Setting the Scene: 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.
Series History: This is the first football meeting between the two institutions.
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.
Trinity is ranked No. 4 by the AFCA and No. 6 by D3football.com.
Scouting the Tigers: Trinity is in the postseason for the second straight year and is looking to move past the second round for the first time since 2002, when it advanced to the national championship game.
The Tigers defeated Hardin-Simmons (Texas), 20-6, in the first round, holding the Cowboys scoreless until the final minute of play and allowing only 186 total yards. Quarterback Tucker Horn completed 23 of 29 passes for 300 yards, throwing a pair of touchdown passes to Ryan Merrifield, while linebacker Mac Douglas made three of Trinity's 11 tackles for loss.
The Tigers have turned the ball over just five times this season, which is tied for second-lowest among all teams in college football, and Trinity also ranks sixth nationally in passing efficiency (186.2) while sitting 11th in scoring offense (44.0) and 12th in scoring defense (12.1).
Horn is the lone Division III starting quarterback without an interception this season, completing 72.8 percent of passes for nearly 265 yards per game with 30 touchdowns. Merrifield is the Tigers' top receiver with 58 catches for 994 yards and 14 scores while the running game is paced by Legend Grigsby's 415 yards and eight TDs.
Linebacker Caleb Harmel leads the Tigers' defense with 64 tackles and three interceptions, while nose guard Jacob Munoz has a team-best 16.5 tackles for loss.
This Week for the Cardinals: North Central won its 14th straight first-round playoff game Saturday, routing Belhaven (Mississippi), 65-0, to post its third shutout victory in postseason play.
The Cardinals' margin of victory is its largest ever in a postseason game. North Central allowed the Blazers to gain just 125 total yards, second only in the Cardinals' playoff history to the 66 yards allowed against Lake Forest in the first round in 2022.
North Central gained 433 of its 575 yards on the ground Saturday, led by Joe Sacco's career-high 141 yards on 15 carries. Luke Lehnen completed 12 of 17 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 82 yards and a score, while DeAngelo Hardy made a team-high four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Hardy also threw a three-yard scoring pass to Charles Coleman on the Cardinals' first possession and Joey Lombardi returned the second-half kickoff 93 yards to the end zone. Lombardi shares the Division III national lead with three kickoff return TDs this season.
North Central forced four turnovers in its second shutout win of 2023. Zack Orr (7) and BJ Adamchik (6) were the Cardinals' leading tacklers.
The Cardinals' four turnovers are the fewest by any team in any division of college football. North Central also leads Division III in total offense (590.3 ypg), scoring offense (62.0 ppg), completion percentage (74.0) and kickoff return average (28.35 yards per return).
North Central has scored touchdowns on 62 of 68 first-half possessions thus far this season and its outscoring opponents, 458-36, 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.
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 on Tuesday.
Also included among the semifinalists is Trinity quarterback Tucker Horn. 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 ranks second nationwide in rushing offense (342.2 ypg), third in yards per completion (18.82) and turnover margin (+1.82 per game), seventh in rushing defense (60.5 ypg), eighth in total defense (231.4 ypg), and ninth in scoring defense (11.0 ppg) and first downs (269).
Lehnen is the national all-divisions leader in passing efficiency (278.5) while also leading Division III in yards per completion (20.44) and ranking eighth nationally in passing touchdowns (37). Sacco ranks second in rushing yards per attempt (11.01), Hardy sits sixth in touchdown receptions (16) and Lombardi ranks ninth in yards per reception (23.04).
North Central 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 fourth in receiving yards while sitting 18th in receptions.
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 second-round matchup between Wisconsin-La Crosse and Aurora in the national quarterfinals Saturday, Dec. 2.
Other matchups on the Cardinals' side of the bracket feature Whitworth (Washington) traveling to Wartburg (Iowa) and Wheaton visiting Wisconsin-Whitewater.