Complete Game Notes (PDF)

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Setting the Scene:  After opening the campaign with a pair of overwhelming victories on the road, the Cardinals perform for their home fans for the first time this season and do so as the nation’s No. 1-ranked team.

Series History: This is the 83rd football meeting between the institutions. Noth Central owns a 59-22-1 advantage in the all-time series and owns a 22-game winning streak over the Bluejays dating back to 1999.

The Cardinals visited Elmhurst Oct. 16 of last season and ran over the Bluejays, 77-7, allowing Elmhurst to gain just 129 total yards while gaining 582.

Luke Lehnen completed 16 of 26 passes for 272 yards and four touchdowns while also running for a score. Terrence Hill and Jake Johnson each ran for two scores, while Sam Taviani led the North Central defense with five tackles.
 

National Rankings: North Central is ranked No. 1 by D3football.com and sits at No. 1 in the first American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 Poll, which came out Monday..

Scouting the Bluejays: Elmhurst opened conference play against Augustana, scoring twice in the fourth period to narrow the score to 34-16 in an Augustana victory at Langhorst Field.

Running back Julian Cavallo scored the Bluejays’ first touchdown of the campaign early in the fourth period before quarterback Connor Buyck capped a 10-play, 99-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to RJ Anderson.

Buyck completed 15 of 28 passes for 208 yards and Aidan Pollock gained 88 rushing yards on eight attempts. Linebacker Bryce Gable finished with 15 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups.

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central visited Carthage Saturday and departed Kenosha with a 59-7 victory, scoring the final 52 points of the contest and gaining 671 yards of total offense to post the seventh-highest yardage total in Cardinal history.

Lehnen ran for a game-high 107 yards on just seven carries, including a 54-yard touchdown run, as North Central gained 412 yards and scored seven of its eight touchdowns on the ground. Jordan Chisum’s 75-yard run gave him 88 on the day, while Ethan Greenfield and Terrence Hill both ran for two scores.

Lehnen also threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Peter Braithwaite, marking the sophomore’s first collegiate touchdown.

The Cardinals garnered six quarterback sacks, including three from Tyler Rich and two from Dan Lester. Julian Bell intercepted a pass at the goal line and BJ Adamchik, again North Central’s leading tackler with six stops, recovered a fumble.

Around the CCIW: WashU opened conference play Saturday with a 54-7 rout of Millikin, while Wheaton defeated Illinois Wesleyan, 42-7, and Carroll shut out North Park, 42-0.

WashU visits Carthage this week, while North Park travels to Millikin and Wheaton plays at Augustana.

This Day in Cardinal Football History:  1955 vs. Eureka - The Cardinals won their season opener in a shutout, 20-0, on the Red Devils' home field.

The game's first score did not come until the third period, when Ron Smith completed a touchdown pass to Bill Thee. Smith added a 21-yard TD pass to Ron Reichert midway through the fourht period and Bud Kaatz recovered a fumbled punt return in the end zone for the game's final score.

'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.