Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324

Oct. 25, 2025 - Scoring the most points against Augustana in program history, the North Central College football team ran past the Vikings in a 76-14 victory on Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals scored two defensive touchdowns, a special teams touchdown, along with seven offensive touchdowns on the day.

North Central received the opening kickoff and worked its way down the field before Garret Wilson found Thomas Skokna for the game's first score. After a three-and-out from Augustana, Donovan McNeal ran into Viking territory. On 4th & 7 from the Augustana 31, kicker Aidan Ellison buried a 48-yard field goal into the wind to put the Cardinals ahead, 10-0.

The North Central defense forced another three-and-out to put the ball back in the hands of the Cardinal offense. McNeal and Demir Ashiru led the ground game before Wilson hit Myles Walton for a 23-yard touchdown to close out the first quarter.

Starting their next drive at the North Central 49-yard line, McNeal found a hole for a 16-yard gain. After Wilson connected with Skokna on a 28-yard completion, McNeal rushed for a seven-yard touchdown up the middle, giving the Cardinals a 24-0 advantage. 

The Vikings moved the ball into North Central territory, but Rahmareon Roby stepped in front of a Jimmy Makuh pass, returning the interception 81 yards down to the three-yard line. On the first play, Wilson hit Skokna on a shovel pass for his second touchdown of the game. 

On the ensuing Augustana possession, a three-and-out forced another Vikings punt. Jalen Johnson rushed through Vikings' blocks to block the punt attempt and return the ball 11 yards for his first touchdown in a Cardinal uniform, extending the North Central lead to 38.

The Vikings put together their best drive of the day, scoring on a six-yard pass from Makuh to Jake Miller. Both teams went three-and-out before the Cardinals took over at the North Central 45-yard line with 3:24 left in the first half. Wilson hit Skokna for a 49-yard touchdown, Skokna's third score of the contest. That score marks his 12th of the season, which ranks second in NCAA Division III.

Following the two-minute timeout, Eli Renick recorded a strip sack on Makuh at the Augustana 11-yard line as Bobby Medina scooped up the loose ball and scored his first collegiate touchdown as North Central led 52-7.

The Vikings' attempt at one final score before halftime was halted by a Brayden Garrigan interception with 10 seconds left. McNeal ran for 12 yards as the Cardinals called a timeout with 2 seconds left in the half. Ellison connected on a 57-yard field goal as time expired to put the Cardinals ahead, 55-7. That kick marks the longest made field goal in program history, and the longest in Division III this season.

On Augustana's first play of the third quarter, Renick picked off Makuh for a pick-six as he scored an 18-yard touchdown return, giving the Cardinals a 62-7 advantage.

Following a missed field goal from the Vikings, Ashiru found a running lane on the left side for a 54-yard touchdown, the second-longest rushing TD of the season for the Cardinals. 

Augustana scored on the following drive as David Finfer found Zamari Robinson for a 15-yard touchdown as North Central took a 69-14 lead into the final quarter.

A nine-play, 63-yard drive capped off by an Ashiru passing touchdown to Aahil Kahn, who scored his first collegiate touchdown, putting North Central up 76-14. The defenses held strong the rest of the way as the Cardinals improved to 7-0 on the season and 6-0 in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play.

Wilson threw for 184 yards with four touchdowns while McNeal ran for his third 100+ yard game, racking up 119 on the day with one touchdown. Skokna tallied 132 yards receiving with three scores. Phillip Carlton Jr. and John Sullivan each posted six tackles as Sullivan and Renick recorded a sack. Roby, Garrigan and Renick each registered an interception as well. 

North Central continues CCIW play next week, as the Cardinals visit Carroll University for a noon kickoff at Schneider Stadium in Waukesha, Wis. North Central has won the last 10 games, with the last loss dating back to 1993. A season ago, the Cardinals beat the Pioneers 56-3 in Naperville.