NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Visiting Whitworth needed breaks to go its way in an NCAA Division III playoff game at top-ranked North Central. Unfortunately, the early breaks went the Cardinals' way as the Pirates' season ended with a 42-17 loss in a second-round match-up at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
The Bucs end the season with a record of 10-2 after a second straight appearance in the second round of the NCAA playoffs. North Central will host Hope College (Mich.) next Saturday in the third round.
The first play from scrimmage was a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown by North Central's Will Vernon. Then Whitworth lost key players to injury in the first quarter, including three starters in receiver and kick returner Cameron Sheley, running back Luis Salgado and linebacker Caleb Shawen.
The Pirates would not find a consistent offensive rhythm until the second half. In the meantime, the Cardinals built a 21-0 lead after the first quarter and led 28-3 at halftime.
Ryan Blair, the 2024 Northwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year, completed 29 of 48 passes for 230 yards with one touchdown and the game's opening interception. Backup running back Nathan Owens ran for 56 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown, and caught six passes for 39 yards.
North Central's All-American QB Luke Lehnen, the reigning Gagliardi Trophy winner, completed 10 of 13 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 32 yards. He extended his all-divisions NCAA record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 55 and his all-divisions record for touchdowns responsible for (throwing and passing) to 198. Joe Sacco, who led NCAA Division III in rushing yards in 2023, ran for 198 yards on only 10 carries and scored twice.
The Cardinals' interception return was the first defensive touchdown by a Pirate opponent since the 2022 season-opener at Carnegie Mellon when the Tartans returned an interception 42 yards for a score.
North Central added a 17-yard scoring pass from Lehnen to running back Walton Myles on its first offensive possession and then an eight-yard touchdown run by receiver Sean Allen for a 21-0 lead after the first quarter.
Whitworth's first possession that got into NCC territory ended with Jake Gaffaney's 33-yard field goal, his first make of the season. The Bucs went 67 yards in 12 plays.
The Pirates looked to build momentum after forcing the Cardinals to punt for the first time, but were forced to punt themselves. Sacco then took the first NCC play for a 75-yard touchdown run and a 28-3 lead.
Whitworth had a chance to cut into the margin in the final seconds before halftime, but a 32-yard field attempt was wide left.
Sacco broke free on a long run in the third quarter to set up Lehnen's five-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Skokna that extended the margin to 35-3. Sacco scored his team's final touchdown on a 12-yard run early in the fourth.
Owens broke free for his 41-yard ran to cap Whitworth's longest possession of the second half, a 72-yard drive, giving the Pirates their first touchdown. Blair threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Michael Workman with 1:49 to play to finish the scoring.
Dawson Tobeck (54 yards) and Caelin Johnson (49 yards) each caught six passes for the Bucs. Evan Liggett finished with three for 34 yards in his first game this season without a touchdown reception.
Senior safety Daniel McKeirnan recorded a career-high 16 tackles for the Pirates. Zach Brooks had 11, hitting his season average. Trevor Gravelle and Ryan Kinney each had a sack against a Cardinals team that had only given up three sacks all season. For the first time this season the Whitworth defense was unable to net a turnover. North Central finished with a 493-329 advantage in total offense.
For the first time in school history the Pirates posted back-to-back double-digit victories and playoff appearances.