2021 North Central bracket
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North Central (Ill.) Cardinals
| Seed: | No. 1, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 1, Week 11 2022 |
| Location: | Naperville, Illinois |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 2167 |
| Stadium: | Bendetti-Wehrli Stadium (5500) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | CCIW |
| Head coach: | Jeff Thorne (Eastern Illinois) |
| Career record: | 62-9 (.873) |
| Base offense: | Shotgun single-back spread |
| Base defense: | 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 18-11 (2005-08, 2010-13, 2016-19) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | 2019 |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 597 | 107 |
| How they got here: | Pool A, CCIW champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | Ethan Greenfield is averaging 7-plus yards a carry and freshman Luke Lehnan is hitting multiple receivers for big plays, the Cardinals should be up big. North Central is the No. 2 offense in the land. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | Their secondary, the strength of the defense, is giving up big pass plays and their offense is going three-and-out, that?s trouble. No one knows what that looks like with this team however. |
| This season's turning point: | In the Battle of the Little Brass Bell at Wheaton, the Thunder methodically took it down the field on the opening drive to go up 7-0. North Central's defense, one of the best in the country, took over from there shutting out their rival while Lehnen did just enough to propel North Central to a win and a No. 1 ranking. |
| Strength of schedule (rank): | .521 (62) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 311.6/277.9 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 67.4/158.4 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 8.7/3.6 |
| Leading passer: | Luke Lehnen, 261.1 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Ethan Greenfield, 126.8 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Andrew Kamienski, 112.8 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Ben Wong, 50 (32 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Daniel Gilroy, 7.5 |
| Leader in interceptions: | De'Angelo Roberson, 3 |
| How far can they go? | Repeating is definitely on the table. |
Cortland Red Dragons
| Seed: | Likely No. 2, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 13, Week 11 2021 |
| Location: | Cortland, N.Y. |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 6203 |
| Stadium: | Stadium Complex (6500) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | E8 |
| Head coach: | Curt Fitzpatrick (St. John Fisher '04) |
| Career record: | 10-0 (1.000); 45-38 overall (.542) |
| Base offense: | Pro set |
| Base defense: | 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 6-9 (1988-90, 1997, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 457 | 84 |
| How they got here: | Pool A, E8 champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | Senior quarterback Brees Segala is comfortable in the pocket and finding open receivers like Derek Cruz, J.J. Laap and Trevor Ash in the opposition's secondary. The defense is able score on or are creating turnovers. The Red Dragons have scored 114 points (25% of their season total) off of turnovers this season and they are the third best scoring defense in the nation, only allowing 8.4 points per game. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | The offense is turning the ball over giving the Red Dragons a short field to defend. The defense has only allowed 19 trips to the end zone this season, but opponents have scored on 12. Fortunately, only five have been touchdowns (and three of them just happened in the Cortaca Jug game). |
| This season's turning point: | Arguably, there were two. The first was coming back down 10-3 to Empire 8 rivals Brockport via 28 unanswered second half points in Week 6 to put them in control of the conference and Pool A bid. The second was the critical field goal block by Trevor Alvarez, recovered by Stone Murray, against Ithaca with 1:51 remaining in the Week 11 Cortaca Jug rivalry game to help give the Red Dragons a hard fought, 28-27, win (and finish the season 10-0). |
| Strength of schedule (rank): | .517 (78) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 183.1/236.9 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 64.1/198.2 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 6.2/3.4 |
| Leading passer: | Bress Segala, 214.4 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Jaden Alfanostjohn, 75.8 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Derek Cruz, 69.4 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Justin Wheeler, 63 (24 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Nick Lardaro, Devin Smith, 5.5 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Mark Noel, 4 |
| How far can they go? | In position for a quarterfinal run, which would be an amazing season for Cortland. |
RPI Engineers
| Seed: | Likely No. 3, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 18, Week 10 2021 |
| Location: | Troy, New York |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 5778 |
| Stadium: | East Campus Athletic Village (5200) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | LL |
| Head coach: | Ralph Isernia (Davidson '91) |
| Career record: | 43-21 (.672) |
| Base offense: | Spread |
| Base defense: | 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 5-6 (1999, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2017, 2019) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 226 | 143 |
| How they got here: | Pool A, LL champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | It's a close game. RPI has won five games decided by four points or less this season. All five were decided on a play with under a minute to go or in overtime, so don't ever count out the Engineers until the clock reads 0:00 and the officiating crew has left the field of play. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | Senior quarterback George Marinopoulos' pass efficiency is down and the offensive linemen are giving up sacks. In their sole, one-point, loss to Hobart, Marinopoulos was sacked five times. It?s hard to critique the Engineers defense, which has been bend-but-don?t break all season, but they have struggled to stop the run at times, allowing almost 130 rush yards per game and 11 touchdowns (compared to only four passing touchdowns). |
