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Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Oct. 18: Carthage College Red Men (2-3, 1-1 CCIW) at North Central College Cardinals (4-1, 2-0 CCIW)

Kickoff: 2 p.m., Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium
Video: Naperville Community Television, Channel 17/nctv17.com
Radio: 89.1-FM WONC
Live Stats: www.sidearmstats.com/ncc/football
Game Updates: www.twitter.com/NCC_Athletics
Series History: 30-25-3, North Central

Setting the Scene: The Cardinals host Carthage on Homecoming Weekend for the second straight year, looking for a third straight win and a 10th consecutive victory over the Red Men.

Series History: This is the 59th football meeting between the two schools. North Central owns a record of 30-25-3 in the all-time series and has won every meeting since 2005, giving the Cardinals a current nine-year winning streak.

North Central hosted the Red Men on Homecoming weekend last season as well, rolling to a 72-20 victory to post the sixth-highest single-game scoring output in school history and the Cardinals' highest total ever in a game against Carthage.North Central rolled up 528 yards of offense while allowing only 151 and owned a 55-0 lead by halftime. The Cardinals also had a school record set by kicker Nick Dace, whose 56-yard field goal in the fourth quarter is the longest successful attempt in the program's history.

Since winning a 63-48 shootout at Carthage in 2009, the Cardinals have been particularly dominant in their last five meetings with the Red Men, winning by an average of nearly 36 points.

National Rankings: North Central is ranked No. 12 in the most recent D3football.com National Top 25 poll as well as the lastest Top 25 Poll conducted by the American Football Coaches Association.

Scouting the Red Men: Carthage rallied from a three-touchdown deficit to force overtime in its home game against Elmhurst last week before losing, 49-42, in the second extra session.

Trailing, 35-14, at halftime, the Red Men scored 21 unanswered second-half points, tying the score on Nick Anzelmo's seven-yard touchdown pass to Jamahl Wright with 9:54 to play and blocking an Elmhurst field-goal attempt as time ran out in regulation. Anzelmo ran for a one-yard TD on the first possession of overtime, but the Red Men surrendered a score on the first play of Elmhurst's possession, and came up empty on a pass into the end zone on the game's final play.

Carthage's passing game has provided most of its offense, as 242 of the Red Men's 306 yards per game have come through the air. Anzelmo has completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 1,179 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions. He has also run for three scores. Four of Anzelmo's TD passes have been thrown to Jamahl Wright, who has caught a team-high 26 passes.

The Red Men lead the CCIW in passing defense, allowing 187 yards per game, but are next to last against the run (188 ypg). Linebacker Will Fairchild leads Carthage in tackles (33), while defensive end Terrance Allen has 7.5 tackles for loss and safety Shawntrel Garner has intercepted three passes.

Last Week for the Cardinals: North Central defeated North Park for the 19th straight year on Saturday, rolling to a 58-26 victory on the Vikings' home field.

The Cardinals built a 28-0 lead in the first quarter of play and held a 44-13 advantage by halftime. North Central hit the 50-point mark for the second time this season and posted its highest scoring total in a CCIW game since its win over Carthage last season.

The Cardinals' final touchdown on Saturday came on a 91-yard kickoff return by Alex Ulmer, which stands as the longest kickoff return in North Central's history. Each of the Cardinals' four longest all-time kickoff returns have come against North Park. North Central had a total of 10 ball carriers and nine receivers in a well-balanced effort against the Vikings. Quarterback Dylan Warden completed 15 of 17 passes for 165 yards and two TDs, posting the third-highest single-game passing percentage (.882) in school history.

Michael Monterrubio returned an interception 45 yards for a score in the first period, giving the Cardinals their fourth defensive touchdown thus far this season, which is one more than they recorded in the entire 2013 campaign.

North Central Career Rankings: Sorenson currently ranks second all-time at North Central in touchdown receptions (27), fourth in receptions (131) and receiving yards (2,012) and sixth in total touchdowns (25).

Kent, meanwhile, ranks fourth in rushing yards (2,316), fifth in all-purpose yards (2,856) and seventh in rushing touchdowns (24). Tyler Dicken sits ninth in career touchdown passes (12), completed passes (118) and passing yards (1,754).

John Skokna has moved into seventh place all-time in punt return yards (277) and punt return attempts (30).

CCIW Rankings: North Central leads the CCIW in scoring offense (42.2 points per game), kickoff return average (25.8 yards per return), rushing offense (227.2 yards per game), rushing defense (84.2 ypg), total offense (446.2 ypg), passing efficiency (158.4), defensive passing efficiency (109.2), red-zone offense (90.9%) and red-zone defense (65.2%) heading into this week's game.

Dylan Warden is the CCIW's leader in passing efficiency (175.0), while Sorenson is the conference leader in receiving yards (99.8 per game) and Dom Zavaglia leads in points scored by kicking (41).
 
Around the CCIW: North Central and Wheaton enter this week's action tied for first place in the CCIW standings with identical 2-0 records. The Thunder play at Millikin this week, while North Park visits Elmhurst and Augustana travels to Illinois Wesleyan.

CCIW Players of the Week:  Elmhurst's Josh Williams, Illinois Wesleyan's Kyle Venhuizen and Wheaton's Sam Cote were named the CCIW Football Players of the Week on Monday.

Williams rushed for 249 yards and three touchdowns while leading the Bluejays to a 49-42 double overtime win at Carthage on Saturday. He scored on touchdown runs of five and 20 yards in the second quarter and added a game-tying 25-yard scoring run in the first overtime.

Venhuizen totaled 11 tackles (nine solo), four tackles-for-loss, three sacks and a forced fumble during the Titans' 31-7 win over Millikin on Saturday. Millikin was held to 159 yards of total offense.

Cote accounted for eight of the Thunder's 20 points during a 20-13 win at Augustana on Saturday. His 25-yard field goal in the first half gave the Thunder a 3-0 lead and his 27-yard field goal in the third quarter tied the game at 13-13. He also had a season-long 55-yard punt that was fumbled by the Vikings and resulted in a Wheaton touchdown two plays later to give the Thunder a 20-13 lead.