Setting the Scene: Hitting the road to continue College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play. The North Central College football team heads to Wisconsin to take on Carroll University for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Schneider Stadium.
Series History: The Pioneers hold a 34-25-2 mark all-time in the series, but the Cardinals have won the past 11 matchups, including all nine since Carroll rejoined the CCIW in 2016.
North Central College dominated from start to finish Saturday, scoring the game's first 58 points and never punting in a 64-7 victory over Carroll University at Schneider Stadium. The Cardinals converted all six red-zone opportunities and held the Pioneers scoreless until late in the third quarter.
Garret Wilson led an efficient offense, completing 11 of 12 passes for four touchdowns while adding 29 rushing yards. Wilson threw scoring passes to Grant McAtee, Jalen Johnson, David Ballard III and Thomas Skokna as North Central built a commanding 48-0 halftime lead. Skokna's touchdown reception was his 16th of the season, moving him into fourth-place program history.
Donovan McNeal paced the ground game with 125 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, recording his second straight 100-yard performance. The Cardinals finished with 488 total yards, including 294 on the ground.
North Central's defense and special teams played a major role. Bobby Medina returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown, his second straight defensive score, while Myles Walton added a 51-yard punt-return touchdown. Eli Renick posted two sacks, and Danny O'Malley also intercepted a pass as the Cardinals limited Carroll's offense throughout the afternoon.
Aidan Ellison remained perfect on extra points and connected on three field goals, including kicks from 44 and 36 yards, helping seal North Central's sixth conference victory.
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| Brody Osborne (left), Sean Ryniec (middle) and Galashky Blaise (right) |
National Rankings: North Central is ranked No. 4 in the D3football.com poll while the American Football Coaches Association Division III Top 25 has the Cardinals as the No. 5 team in the nation. Wheaton College remains the top-ranked team in both polls, with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville ranked second. St. John's University jumped the Cardinals and is now in third place, with UW-Whitewater rounding out the top five. Hardin-Simmons University, Endicott College, Washington University in St. Louis, Hope College and Christopher Newport University make up the top 10.
Scouting the Pioneers: Carroll enters the week with a 4-6 overall record and a 4-5 mark in CCIW play. The Pioneers opened the season with three straight losses before winning four of their next six conference games, including victories over Elmhurst, North Park, Millikin and Illinois Wesleyan. Carroll is averaging 21.6 points per game while allowing 28.1 points per contest.
Carroll enters the week with a 4-6 overall record and a 4-5 mark in CCIW play. The Pioneers opened the season with three straight losses before winning four of their next six conference games, including victories over Elmhurst, North Park, Millikin and Illinois Wesleyan. Carroll is averaging 21.6 points per game while allowing 28.1 points per contest.
The Pioneers average 284.3 yards of total offense per game, including 155.5 passing yards and 128.8 rushing yards per contest. Carroll has forced 12 interceptions and recovered seven fumbles while committing 10 interceptions and losing four fumbles.
Quarterback Charlie King has completed 95 of 171 passes (55.6%) for 1,072 yards and six touchdowns while adding 22 rushing yards. Elisha Nieves has also contributed 445 passing yards and two touchdowns on 45-of-93 passing.
The Pioneers' leading receiver is Reed Breckheimer, who has recorded 46 receptions for 488 yards and one touchdown. Daniel White ranks second with 24 catches for 285 yards and two touchdowns, while Mikey Coleman has added 23 receptions for 248 yards and one score.
Leading the running game is Mikey Coleman, who has rushed for 713 yards and five touchdowns on 134 carries. Reed Breckheimer ranks second on the team with 308 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, while Carson Crouch has added 201 rushing yards and one score.
Defensively, Evan Griffiths leads Carroll with 80 tackles, while Drake Emanuel has totaled 74 stops. The Pioneers have recorded 62 tackles for loss and 22 sacks through 10 games. Amarrion Bridges leads the team with four interceptions, including a 67-yard return for a touchdown, while Emanuel has added two interceptions. Opponents are averaging 367.3 yards of total offense per game against Carroll, including 145.0 rushing yards and 222.3 passing yards per contest.
On special teams, Matthew Swink is 8-for-11 on field-goal attempts and 26-for-27 on PATs. Carroll averages 31.8 yards per punt, while Daniel White leads the return game, averaging 19.7 yards on 29 kickoff returns and 9.4 yards on eight punt returns.
North Central is showcasing its sixth straight unique jersey combo vs. Carroll with a black helmet, white jersey and black pants
This Week in History: Oct. 22, 1977 - North Central earned its first road victory of the season with a hard-fought 22-16 win over Carroll in Wisconsin. After an opening kickoff fumble, the Cardinals' defense responded by stopping the Pioneers at the 4-yard line, setting the tone for the game. Mike Grazioli accounted for the first nine points with three first-half field goals, giving North Central a 9-0 halftime lead. A Carroll fumble recovery led to the Cardinals' first touchdown, with Billy King scoring on a quarterback keeper to extend the lead to 16-0. Carroll answered with a touchdown and two-point conversion, but North Central responded when Mike Jakovich capped a drive with a rushing score. The defense, led by Mark Manis, Kevin Partlow, Jay Oberheide and Dan Powers, continued to pressure Carroll throughout the game. Tony Morris sealed a late Carroll threat with his second interception of the day. North Central finished with 269 rushing yards and held Carroll quarterback Steve Voss to 12 completions in a 22-16 victory.
Around the CCIW: All four CCIW contests begin at 1 p.m. this week with North Park hosting Augustana, Illinois Wesleyan, hosting Elmhurst and Carthage hosting Millikin.
