Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
Hitting the season's midway point with its most dominant performance thus far, the North Central College football team remained unbeaten on Saturday with a 33-0 victory over the North Park University Vikings which featured a historic defensive effort at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
The fourth-ranked Cardinals (5-0, 3-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) allowed North Park to gain just 92 total yards in the contest, breaking the previous single-game school record of 97 yards allowed in a 38-0 win over Benedictine University on Sept. 16, 2006. North Central also recorded seven quarterback sacks in the program's first shutout victory since a 42-0 triumph, also over North Park, on Oct. 19, 2013.
The Cardinals' first scoring drive got started just 37 yards from the goal line after a 30-yard punt return by Pat Cravens. A methodical seven-play drive culminated in a seven-yard touchdown run by Dominick Muoghalu, his ninth of the season, with 7:41 left in the first period. Another incisive punt return, this time a 28-yarder by Andrew Kamienski, set the hosts up at their own 46-yard line at the end of the first quarter. Four plays later, Kamienski hauled in a 25-yard scoring pass from Broc Rutter to double the lead to 14-0.
Zach Greenberg ended the next North Park possession near midfield, recording an interception for the second straight week. Just two plays later, Rutter connected with Austin Breunig out of the backfield for a 41-yard TD pass and a 21-0 lead which stood until halftime.
Life got no easier for the Vikings once play resumed in the second half, as their first drive resulted in a punt which was blocked by Matt Sutherland and rolled out of bounds in the end zone for a safety. North Central took the ensuing drive 42 yards in eight plays for another score and a 30-0 advantage as Breunig ran in for a two-yard touchdown. Liam Crotty capped off the Cardinals' scoring with a 27-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, his ninth in 10 attempts.
Defensive end Talha Ayhan headlined North Central's relentless pass rush, totaling three sacks while sharing the team lead in tackles (6) with Sutherland and Tommy Sora. The Cardinals 448 total yards (217 rushing, 231 passing), as Breunig gained 105 rushing yards on 20 carries and caught four passes for 65 yards. Kamienski caught a team-best six passes for 110 yards and Rutter completed 16 of 23 passes for 231 yards.
North Central travels to face 13th-ranked Wheaton College on Saturday in the annual Battle for the Little Brass Bell. Kickoff at McCully Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.