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Setting the Scene:  Entering the regular season’s final stretch with the first of two straight home games, the Cardinals look to extend their winning streak in conference games to 40 as they face a Carroll team coming off two straight wins.

Series History: This is the 60th football meeting between the two institutions. Carroll owns a 34-23-2 advantage in the all-time series, though the Cardinals have won the last nine meetings, including all seven since the Pioneers rejoined the CCIW in 2016.

Carroll visited North Central on Oct. 7 of last season. The Cardinals gained nearly 700 yards of total offense and scored touchdowns in all three phases of the game in a 69-24 victory.

Seven of North Central’s eight scoring drives took five plays or less and each covered at least 54 yards. Luke Lehnen completed 12 of 13 passes for a career-high 385 yards and five touchdowns, connecting with DeAngelo Hardy seven times for 278 yards and four scores. Joe Sacco ran for 106 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.

Joey Lombardi established a program record for the longest kickoff return with a 98-yard runback to the end zone in the first period, while Angelo Cusumano returned an interception 76 yards for a score in the third quarter and Martin Egbo totaled three tackles for loss.

The Cardinals have scored at least 59 points in each of their last seven games against Carroll.

National Rankings: North Central was ranked No. 1 nationally in the most recent NCAA Division III Top 25 Polls by D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

The Cardinals have been ranked No. 1 in the last 29 AFCA regular-season polls and 38 of the last 41 D3football.com regular-season polls.

Scouting the Pioneers: Carroll won for the third time in four games Saturday, scoring the first 31 points of a 45-14 victory at Elmhurst.

Quarterback Charlie King threw for touchdowns to David Simmons and Titan Kilgore and ran for another. Running back Jaxon Case ran for a team-high 50 yards and a score, while tight end Reed Breckheimer, the Pioneers’ leading receiver, also ran for a touchdown.

Carroll’s defense allowed a season-low 217 total yards and recovered two fumbles, while Aaron Appiah-Kubi scoerd the Pioneers’ first punt-return touchdown of 2024.

As Carroll’s starting signal-caller the last two games, King has completed 28 of 42 passes for 432 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. The Pioneers threw for seven scores in their first five games of the season. Marcus Johnson has run for a team-best 430 yards while Breckheimer has caught 24 passes for 338 yards and two TDs.

The Pioneers lead the CCIW and rank 14th nationally in fumble recoveries (8) in 2024 and have forced at least one turnover in every game. Linebacker Will Campbell ranks second in the conference in tackles (58) to lead a defense which ranks third in the CCIW in scoring defense (21.6 points allowed per game) and quarterback sacks (17).

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central recorded its ninth straight win on Augustana’s home field Saturday, prevailing by a 49-10 count and averaging just more than 10 yards per offensive play.

The Cardinals gained a season-high 391 rushing yards on just 36 attempts and tied a season high with three forced turnovers.

Lehnen established a new program record by accounting for all seven of the Cardinals’ touchdowns, running for two scores while throwing five (two to Thomas Skokna, one each to Jack Rummell, Bobby Behmer and Myles Walton). Lehnen, whose 72-yard scoring toss to Walton in the second quarter stands as North Central’s longest play from scrimmage this season, tied a single-game career high for touchdown passes.

Sacco ran for 121 yards while Lehnen gained 103, giving the Cardinals two 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time this season. North Cenetral had five ball carriers break free for gains of at least 20 yards.

John Sullivan made a team-high six tackles, while Brayden Garrigan and Zack Orr intercepted passes and Rahmareon Roby recovered a fumble.

North Central is the only team in college football to score at least 48 points and have at least one interception in every game in 2024.

Lehnen Recognized by CCIW: Lehnen was honored as the CCIW’s Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week for his efforts against the Vikings, receiving the distinction for the second time this season and the seventh time in his career.

North Central has won five CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week awards this season. Joe Sacco has also been honored on offense, while BJ Adamchik and Sean Ryniec have earned selections on defense and special teams, respectively.

Lehnen Selected as Finalist for Campbell Trophy: Lehnen has been announced as a finalist for the National Football Foundation’s (NFF) William V. Campbell Trophy, presented annually since 1990 to the student-athlete with the best combination of academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

Lehnen is the first player at North Central and the first from a CCIW institution since 2018 to be so honored. Finalists receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship.

The Campbell Trophy winner, announced Dec. 10 in Las Vegas, has their scholarship award increased to $25,000.

Adamchik, Orr Chasing Top 10 Spots: Adamchik’s 32 tackles thus far this season have pushed his career total to 228, making him the 12th player in the program’s history with at least 200 total stops.

Adamchik is three tackles shy of achieving a spot in the Cardinals’ all-time top 10.

Orr, meanwhile, achieved his second interception of the campaign Saturday to give him eight for his career. A ninth interception would move Orr into a six-way tie for ninth in the team’s history.

Lehnen Chases All-Time National Records: Lehnen is the national all-divisions active leader in passing efficiency (211.3) and is on pace to establish a new collegiate career record.

The current collegiate career record (202.6) is held by Mount Union’s D’Angelo Fulford (202.6). The Purple Raiders have the top five all-time career leaders in passing efficiency.

Lehnen has already established a new all-divisions record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass, having done so in all 51 games of his career.

Lehnen established a new Division III career record for touchdowns responsible for (184) on Saturday. The all-divisions record is 190, set from 2019-2023 by John Matocha of the Colorado School of Mines.

Division III Active Career Leaders: Lehnen is Division III’s active career leader in total offensive yards (13,696) and passing touchdowns (140).

The NCAA Division III career record for total offense is 14,568 yards, set by Mount Union’s Kevin Burke from 2011-2014, while Mount Union’s Braxton Plunk (2019-23) owns the record for touchdown passes (158).

Trey Madsen ranks second among active Division III players in touchdown catches (48) while ranking fifth in receptions (212) and receiving yards (3,084). Joe Sacco sits 10th nationwide in rushing yards (3,329) and 18th in all-purpose yards (3,901), while Lehnen and Sacco sit sixth (44) and 10th (35), respectively, in rushing touchdowns.

CCIW Single-Season Records: The Cardinals established new CCIW records in 2023 for points scored in conference play (576) as well as points per game (64.0), touchdowns (83), total offensive yards (5,504) and yards per game (611.6).

North Central has gone 9-0 in conference play the last three seasons and has won 37 straight CCIW games.

This Week in the CCIW: North Central sits alone atop the CCIW standings at 6-0, while Wheaton took sole possion second place at 5-1 following a 27-20 victory at WashU.

North Park safety Ben Butler was honored as the CCIW’s Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week, while Wheaton punter Nate Tofilon was this week’s recipient on special teams.

This week’s games feature Elmhurst at Wheaton, Millikin at WashU, North Park at Carthage and Augustana at Illinois Wesleyan.
 

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