Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, ndosterloo@noctrl.edu. Story written by secondary contact Alex Mielcarz, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant
WAVERLY, Iowa (Sept. 12, 2026) – After trailing by seven at halftime, the North Central College football team scored 17 unanswered points and added on a blocked point-after attempt returned for two to defeat No. 9/10 Wartburg College 26-20 at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa, Saturday.
North Central outgained the Warriors 302-231 in the contest, leaning on a dominant defensive effort from the Cardinals in the second half to finish off the come-from-behind victory.
The Cardinals stalled out on the first drive of the contest, punting from deep in their own territory. Wartburg went 72 yards on the ensuing possession, scoring on a Dawson Rud 10-yard touchdown run.
Early in the second quarter, the Knights threatened to extend their lead to two possessions, driving inside the North Central one-yard line. The Knights, facing fourth and goal with less than a yard to go to the end zone, elected to go for it, running the ball up the gut, where the ball carrier, Rud, was met by Graham Wight, who stood him up for no gain, turning Wartburg over on downs.
Halfway through the second quarter, quarterback Garret Wilson drove the Cardinals into the red zone. On third and goal from the four, Wilson took the shotgun snap and looked downfield for an open receiver. Unable to find someone after his initial drop, Wilson rolled to his left, where he decided to tuck it and run, outrunning a Wartburg linebacker and extending the ball over the pylon for the Cardinals' first touchdown of the contest, tying the game at seven after Sean Ryniec's extra point.
The Cardinals forced a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, getting the ball back at midfield with 90 seconds left in the half. While trying to put North Central in scoring position prior to the clock running out on the half, Wilson was picked off by Wartburg's Adam Link, who returned the interception 59 yards for a touchdown to put the Knights up 14-7 at halftime.
After trailing at the half, the North Central defense became an immovable force, allowing just 120 yards of Knights offense in the final two quarters, 75 of which came on Wartburg's final drive.
The defense put the Cardinals in scoring position on multiple occasions as well. With just under three minutes to play in the third quarter, Ethan Groark jumped the route of the Wartburg receiver and returned the ball into the red zone to the Wartburg 18. Three snaps later, Jordan Williams bulldozed his way into the end zone from two yards out to tie the game at 14 after the extra point.
The defense continued to wreak havoc on the Wartburg offense in the fourth quarter, allowing just eight yards on Wartburg's first two possessions. A short punt on the second possession gave North Central decent field position at its own 34-yard line. The Cardinals then drove 63 yards in 16 plays, draining 8:32 from the clock and reaching the Wartburg 3-yard line. After three unsuccessful attempts to convert in the end zone, the Cardinals elected to attempt a 20-yard field goal, a chip shot that was nailed by Ryniec to give North Central its first lead of the contest at 17-14 with 3:45 left to play in the game.
The Cardinal defense continued to swarm to the football on the ensuing drive, forcing yet another turnover, this one by Matt Janiak. Two plays later, Duke Guenther broke the goal line for his first touchdown as a Cardinal, carrying the ball 23 yards on first and 20 to put the Cardinals up 24-14 with 1:53 to play.
Wartburg, with time dwindling, orchestrated an 8-play, 75-yard drive to make it a one-possession game, scoring a touchdown from 19 yards out on another run by Rud. The Knights lined up to kick the extra point, but Maverick Ohle burst through the Wartburg line and blocked the kick. Kyler Green caught it out of the air and returned it 99 yards to the house for a two-point conversion, making it a six-point game (26-20). Wartburg attempted an onside kick, but Jake Vitel was able to jump on the bouncing ball, securing the win for North Central.
Offensively, Wilson was 17 of 31 for 167 yards. He rushed for 14 more yards and a touchdown. Williams paced the rushing attack with 50 yards and a touchdown, while Guenther had the longest play of the day for the North Central offense, his 22-yard touchdown run, finishing with 48 yards total on the ground. David Ballard III was the top target for Wilson, receiving six passes for 61 yards.
Phillip Carlton, Green, and Bobby Medina each had six yards each, with Medina and Carlton each recording a sack. Groark and Chase Osborne each recorded tackles for loss.
With the win, coach Brad Spencer ties Walter Camp as the fastest coach to 60 wins in the history of college football, doing so in just 62 contests.
North Central returns to action next week in the conference opener against North Park at 1 p.m. in Chicago.