| This season's turning point: | An unsportsmanlike penalty on Union, after a failed RPI 2-point play, allowed the Engineers to onside kick from the 50-yard line in a 17-16 game. Somehow, with some special teams luck and skill, the onside kick was recovered by RPI at the Union 38 with 28 seconds left. Three plays later, RPI All-American soccer player Trevor Bisson, who only walked on as a placekicker six days before, made a 36-yard field goal in a downpour as time expired to save the season and give the Engineers the Liberty League title and Dutchman Shoes Trophy in dramatic fashion. |
| Strength of schedule (rank): | .531 (55) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 86.0/209.5 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 129.7/134.0 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 4.9/4.0 |
| Leading passer: | George Marinopoulos, 195.9 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Delano Munoz Whatts, 59.4 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Vinnie McDonald, 55.6 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Austin Charles, Joe Deptula, 57 (20 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | 5 tied for 1 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Francis Perry, 4 |
| How far can they go? | This could be a quarterfinalist. The Engineers have played well defensively and Cortland, a possible second-round opponent, has not been tested much. |
UW-La Crosse Eagles
| Seed: | Likely No. 4, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 11, Week 11 2021 |
| Location: | La Crosse, Wis. |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 8090 |
| Stadium: | Veterans Memorial Field at Roger Harring Stadium (6200) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | WIAC |
| Head coach: | Matt Janus (UW-Platteville '10) |
| Career record: | 8-2 (.800) |
| Base offense: | Multiple one-back |
| Base defense: | 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 16-9 (1983, 1991-93, 1995-96, 1999, 2002-04, 2006) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | 1992, 1995 |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 354 | 214 |
| How they got here: | Pool C |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | Joey Stutzman is ripping off big runs and the quarterback -- usually Jakob Parks but last week capably handled by Cade Garcia -- is able to find himself a steady dose of Jake Simuncak. The defense is able to contain and not get worn down by the opposing run game. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | They can't make room for Stutzman or anyone else and too many Eagles safeties and corners are making tackles instead of linemen and linebackers. |
| This season's turning point: | Surviving an upset attempt at UW-Platteville by the skin of their teeth and in memorable fashion a couple of weeks before the big showdown with UW-Whitewater. |
| Strength of schedule (rank): | .573 (11) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 202.9/225.8 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 110.2/250.2 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 6.4/5.5 |
| Leading passer: | Jakob Parks, 202.3 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Joey Stutzman, 117.3 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Jake Simuncak, 83.9 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Elijah Alt, 70 (45 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Ryan Daines, 5 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Elijah Alt, 6 |
| How far can they go? | That second-round game is a typical tough draw in the midwestern part of the country, but a UWL team which went toe-to-toe with Whitewater could also pose some trouble for North Central. |
Albion Britons
| Seed: | Likely No. 5 seed, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | Never ranked |
| Location: | Albion, Mich. |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 1239 |
| Stadium: | Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium (4244) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | MIAA |
| Head coach: | Dustin Beurer (Albion '05) |
| Career record: | 20-3 (.870) |
| Base offense: | Spread |
| Base defense: | 3-5 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 5-10 (1977, 1985, 1991, 1993-94, 1996, 1998, 2005, 2011, 2013, 2015) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | 1994 |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 334 | 161 |
| How they got here: | Pool A, MIAA champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | Justin Thomas is getting plenty of targets. Thomas is the leading receiver in the MIAA and when he's making plays in the pass game, the Britons have been tough to stop. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | The Britons defense struggles on third down. One of the better third down defenses in the country, Albion allowed Adrian to convert 50% of third downs in their lone loss of the season. |
| This season's turning point: | Jack Bush threw for a career best 426 yards in a 41-38 Week 10 win over Hope. Albion surrendered an early 21-3 lead in the game, then rallied in the second half for the key MIAA win. |
| Strength of schedule (rank): | .516 (82) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 171.6/267.3 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 102.6/190.0 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 6.2/4.7 |
| Leading passer: | Jack Bush, 235.9 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Phillip Jones-Price, 75.0 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Justin Thomas, 104.8 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Jeremiah Major, 64 (35 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Mitch Arendsen, 10.5 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Drew Shafer, 3 |
| How far can they go? | Home field gives them some hope of advancing out of first round. |
Endicott Gulls
| Seed: | Likely No. 6 seed, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | Never ranked |
| Location: | Beverly, Mass. |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 1976 |
| Stadium: | Multi-Purpose Stadium (2200) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | CCC |
