Setting the Scene: The Cardinals head north to take part in a national quarterfinal for the fourth straight season, seeking a second postseason win over the Eagles in three years.
Series History: This is the fourth football meeting between the two institutions and the second in the postseason.
The teams first played in 2012, when the Eagles secured a 21-17 win in Naperville. North Central returned the favor with a 41-24 win in La Crosse to open the 2013 season.
UWL traveled to face the Cardinals in the second round of the 2021 playoffs, and North Central scored the game's first 20 points en route to a 34-20 triumph. The Eagles narrowed the gap to 27-20 with 11:53 to play, but the ensuing drive saw the Cardinals run nearly six minutes off the clock before a 10-yard touchdown run by Terrence Hill.
North Central ran for 291 of its 484 yards and maintained possession for nearly 35 minutes as Ethan Greenfield gained 198 yards on 30 carries. Luke Lehnen completed 13 of 23 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, hitting DeAngelo Hardy six times for 71 yards.
The Eagles gained 323 of their 370 yards through the air. Jakob Parks completed 19 of 38 passes, finding Jake Simuncak seven times for 156 yards.
National Rankings: North Central was ranked No. 1 nationally at the end of the regular season by D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The Cardinals have been ranked first in both polls all season long.
UW-La Crosse was ranked No. 4 by D3football.com and No. 6 by the AFCA.
Scouting the Eagles: A Division III national champion in 1992 and 1995, UW-La Crosse is in the national quarterfinals for the first time since 1996. The Eagles defeated Aurora in the second round, 56-35, pulling ahead for good with a 28-point second quarter.
Quaterback Keyser Helterbrand completed 11 of 15 passes for 317 yards and five touchdowns while running for 82 yards and two scores. Running back Gabe Lynch gained a game-high 176 rushing yards on 23 carries.
The Eagles are gaining 282 of their 468 yards per game via the pass and rank sixth nationally in time of possession (34:29 per game). Helterbrand is completing nearly 73 percent of his passes and has thrown for 33 touchdown passes while also leading UWL in rushing with 770 yards and 11 scores.
Jack Studer is the Eagles' top receiver with 1,363 yards on 60 receptions with 13 touchdowns, while 11 of Ryan Bartol's 32 catches have reached the end zone.
La Crosse's defense has yielded 324.5 yards and 20.6 points this season. Tanner Newlin is the team's leading tackler (56) and defensive end Jack Kelly has a team-best 9.5 tackles for loss.
This Week for the Cardinals: North Central advanced to its sixth national quarterfinal by defeating Trinity (Texas), 71-28, to post its highest point total in a postseason game for the second straight week.
The Cardinals pulled away for good by finishing the first half with 27 unanswered points. North Central scored 30 consecutive points after Trinity opened the second half with a touchdown.
The Cardinals scored on 10 of 12 offensive possessions as Lehnen completed 11 of 14 passes for 245 yards and four scores while rushing for a team-high 94 yards. Hardy, Joe Sacco, Sean Allen and Charles Coleman each scored two touchdowns in the win, while Ethan Groark's 40-yard interception return touchdown is his second such score of the season.
North Central has scored touchdowns on 68 of 75 first-half possessions thus far this season and its outscoring opponents, 499-50, 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 before claiming the trophy again in 2022. The Cardinals first qualified for the national quarterfinals in 2010 and the semifinals in 2013.
Gagliardi Semifinalists Announced: Lehnen was named as one of 20 semifinalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, the premier individual award in Division III Football, by the Saint John's University J-Club.
Also included among the semifinalists is UW-La Crosse quarterback Keyser Helterbrand. The finalists for this year's award will be announced Dec. 7.
North Central's Ethan Greenfield (2022) and Broc Rutter (2019) are previous winners of the Gagliardi Trophy.
All-CCIW Awards: North Central claimed a conference-best 17 All-CCIW selections this season, 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 wide receiver Joey Dugo 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: North Central leads all Division III teams in total offense (585.8 yards per game), scoring offense (62.8 points per game) and completion percentage (.743) while sharing the national lead for fewest turnovers (5).
The Cardinals rank second nationally in rushing offense (337.9 ypg), fifth in rushing defense (57.2 ypg), 10th in total defense (237.1 ypg) and 11th in scoring defense (12.4 ppg).
Lehnen is the national all-divisions leader in passing efficiency (281.7) while also leading Division III in yards per completion (20.59) and ranking fourth nationally in passing touchdowns (41). Sacco ranks second in rushing yards per attempt (10.61), Hardy sits third in touchdown receptions (16) and seventh in total touchdowns (20), and Lombardi ranks fifth in yards per reception (23.72).
North Central Career Rankings: Hardy ranks second in North Central history in receptions (228), receiving yards (3,992) and touchdown receptions (56) and total touchdowns
(63) and third in points scored (378) and all-purpose yards (4,858).
Lehnen sits second in the Cardinals' history in passing touchdowns (112) while ranking fourth in passing yards (8,834) and completions (523). Lehnen currently sits first in passing efficiency (212.6) and completion percentage (.695).
Lehnen is also poised to join North Central's all-time leaders in rushing. He currently sits fourth in yards per rushing attempt (7.21) and ranks seventh in career rushing touchdowns (33).
Sacco ranks seventh in North Central history in career rushing yards (2,288). Sacco is the program's current career leader in yards per rushing attempt (9.49).
Bell is tied for third all-time in passes defended (38) and ranks fourth in pass breakups (30).
National Career Rankings: Lehnen ranks second among all active 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 third in receiving yards while sitting 18th in receptions.
Around the Bracket: The winner of today's game will face the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between Wartburg and Wisconsin-Whitewater in the national semifinals Saturday, Dec. 9.
Matchups on the opposite side of the bracket feature Cortland State (New York) traveling to Alma (Michigan) and Randolph-Macon (Virginia) visiting Johns Hopkins (Maryland).