For the second year in a row, and the third time in four seasons, a North Central player will take home the top prize in Division III football, as Cardinals quarterback Luke Lehnen is the winner of the Gagliardi Trophy, presented by Stearns
Bank.
The Cardinals face yet another new opponent as they prepare to compete for a third national championship and attempt to complete a second consecutive unbeaten campaign.
Out of 20 semifinalists, we whittled it down to five on Thursday, three quarterbacks, a wide receiver and a linebacker. One of these five will win the award, Division III football's top honor.
Coming off a physical battle in their quarterfinal win, the Cardinals travel to face a third straight top-five program in their quest for a fourth Stagg Bowl bid.
North Central has won 28 consecutive games, and part of it is due to a bunch of Cardinals who haven't left the nest. Nearly two-thirds of the North Central coaching staff is made up of alumni, and that suits the Cardinals just fine. Joe Sager has more in a Road to Salem feature.
Operating with familiar precision on offense and contributing a series of impact plays on defense, the North Central College football team prevailed in Saturday's NCAA Division III Championship quarterfinal, 55-42, over the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse at Veterans Memorial Field.
If you hadn't heard of North Central defensive end Martin Egbo before this year, you can be excused. He was at Concordia-Chicago, and may have been better known as a hammer thrower on the track team. But he found his way to the Cardinals, and the rest is an amazing story, by Greg Thomas.
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.
Stringing together 27 unanswered first-half points to seize control of the contest, North Central College advanced to its sixth NCAA Division III national quarterfinal Saturday with a 71-28 victory over Trinity University (Texas) at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
Two of the nation’s most efficient offenses take the field in today’s second-round matchup, as the teams with the fewest number of turnovers anywhere in college football take the field at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
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.
Closing out a spectacular regular season with a familiar formula for victory, the North Central College football team celebrated its third straight College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) championship Saturday with a 61-17 victory over Augustana College at Lindberg Stadium Saturday.
The Cardinals' regular-season finale carries potential playoff implications for both teams as Augustana looks for a signature win to cap its most successful campaign in nearly two decades.
The Cardinals' regular-season finale carries potential playoff implications for both teams as Augustana looks for a signature win to cap its most successful campaign in nearly two decades.
The Cardinals' regular-season finale carries potential playoff implications for both teams as Augustana looks for a signature win to cap its most successful campaign in nearly two decades.
The Cardinals' regular-season finale carries potential playoff implications for both teams as Augustana looks for a signature win to cap its most successful campaign in nearly two decades.
The Cardinals' regular-season finale carries potential playoff implications for both teams as Augustana looks for a signature win to cap its most successful campaign in nearly two decades.
The Cardinals' regular-season finale carries potential playoff implications for both teams as Augustana looks for a signature win to cap its most successful campaign in nearly two decades.
The Cardinals' regular-season finale carries potential playoff implications for both teams as Augustana looks for a signature win to cap its most successful campaign in nearly two decades.
Treating its Senior Day crowd to an afternoon filled with thrilling performances, the North Central College football team seized control of Saturday's matchup with Illinois Wesleyan University in the very early going and decimated the Titans, 83-26, at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
Pairing a smothering defensive effort with an afternoon full of long-distance plays on offense, the North Central College football team encountered little resistance in its encounter with North Park University Saturday. The Cardinals subdued the Vikings, 56-0, at the Holmgren Athletic Complex to record their second shutout win of 2023.
Making the best possible use of its time with an unblemished display of offensive efficiency, the North Central College football team won its 25th straight game in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play Saturday. The Cardinals scored on every single possession to emerge victorious over the Washington University in St. Louis Bears by a 49-3 count at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
Now in sole possession of first place in the CCIW standings, the Cardinals host a rugged WashU squad intent on bouncing back from its first loss of the season.
Answering the bell with vigor after an early challenge, the North Central College football team ran through Millikin University Saturday for a 75-3 victory at Frank M. Lindsay Field. The Cardinals posted their highest score ever against the Big Blue and moved into sole possession of first place in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) standings.
Halfway through the regular season schedule with their current winning streaks still intact, the Cardinals look to extend their recent success against Millikin ahead of a showdown for first place in the CCIW standings next week.
Overwhelming its opposition with a barrage of long-distance scoring plays, the North Central College football team treated a Homecoming crowd to a 69-24 victory over the Carroll University Pioneers Saturday at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
Striking quickly with a series of explosive offensive plays early in the game, the North Central College football team seized control of Saturday's Battle for the Little Brass Bell at McCully Stadium. The Cardinals led nearly the entire way in a 54-35 victory over Wheaton College, achieving their highest point total against the Thunder in more than a century.
Gagliardi Trophy goes to Lehnen
December 15, 2023For the second year in a row, and the third time in four seasons, a North Central player will take home the top prize in Division III football, as Cardinals quarterback Luke Lehnen is the winner of the Gagliardi Trophy, presented by Stearns Bank.
