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Setting the Scene:  The Cardinals’ senior class looks to extend its perfect record in conference play and secure at least a share of its fourth straight CCIW title as the team seeks a 25th consecutive win over the Bluejays.

Series History: This is the 85th football meeting between the two institutions. North Central leads the all-time series, 61-22-1, and has won the last 24 contests dating back to 1999.

The Cardinals visited Elmhurst Sept. 23 of last season and departed Langhorst Field with a 59-6 victory. North Central owned a 49-0 lead by halftime, scoring on all seven first-half possessions while forcing six Bluejay punts.

Joe Sacco ran for three touchdowns in the opening half, while Luke Lehnen, Sean Allen and Jordan Chisum each ran for one. Lehnen also completed a two-yard touchdown pass to DeAngelo Hardy.  Second-half scores came on a Darius Byrd touchdown run and a Sean Ryniec field goal.

Sacco totaled a game-high 80 rushing yards on just seven carries, while Joey Lombardi caught three passes for 57 yards and Lehnen completed 11 of 14 passes for 201 yards. The North Central defense, which allowed just 148 yards and registered five quarterback sacks, was led by BJ Adamchik and James Hart with six tackles each.

The Cardinals have outscored Elmhurst, 212-19, in their last three meetings.

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 30 AFCA regular-season polls and 39 of the last 42 D3football.com regular-season polls.

Scouting the Bluejays: The Bluejays absorbed a fourth straight loss Saturday as Wheaton broke open a close game midway through the second quarter and prevailed in a 65-17 rout.

Taveon Porter’s four-yard touchdown run early in the second period left Elmhurst with just a 14-10 deficit. The Thunder scored 17 points in the final 7:11 of the half before putting up three touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the third quarter.

The Bluejays rank ninth in the 10-team CCIW in total offense (243.8 yards per game) and eighth in scoring (17.5 points per game). Porter, who set a season high with 109 rushing yards against Wheaton, and Darius Lane have comprised the bulk of Elmhurst’s running game, while receiver Jacob Cockrell has caught six of the team’s 10 touchdown passes this season. Quarterback John Odom’s eight-yard scoring toss to Cockrell in the fourth quarter against Wheaton was the Bluejays’ first passing touchdown in three games.

Linebacker Jace Zeffiro is the leading tackler (76) for an Elmhurst defense which has allowed 42.8 points and 440.1 yards per game. The Bluejays have been particularly vulnerable against the run, yielding 237 yards per contest, but lead the CCIW in turnovers forced (17) and have recorded at least one takeaway in every game.

This Week for the Cardinals: This Week for the Cardinals: North Central won its 31st straight home game Saturday, rolling to a 56-3 victory over Carroll to defeat the Pioneers for the 10th consecutive time.

The Cardinals owned a 28-3 advantage by halftime as Luke Lehnen ran for a touchdown while throwing scoring passes to Jacob Paradee, Jordan Chisum and Thomas Skokna. Lehnen and Chisum tacked on short touchdown runs in the second half before Jordan Williams broke free for a 57-yard TD scamper and Donovan McNeal ran untouched for an 87-yard score late in the fourth quarter.

McNeal’s run is the sixth-longest in the Cardinals’ history and the longest running play in the CCIW this season. North Central put up a season-high rushing total for the second straight game with 416 yards.

The Cardinals’ defense held its second opponent this season under 100 passing yards and limited Carroll to 27 yards on its last six possessions.

McNeal finished as the team’s top rusher with 90 yards, while Charles Coleman ran for 87. Lehnen gained 64 yards on the ground while completing 16 of 24 passes for 170 yards, throwing to Skokna five times for 46.

Adamchik made a team-high eight tackles, while John Sullivan made five solo stops including a career-high four tackles for loss. Matt Janiak also registered five tackles and Jahmar Daniel broke up two passes.

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

Sullivan Recognized by CCIW, D3football.com: Sullivan’s performance, which also included a quarterback sack and a forced fumble, resulted in a selection as the CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week, as well as a D3football.com Team of the Week honoree.

North Central has won six CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week awards this season. Lehnen has been honored twice and Sacco once on offense, while Adamchik and Ryniec have earned selections on defense and special teams, respectively.

Offensive Line Achieve Second Weekly Award: The Cardinals’ starting offensive line (Jeske Maples, Nick Fehrle, Jerred Durian, Sam Pryor and Ryan Kennelly) was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week for the second time this season, marking the first time they have been so recognized twice in one year.

Since the Team of the Week’s introduction in 2008, North Central has a nation-leading 11 offensive line selections.

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.

Lehnen Chases All-Time National Records: Lehnen is the national all-divisions active leader in passing efficiency (209.9) 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 52 games of his career.

Lehnen established a new Division III career record for touchdowns responsible for on Oct. 26 at Augustana and now has 189 in his career.  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 (13,930) and passing touchdowns (143).
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). North Central’s career record of 145 scoring passes was set by Broc Rutter from 2016-2019.

Trey Madsen ranks second among active Division III players in touchdown catches (48) while ranking eighth in receptions (212) and receiving yards (3,084). Joe Sacco sits 10th nationwide in rushing yards (3,329) and 19th in all-purpose yards (3,901), while Lehnen and Sacco sit fifth (46) and 10th (35), respectively, in rushing touchdowns.

Adamchik Takes Place Among Top Tacklers: Adamchik’s team-high 40 tackles thus far this season have pushed his career total to 236, ranking him eighth in the Cardinal’s history in total stops.

Orr Poised for Top 10 in Interceptions: Zack Orr enters Saturday’s game with eight career interceptions. A ninth pick would move Orr into a six-way tie for ninth in the team’s history.

This Week in the CCIW: North Central sits alone atop the CCIW standings at 7-0, and can clinch at least a share of its 18th conference title, as well as the league’s automatic postseason bid, with a win Saturday.

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

 

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