| Head coach: | Paul McGonagle (Kentucky '99) |
| Career record: | 24-8 (.750) |
| Base offense: | Spread |
| Base defense: | 4-3 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 0-1 (2010) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 287 | 194 |
| How they got here: | Pool A, CCC champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | The Gulls are getting to the red zone, where they have scored 35 times on 40 trips (24 touchdowns and 11 field goals ? sophomore Ryan Smith is a great placekicker) and picking off opposing quarterbacks on defense (Endicott has 14 interceptions, including two pick-sixes, this year). |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | The Gulls are turning the ball over. Endicott had a total of three interceptions and two fumbles in their losses to Catholic and Salve Regina this season. The secondary is being inconsistent. Sometimes they are ball hawks, other times they get beat on mid-to-long pass plays. |
| This season's turning point: | A 45-21 win over defending conference champions, Western New England, in Week 6 ? the week after WNE defeated Salve Regina, 41-3. Although the Gulls would lose to Salve 21-14 later in the season, it was ultimately their head-to-head win and tiebreaker over WNE that earned them the CCC crown. |
| Strength of schedule (rank): | .519 (66) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 140.7/203.0 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 130.9/179.5 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 5.1/4.6 |
| Leading passer: | Mike Ingraffia, 169.8 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | John Kenney 67.6 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Shane Aylward, 66.9 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Tim Russell, 79 (39 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Colin Meropoulos, 13 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Tim Russell, 4 |
| How far can they go? | Not favored at home but certainly a chance to get out of the first round. |
Carnegie Mellon Tartans
| Seed: | Likely No. 7 seed, North Central bracket |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 22, 2006 final |
| Location: | Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 5609 |
| Stadium: | Gesling Stadium (3000) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | PAC |
| Head coach: | Rich Lackner (Carnegie Mellon '79) |
| Career record: | 234-125-2 (.651) |
| Base offense: | Multiple One Back |
| Base defense: | Multiple 50 |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 3-6 (1978-79, 1983, 1985, 1990, 2006) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 305 | 87 |
| How they got here: | Pool A, PAC champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | They're harassing the opposing team's quarterback. During the Tartan's seven-game winning streak, they have racked up 29 sacks and 16 interceptions. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | The Tartans rank just 186th in passing offense and 169th in 3rd down conversion offense, so if CMU is in 3rd and long often, they're probably having a bad day. |
| This season's turning point: | Kris Hughes connected with Alex Javier on a reverse pass as part of a 20-point, fourth quarter outburst in CMU's 34-10 win against Westminster. That result won the PAC tiebreaker that put Carnegie Mellon into the tournament. |
| Strength of schedule (rank): | .500 (117) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 170.4/159.6 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 69.4/177.5 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 5.4/3.8 |
| Leading passer: | Ben Mills, 148.3 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Tre Vasiliadis, 112.0 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Kris Hughes, 68.0 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Robert Coury, 82 (38 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Robert Coury, 4.5 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Sean Knight, 5 |
| How far can they go? | North Central is a tough draw for the PAC champs. It's hard to see how the Tartans will advance. |
Springfield Pride
| Seed: | |
| Last Top 25 ranking: | No. 19, Week 11 2017 |
| Location: | Springfield, Mass. |
| Enrollment (FT undergrads): | 2114 |
| Stadium: | Benedum Field (2500) |
| Playing surface: | Turf |
| Conference: | NEWMAC |
| Head coach: | Mike Cerasuolo (Springfield '93) |
| Career record: | 36-16 (.692) |
| Base offense: | Triple option |
| Base defense: | 3-3 stack |
| Record in NCAA playoffs: | 3-6 (1998, 2000, 2002-03, 2006, 2017) |
| NCAA D-III championships: | None |
• D3football.com team page: Schedule and results, more news
| Points for | Points against |
| 338 | 172 |
| How they got here: | Pool A, NEWMAC champ |
| You'll know they're playing well if: | The Pride are averaging over 300 rushing yards on the ground and limiting their opponents to under 300 yards of total offense. Pretty simple. It's math. |
| You'll know they're playing poorly if: | Losing the turnover battle. The Pride gave away the ball 12 times in their three losses this season and its common knowledge it's harder to come back from a turnover induced deficit if you barely pass the ball. Springfield has only attempted 59 passes (just fewer than six per game) on the season. It's also easier to turn the ball over when you pitch it all over the place in an option offense. |
| This season's turning point: | The bye week. After opening the season 1-3, the Pride took a much-needed break. Once they came back in Week 6, Springfield went undefeated in NEWMAC play, winning those games by an average of 28 points. |
| Strength of schedule (rank): | .536 (42) |
| Rushing/passing yards per game: | 365.7/53.9 |
| Rushing/passing yards allowed: | 116.3/174.3 |
| Yards per play/allowed per play: | 7.8/5.0 |
| Leading passer: | David Wells, 44.3 ypg |
| Leading rusher: | Tim Callahan, 73.2 ypg |
| Leading receiver: | Ian Porter, 26.5 ypg |
| Leading tackler: | Aiden Lewin, 76 (28 solo) |
| Leader in sacks: | Quinn Sweeney, 4 |
| Leader in interceptions: | Ronald Beard, 3 |
| How far can they go? | Springfield has certainly had stronger teams, but couldn't rule out the offense giving Cortland fits and the Pride giving the Red Dragons a run for their money. |