Steve Woltmann

Football Semifinal Postseason Preview: John Carroll

Game Notes

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Live Stats: https://www.ncaa.com/game/6529904

Setting the Scene: With a bid to a sixth consecutive NCAA Division III championship on the line Saturday afternoon, the top-ranked and only remaining unbeaten North Central College football team will face No. 8/9 John Carroll University for the first time in program history.

Series History: Saturday marks the first-ever meeting between the Cardinals and Blue Streaks in football.

North Central vs NCAC: The Cardinals have only played one team from the North Coast Athletic Conference, holding a 2-3 mark vs Wabash College. North Central beat the Little Giants 56-12 in the 2022 season opener, marking Brad Spencer’s first win as the head coach.

National Rankings:  North Central is ranked No. 1 nationally in the latest NCAA Division III Top 25 polls released by D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

The defending national champion Cardinals earned all 25 first-place votes in the D3football.com poll and swept all 52 first-place votes in the AFCA rankings. North Central has now held the top spot in 44 consecutive AFCA polls and 53 of the last 55 D3football.com polls.

John Carroll is ranked No. 8 in the AFCA Top 25 rankings and No. 9 in the D3football.com rankings.

Scouting the Blue Streaks: John Carroll enters Saturday with a 12-1 mark, outscoring opponents 517-174 and averaging 503.4 yards per game. Their postseason included wins over No. 20 Randolph-Macon, No. 2 Mount Union and No. 17 Berry College.

Quarterback and Gagliardi Trophy semifinalist Nick Semptimphelter completes a DIII leading 78.67% of his passes for 3,316 yards and 33 touchdowns, with three interceptions. The running game added 2,670  yards, led by Nemo Jenkins (111 carries for 769 yards, 7 TDs) and Quincy Newsom (110 carries for 631 yards, 7 TDs). Backup quarterback Keller Moten has ran the ball 52 times for 348 yards and eight touchdowns. Wide receiver Tyren Montgomery has recorded 109 catches, 1,392 yards (second most in DIII), and 14 touchdowns.

The defense allows 220.9 yards per game, fifth least in Division III. Mason Rus leads the Blue Streaks with 65 tackles on the season, followed by Kenny Grobolsek with 57. Ben Day has recorded five sacks to pace John Carroll. Lamar Thomas has tallied three interceptions with three pass breakups.

Around the Bracket: The winner of North Central vs. John Carroll faces the winner of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and Johns Hopkins University in the National Championship. See the full bracket HERE.

North Central in the NCAA Playoffs: The Cardinals own a 39-13 overall record in the Division III Football Championship, including trips to the national championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, each of the last five seasons. North Central is 26-4 in postseason home games.

North Central won the 2019, 2022 and 2024 national championships and finished as the national runner-up in 2021 and 2023. The Cardinals first qualified for the national quarterfinals in 2010 and the semifinals in 2013.

Stagg Bowl XLVII NCC Football vs. UW Whitewater
This Day in NCC History: Dec. 20 vs UW-Whitewater - North Central College capped a postseason run by beating UW-Whitewater, 41-14, to claim the program’s first NCAA Division III football national championship at Woodforest Bank Stadium. North Central scored on its opening possession and quickly seized control, building a 27-0 halftime lead while holding a 285-138 advantage in total yards. The Cardinals opened the game with a short touchdown drive following a 49-yard kickoff return, then added scores through a balanced offensive attack and a defense that consistently disrupted Whitewater. A 31-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter and two more rushing scores before halftime left the Cardinals firmly in control. The lead grew to 34-0 midway through the third quarter on a 38-yard touchdown run, effectively putting the game out of reach. Ethan Greenfield led the Cardinals with 138 rushing yards on 27 carries and three touchdowns, earning Most Outstanding Player honors. Quarterback Broc Rutter completed 18 of 27 passes for 263 yards and two total touchdowns, including a 28-yard scoring strike to Andrew Kamienski, who finished with nine receptions for 134 yards. Defensively, Julian Bell recorded two interceptions, while Jake Beesley and Zach Butler each tallied 12 tackles. Dan Gilroy added 2.5 sacks as North Central totaled 14 tackles for loss in the championship win.

Postseason Honors: After a 13-0 mark this season with the North Central College football team back in the semifinals for the sixth straight year, head coach Brad Spencer has been named the American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year, the organization announced Monday, following a vote of the active AFCA members at four-year schools in the Association's five divisions.

Spencer is the first North Central head coach to earn national AFCA honors, having earned the Region 4 Coach of the Year on Nov. 25. The Cardinals led Division III in both scoring offense (50.0 points per game) and scoring defense (9.2 points allowed per game), and are the only remaining unbeaten team left in the postseason field. 

Over his four years as head coach, Spencer is 57-1, leading North Central to 28 straight wins, four straight Division III National Championship games, and two Stagg Bowl victories. Last season, he was named the D3football.com National and Regional Coach of the Year.

North Central assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Shane Dierking has been named the FootballScoop’s 2025 Division III Coordinator of the Year Award. Dierking previously won in 2022, when the Cardinals went undefeated and claimed a national title. This season, his 12-0 defense ranks among the nation’s best in categories such as scoring, total defense, red-zone defense, and defensive touchdowns. A former record-setting North Central player, Dierking joined the staff in 2018.

Nation's Best: The Cardinals lead Division III in many offensive, defensive and special teams categories:

  • Scoring Offense - 55.0 points scored per game
  • Scoring Defense - 9.2 points allowed per game
  • Red Zone Defense - 52.2%
  • Team Passing Efficiency - 201.62
  • Winning Percentage - 1.000

 

  • Individual Passing Efficiency - Garret Wilson (204.0)
  • Punt Return Touchdowns - Jalen Johnson (2)
  • Receiving Touchdowns - Thomas Skokna (23)
  • Longest Field Goal - Aidan Ellison (57 yards)
  • Most TD catches in a Game - Thomas Skokna (5)
NCC Football vs Bethel

A Look Back: View the postgame press conference from last week's 35-21 win over Bethel in the NCAA Division III Tournament Quarterfinals

Broadcasting Note: This game will be re-aired on ESPNU on Dec. 24 at 5 p.m.

All games from the first round through the semifinal round of the Division III Football Championship will be broadcast live exclusively on ESPN+. A subscription is required to view the broadcast. Visit plus.espn.com to learn about subscription options. 

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