

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central retained possession of the Little Brass Bell for a second straight year Saturday, warding off a late challenge from Wheaton to subdue the 11th-ranked Thunder, 33-20, before a capacity crowd on Homecoming Weekend.

The Cardinals scored the game's first 20 points and led the whole way, though the Thunder made it a one-possession game twice in the second half. Greenfield scored two of his three touchdowns in the final 10 minutes to help put the contest out of reach.

The win is the Cardinals' 46th all-time over the Thunder and extends their home winning streak to 14 games. North Central has won its last 20 regular-season contests.

CCIW Career Record: A 48-yard run in the fourth quarter  made Greenfield the all-time leading rusher in the history of the CCIW with 5,215 yards. The previous record of 5,202 was set by Gagliardi Trophy winner Scottie Williams of Elmhurst from 2009-2012.

NCAA All-Time Active Leaders:  Greenfield is the second-leading active rusher in all of college football and ranks 24th all-time in Division III history with a North Central-record 5,215 yards.

Greenfield also ranks second among active players in career all-purpose yards (6,077) and points scored (456). He ranks 15th in Division III history in scoring.

Greenfield is the highest-ranked non-kicker among all returning players and is the current active career leader in points per game (11.1). 

Luke Lehnen
Luke Lehnen
Antwain Walker
Antwain Walker

North Central Career Rankings:  Hardy ranks fourth in school history in touchdown receptions (23), and sixth in receiving yards (2,093) and total receptions (124).  

Terrence Hill is ninth all-time in total touchdowns (33), seventh in rushing touchdowns (27) and 14th in rushing yards (1,638).  Hill is 324 yards away from moving into the career top 10.
Lehnen ranks fifth in North Central history in passing touchdowns (41) and sixth in passing yards (4,171) and completions (259).
 

Around the CCIW: North Central, Wheaton and WashU share the lead in the CCIW with identical 2-0 records in conference play.

WashU travels to North Park this week while Carthage visits Elmhurst, Millikin travels to Illinois Wesleyan and Augustana plays at Carroll.

This Day in Cardinal Football History:  1983 vs. Millikin - The Cardinals put together a sterling defensive stand at the end of a high-scoring affair, defeating Millikin, 40-35.

Facing first-down-and-goal from its own seven-yard line with 2:16 to play, North Central got a quarterback sack from Jeff Olson on first down and Jack Varela and Rusty Graham combined for a tackle for loss on third down before a pass attempt on fourth down from the 16-yard line fell short with 1:29 left.

The Cardinals gained 356 of their 425 yards on the ground, led by halfback Derek Riveiro's 125 yards on 19 attempts, while fullback Tom Jenks gained 104 yards on 29 carries. 

'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.