Setting the Scene: A matchup between two of the most potent rushing offenses in Division III is on deck as the Cardinals look to win their 14th straight first-round postseason contest.
Series History: This is the first meeting between the two institutions in any sport.
National Rankings: North Central was ranked No. 1 by D3football.com in this week's NCAA Division III Top 25 Poll, receiving all 25 first-place votes.
The Cardinals are the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in the American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) first Top 25 Poll of the campaign, receiving 48 of 49 first-place votes.
North Central has been ranked No. 1 in 30 of D3football.com's last 33 regular-season polls.
The Blazers clinched the USA South title Saturday with a 46-19 victory over Brevard (N.C.) Belhaven took a 15-0 lead after one quarter and put the game away with 14 unanswerd points in the fourth period.
Belhaven ranks fourth nationally in rushing offense (289.9 yards per game) and has rushed for at least 400 yards three times. Running back Kolbe Blunt leads the effort with 1,230 yards and 17 touchdowns, raking third in Division III in yards per carry (8.9), seventh in touchdowns and ninth in yards. Quarterback Tim Johnson has thrown for 169.9 yards per game and 16 touchdowns while running for 405 yards and eight scores.
The Blazers rank 13th nationwide in scoring defense (11.5 ppg) and 19th in total defense (249.8 yards allowed). Linebacker Wyatt Beck is Belhaven's leading tackler (49) and defensive end Carlton Brown leads the team in tackles for loss (13) and quarterback sacks (6.5).
This Week for the Cardinals: North Central closed out its third straight unbeaten regular season Saturday, claiming its 17th CCIW championship with a 61-17 triumph at Augustana.
The Cardinals carried a 41-3 advantage into halftime after scoring touchdowns on all six first-half possessions. North Central gained 617 total yards to eclipse the 600-yard plateau for the third straight week and the seventh time this season.
DeAngelo Hardy became the first North Central player ever to record a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game, catching seven passes for 120 yards and two scores, rushing twice for 15 yards and a touchdown, and throwing a one-yard TD pass to Jordan Chisum.
Hardy now ranks second in the Cardinals' history with 60 total touchdowns.
Luke Lehnen completed 18 of 23 passes for 304 yards against the Vikings while Joe Sacco ran for 135 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Lehnen is the Division III national leader in passing efficiency (287.7), completion percentage (76.7) and yards per pass (16.38), while Sacco leads all of Division III in yards per rushing attempt (11.25).
BJ Adamchik led the Cardinals with a season-high 11 tackles while Julian Bell and Zack Orr each finished with nine. North Central ranks 14th nationally in total defense (242.0 ypg) and 16th in scoring defense (12.1 ppg).
The Cardinals set new CCIW single-season records for points (576), touchdowns (83) and total offensive yards (5,504) in conference play.
The Cardinals have won 36 straight regular-season games, including 33 CCIW contests.
North Central has scored touchdowns on 57 of 63 first-half possessions thus far this season and its outscoring opponents, 423-36, in the first two periods of play.
North Central won its first national title in 2019 and finished as the national runner-up in 2021. The Cardinals first qualified for the national quarterfinals in 2010 and the semifinals in 2013.
CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week: Hardy received his third CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week selection for his efforts at Augustana, joining Lehnen as the CCIW's only three-time winners this season.
The Cardinals claimed 10 of the conference's weekly awards this season. Joey Lombardi was honored twice on special teams while Zack Orr and Sean Ryniec were recognized once on defense and special teams, respectively.
All-CCIW Awards: North Central claimed a conference-best 17 All-CCIW selections this week, including all of the major individual awards.
Lehnen was voted the CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year while defensive end Martin Egbo received Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year honors and Jeske Maples repeated as Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Head coach Brad Spencer was voted the Bob Reade Coach of the Year for the second straight season, giving North Central the award for the eighth time.
Other First Team All-CCIW selections were Sacco, Hardy, tight end Bobby Behmer, offensive linemen Sam Pryor and Jarod Thornton, defensive lineman Will Kettlekamp, linebacker BJ Adamchik and defensive backs Julian Bell and Antwain Walker.
Lombardi received First Team status as a return specialist and was named to the Second Team as a receiver. Also receiving Second Team honors were offensive lineman Zach Fortier, linebacker Angelo Cusumano and defensive back Zack Orr.
CCIW Elite 26: Behmer and defensive back Alex Gil shared the CCIW Elite 26 Award, presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average from the first- or second-place team in the conference standings.
Behmer was also an Elite 26 recipient in 2022.
National Statistical Rankings: The Cardinals currently lead all Division III teams in scoring offense (61.7 points per game), total offense (591.8 yards per game), passing efficiency (263.0), pass completion percentage (75.0).
North Central ranks second nationwide in rushing offense (333.1 ypg), yards per completion (19.60) and fewest turnovers lost (4), sixth in quarterback sacks (35) and kickoff return average (25.76), and seventh in rushing defense (59.0 ypg)
and turnover margin (+1.6 per game).
Lombardi ranks fifth nationally in yards per reception (24.42) while Hardy sits seventh in touchdown receptions (15), Lehnen is eighth in touchdown passes (34) and Nic Rummell ranks ninth in punt return average (16.5 yards per return).
North Central Career Rankings: Hardy ranks second in North Central history in receptions (217), receiving yards (3,847) and touchdown receptions (53) and total touchdowns (60), third in points scored (360) and fifth in all-purpose yards (4,708).
Lehnen now sits second in the Cardinals' history in passing touchdowns (105) while ranking fourth in passing yards (8,450) and completions (500). Lehnen currently sits first in passing efficiency (210.8) and completion percentage (.693).
Lehnen is also poised to join North Central's all-time leaders in rushing. He currently sits fourth in yards per rushing attempt (6.99) and ranks eighth in career rushing touchdowns (32).
Sacco became the 11th Cardinal to rush for 2,000 career yards last week and now ranks 10th in North Central history (2,056). Sacco is the program's current career leader in yards per rushing attempt (9.65).
Bell is tied for fifth all-time in pass breakups (26) and ranks ninth in passes defended (34).
National Career Rankings: Lehnen is the current active leader among all players in college football in career passing efficiency. Among Division III players, Lehnen ranks second in touchdown passes and ninth in passing yards.
Hardy ranks second nationwide among all divisions in career touchdown receptions and fourth in receiving yards while sitting 20th in receptions.
Around the Bracket: The winner of today's game will face the winner of the first-round matchup between Trinity (Texas) and Hardin-Simmons (Texas) in the second round Saturday, Nov. 25.
Other matchups in the Cardinals' corner of the bracket feature Coe visiting Aurora and Minnesota-Morris traveling to Wisconsin-La Crosse.