Steve Woltmann

Football

Football Third-Round Postseason Preview: UW-La Crosse

Game Notes

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Live Stats: https://www.ncaa.com/game/6529894

Setting the Scene: The No. 1/1 North Central College football team seeks its sixth consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament third-round victory, hosting No. 13 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse inside Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in the two teams' third playoff meeting since 2021.

Series History: Saturday marks the fourth all-time meeting between the two teams, with the Cardinals holding a 3-1 lead in the all-time series, winning each of the past three contests. North Central beat the Eagles 55-42 in the 2023 quarterfinals.

North Central advanced to the NCAA Division III national semifinals for the fourth consecutive season with a 55-42 win over UW-La Crosse. The Cardinals totaled 509 yards of offense, including 323 on the ground. Joe Sacco ran for a career-high 187 yards on 17 carries, highlighted by an 80-yard touchdown run. Luke Lehnen added 86 rushing yards and three total touchdowns while completing 12 of 15 passes for 165 yards. DeAngelo Hardy caught nine passes for 87 yards, tied the program’s career record for touchdown receptions, and returned an onside kick 45 yards for a score. Joey Lombardi had 89 receiving yards and two touchdowns. BJ Adamchik led North Central’s defense with 10 tackles and Julian Bell with eight, including a forced fumble that set up Sacco’s long run. The Cardinals set single-season program records for points (808) and touchdowns (116) in the contest.

(L to R) Sean Allen, Jack Rummell, and Rahmareon Roby from that matchup in La Crosse, Wis. in 2023

NCC Football vs. UW Lacrosse
NCC Football vs. UW Lacrosse
NCC Football vs. UW Lacrosse

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.

Scouting the Eagles: UW-La Crosse enters Saturday’s matchup with an 8-2 record, earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Eagles beat No. 18/15 Hope College 9-7 in a snowy second round game. UW-La Crosse scored the game’s first nine points in the third quarter to earn the victory.

Quarterback Kyle Haas is the Eagles’ leading passer with 1,865 yards over 10 games with 16 touchdowns and just six interceptions. Gabe Lynch leads the rushing attack with  634 yards and seven TDs. Haas has scored twice on the ground as well. His top target is Jack Janke with 922 yards on the season with 10 touchdowns. Tyler Bowman has scored four times on 35 catches with 393 yards.

Tyler Shaver leads UW-La Crosse with 46 total tackles, along with an interception and a forced fumble. Henry Walsh has recorded 4.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. Sam Baumgard and Trent Millen lead the defense with three interceptions each.

As a team, the Eagles gain a majority of their yards through the air, throwing for 2,399 yards this season. UW-La Crosse has won the field position battle all season as punter Ethan Tranel is 12th in the nation with 41.3 yards per punt. Eagles kicker Michael Stack has made three kicks beyond 40 yards this season with a season-long of 47 yards. 

Chris Hise #25, interception NCAA Div. III quarterfinals: North Central College at Bethel ©2013 Bruce Kluckhohn #612-929-6010 bruce@brucekphoto.com
This Week in NCC History: Dec. 7, 2013 vs Bethel University - North Central football braved sub-zero temperatures to defeat Bethel University, 41-17, in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals. The Cardinals improved to 13-0 and advanced to the national semifinals for the first time. Senior defensive back and now assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Shane Dierking led the defense with 10 tackles, a fumble recovery, and his record-setting 16th career interception. Junior Ryan Kent powered the offense with 109 rushing yards and four touchdowns, tying a single-game school record for the second straight week. Quarterback Spencer Stanek threw for 249 yards and a touchdown, setting single-season program records in completions, passing yards, and touchdown passes. The Cardinals forced five turnovers and limited Bethel to its lowest scoring output of the season.

In the Region: The winner of North Central vs. UW-La Crosse faces the winner of UW-Platteville at Bethel University in the quarterfinal. The top half of the bracket sees the University of Mount Union play John Carroll University and Trinity University (Texas) play Berry University. See the full bracket HERE.

North Central in the NCAA Playoffs:  The Cardinals own a 37-13 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 24-4 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.

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

  • Scoring Offense - 52.7 points scored per game
  • Scoring Defense - 6.5 points allowed per game
  • 4th Down Conversion percentage (defensively) - 14.3%
  • Red Zone Defense - 46.7%
  • Team Passing Efficiency - 217.90
  • Team Passing Efficiency (Defensively) - 88.09
  • Winning Percentage - 1.000

 

  • Individual Passing Efficiency - Garret Wilson (222.5)
  • Punt Return Touchdowns - Jalen Johnson (2)
  • Receiving Touchdowns - Thomas Skokna (22)
  • Yards per Pass Attempt - Garret Wilson (11.16)
  • Longest Field Goal - Aidan Ellison (57 yards)

A Look Back: View the postgame press conference from last week's 38-6 win over Hanover in the NCAA Division III Postseason 

Broadcasting Note: 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.