Setting the Scene: Playing the first College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin contest inside Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium this season, the North Central College football team hosts Augustana College for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Series History: The Vikings hold a 55-39-1 lead in the all-time series, winning 15 straight games from 1989 to 2003. The Cardinals have dominated the recent matchup, currently riding a 19-game winning streak over Augustana.
Last season, the Cardinals beat the Vikings 76-14, the largest margin of victory in the series. Garret Wilson threw four touchdown passes, including three to Thomas Skokna, as the Cardinals built a 55-7 halftime advantage. Donovan McNeal rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown, while Skokna finished with 132 receiving yards and three scores. Demir Ashiru added a 54-yard touchdown run and later threw a touchdown pass to Aahil Kahn for Kahn's first collegiate score.
North Central also made an impact on defense and special teams. Rahmareon Roby returned an interception 81 yards to set up a touchdown, while Jalen Johnson blocked and returned a punt 11 yards for his first touchdown as a Cardinal. Eli Renick recorded a strip sack that Bobby Medina returned for his first collegiate touchdown before Renick added an 18-yard interception return for a score in the third quarter.
Aidan Ellison connected on field goals of 48 and 57 yards, with his 57-yarder setting a North Central program record and marking the longest field goal in NCAA Division III last season.
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). UW-River Falls, Wheaton, UW-Platteville and St. John's round out the top five in the D3football.com poll.
Scouting the Vikings: The Vikings are 2-2, beating Simpson in their season opener before downing Elmhurst, 58-14, to begin CCIW play. They average 36 points per game, while allowing 20.5. A majority of the offensive yards come through the air, totaling 1,058 passing yards this season.
David Finfer is the listed starting quarterback for Augustana. He has thrown for 635 yards and five touchdowns so far this season, along with five interceptions. Jimmy Makuh has recorded 423 yards and four touchdowns as well. Their top target is Tyreke Fortney, who has hauled in 21 catches for 352 yards and five scores. Ethan Vrabec has caught 11 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown. Ben Ludlum leads the Vikings with 540 rushing yards, averaging 132 yards per game, along with six touchdowns. Finfer ranks second on the team with 73 yards on 25 attempts.
Defensively, Dino Hunt leads the way with 27 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss. Ronde Worrels has tallied 7.0 tackles for a loss, while leading the team with 2.5 sacks. Kaden McShaw has the lone interception for Augustana with Cole Schroeder recovering three fumbles.
Jacob Garbett is 3-for-4 on field goals, including two over 40 yards so far this season.
North Central will rock black helmets with red jerseys and white pants vs. Augustana
Numbers behind the streak: The Cardinals have won 52 straight conference games, the longest streak in league history. All 52 victories have come by double digits, including eight by 70 or more points. North Central has outscored its opponents 3,064-481 during the streak, an average margin of victory of 49.7 points.
This Week in History: Sept. 30, 1961 - North Central College defeated Augustana College, 33-16, behind a balanced offensive attack and a key special teams touchdown from Eural McLaughlin. The Cardinals opened the scoring with a 21-play drive beginning at their own 27-yard line. Halfback Reinhold Fritz finished the drive with a five-yard touchdown run, and Henry Brown added the extra point for a 7-0 lead. Augustana responded after recovering a North Central fumble, converting the turnover into a Wally Hauff field goal to make it 7-3. McLaughlin immediately answered, returning the ensuing kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown to extend the Cardinals' lead to 13-3. North Central added another touchdown in the second quarter when fullback Lonnie Long scored on a five-yard run. Brown's extra point gave the Cardinals a 20-3 halftime advantage. Fritz helped set up another North Central score in the third quarter with more than 55 rushing yards on a series of plays. Quarterback Bill Melsheimer then connected with Mike Hundley for a five-yard touchdown pass as the Cardinals built a 33-3 lead. Augustana scored twice in the fourth quarter, but North Central's early advantage proved decisive in the 33-16 victory.
Around the CCIW: All four CCIW contests begin at 1 pm this week. Wheaton hosts North Park, with Millikin welcoming Carroll to Frank M. Lindsay Field and Illinois Wesleyan hosting Carthage.
Around Division III: It is another competitive slate of games across Division III this week. No. 2 UW-River Falls faces No. 6 UW-Whitewater, while No. 5 St. John's hosts No. 7 Bethel. No. 10 Trinity (Tex.) plays No. 16 Berry, No. 8 John Carroll plays former CCIW school No. 18 Washington University in St. Louis, and No. 17 Cortland faces No. 22 Utica.
