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

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Sep. 26: North Central College Cardinals (1-1) vs. Wesley College Wolverines (2-0)

Kickoff: 1 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: First meeting

Setting the Scene: The Cardinals enter the final game of non-conference play with the opportunity to rebound from a tough loss in a big way, as one of last year's national semifinalists makes its inaugural trip to Naperville.

Series History: This is the first football meeting between the two schools.

National Rankings: North Central is ranked No. 22 in the most recent D3football.com Top 25 Poll, while Wesley has been ranked No. 5 since the preseason. Both teams hold identical rankings in the first American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 Poll, which was released this week.

Scouting the Wolverines: Wesley improved to 2-0 in its first season in the New Jersey Athletic Conference last week, scoring a 44-24 victory over Christopher Newport (Va.) in the Wolverines' home opener.

Wesley's offense had little trouble moving the ball, particularly through the air. The Wolverines threw for 309 yards, averaging more than 20 yards per completion, while also running for 263 yards to top the 500-yard mark for the second straight week. The Wolverines scored 27 unanswered points to erase a 17-14 second-quarter deficit and take control of the contest.

Senior quarterback Joe Callahan has completed 41 of 58 passes for 733 yards in Wesley's first two games, throwing eight touchdown passes with no interceptions. Wideouts Bryce Shade and James Okike have caught seven of the Wolverines' nine TD passes thus far. Tailback Jamar Baynard has gained 315 yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground and is the only Wesley player with more than six rushing attempts.

The Wolverines' defense has limited opponents to 292.5 yards per game and intercepted five passes while recording 18 tackles for loss and seven quarterback sacks. Sophomore linebacker Samer Manna leads Wesley with 23 tackles and cornerback Andre Connally has three of the team's interceptions.

The Wolverines have made the NCAA Division III Championship field each of the past 10 season, making the national semifinals five times.

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central appeared headed for a second straight victory at then-No. 22 Wisconsin-Platteville on Saturday before the Pioneers closed the contest with 28 unanswered points and knocked off the Cardinals, 35-28, in overtime.

North Central owned a 28-7 advantage with 14:11 left in regulation, having gotten 62- and 19-yard touchdown runs from Oshayne Brown, a 46-yard TD scamper from Austin Breunig and a seven-yard scoring pass from Dylan Warden to Ryan Kuhl. The Pioneers drove for scores on two straight fourth-quarter drives to narrow the gap to 28-21 before Dillon Villhauer returned a Cardinal punt 75 yards for a game-tying TD with 2:38 on the clock.

Platteville quarterback Tom Kelly scored on a one-yard plunge on the first drive of overtime for the game-winning touchdown.

Brown ran for 133 yards on 15 carries, while Justin Hunniford completed 9 of 14 passes for 112 yards in splitting passing duties with Warden. D Gray was the Cardinals' top receiver with 65 yards on three catches.

Justin Stuursma put up career highs of 15 tackles and three tackles for loss to lead the North Central defense, while Pat Cravens turned in a 59-yard interception return and three pass breakups.

Hunniford has completed 71 percent of his passes (22 of 31) in the season's first two games, while Brown has gained a team-best 261 rushing yards on just 27 carries. Warden, despite splitting time between quarterback and wide receiver, has caught a team-high seven passes.

Stuursma leads the North Central defense with 24 tackles and four of the Cardinals' 15 tackles for loss.

North Central Career Rankings:  Warden ranks fifth in North Central history in career touchdown passes (25), while kicker Dom Zavaglia ranks fifth all-time in field goals (13) and extra points (57).

Warden also ranks 11th all-time in passing yards (1,655) and 12th in completions (109), while Brown ranks 14th in rushing yards (1,374), Kuhl is 15th in receiving touchdowns (8) and Randolph sits 17th in rushing touchdowns.
 
Around the CCIW: North Central is one of four CCIW teams rounding out non-conference play this week. Millikin is traveling to Aurora, Carthage is at Lakeland and Elmhurst plays at Simpson.

The Cardinals open CCIW play next Saturday at Millikin, while Illinois Wesleyan travels to Carthage, Wheaton heads to North Park and Elmhurst visits Augustana.

CCIW Players of the Week:  Augustana's Sam Frasco, Wheaton's Wes Cannonier and Illinois Wesleyan's Michael Kelley were named the CCIW Football Players of the Week on Monday.
 
Frasco set a new school record for total offense in a single game. Against Loras on Saturday, he totaled 585 yards, which broke his own record of 469 set on September 12 against Albion. Frasco rushed for 312 yards on 17 carries (18.4 average) and was 23-of-36 for 273 yards passing.

He accounted for six Augustana touchdowns (four rushing and two passing) and has now accounted for 13 touchdowns in his last two games. He scored on runs of 71, 20, 13 and 78 yards against Loras and threw for scores of two and eight yards.
 Cannonier recorded a pair of second-half interceptions during the Thunder's 56-17 win over UW-Eau Claire on Saturday. He finished with a 90-yard interception return for a touchdown as part of 35 unanswered points scored by Wheaton in the second half.
 
Kelley finished 7-for-7 on PATs during the Titans' 49-7 win over Simpson on Saturday. He now has 120 career PATs and is Illinois Wesleyan's all-time leader, breaking the record of 116 held by Todd Rozboril (1994-97). Kelley is 18-for-18 on PATs this season.

Food Drive: The North Central athletic department will be partnering with the Northern Illinois Food Bank to conduct a Feed Our Hungry Neighbors Game Day Food Drive in Chamipionship Plaza prior to game time on Saturday. Canned goods and non-perishable food items will be collected, with free giveaways available for those who donate. For more information, visit www.jumpforfood.com.

'Red Zone' Returns in 2015: Once again, fans of North Central College football can get an insider's look at the Cardinals' football program, as 'The Red Zone' highlight show returns for its eighth season on Naperville Community Television, Channel 17.

The show airs each Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and midnight, Friday at 8:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 11:30 p.m., Saturday at 8:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. It will feature interviews with coaches and players, highlights of the previous week's game, and a look ahead to the upcoming opponent.

Each show is viewable online at nctv17.com and is archived at youtube.com/northcentralsports as well as the newly-redesigned northcentralcardinals.com.