Game Leaders
Team Stats
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
Turnovers
Time of Poss.
After waiting nearly two years to return to the field after the greatest victory in its history, the North Central College football team made up for lost time Saturday. The fourth-ranked Cardinals overwhelmed 21st-ranked Aurora University from the opening kick, achieving a 64-7 conquest of the Spartans at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
Taking the field for the first time since winning the program's first national championship on Dec. 20, 2019, North Central operated with surgical efficiency, posting its second-highest point total and third-highest yardage total ever in a season-opening game.
The Cardinals took the game's first offensive possession 64 yards in 10 plays and scored on Luke Lehnen's six-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Kamienski. The score is the 47th of Kamienski's career, leaving him just one short of the program record of 48 set by Nick Kukuc '13. Lehnen added a second TD pass a short time later, delivering a deep ball to DeAngelo Hardy for a 43-yard score.
Ethan Greenfield rumbled through the Spartans' defense for touchdown runs of nine and 16 yards before Blake Williams capped the first-half scoring with a 23-yard touchdown catch from Lehnen, fighting hard for the final few yards and stretching his 6'5" frame to reach the ball across the goal line. The Cardinals owned a 34-0 advantage at halftime, rolling up 358 yards of offense.
Greenfield added a 29-yard touchdown run early in the third period, making him the third North Central player to score 40 career rushing touchdowns. Thomas Mitchell connected on a 35-yard field goal late in the quarter and Darius Byrd scored on a three-yard run early in the fourth period to extend the lead to 51-0.
A fumbled Cardinal snap deep in the hosts' own territory led to Aurora's lone score of the evening, as Tyran Bailey's five-yard TD run broke up North Central's shutout bid. The Cardinals added the game's final two touchdowns on an 11-yard run by Justin Lynch and a one-yard plunge by Jordan Chisum.
The North Central defense held the Spartans (0-2) to 219 total yards and just one successful third-down conversion in nine attempts. Ben Wong totaled a team-high eight tackles while Dakota Cremeens and Sam Taviani intercepted passes and Jamauri Spivery and Nic Laird recovered fumbles.
Lehnen finished his first collegiate appearance 13 of 24 passing for 264 yards as the Cardinals gained 610 total yards (306 rushing, 304 passing). Greenfield gained 137 yards on 16 rushing attempts and Kamienski hauled in six passes for 148 yards.
Aurora quarterback Gavin Zimbelman completed 15 of 29 passes for 136 yards, completing five passes to Trey Madsen for 39 yards, while Bailey ran for 55 yards on 13 carries. Colin Dominski and Ernesto Ramirez shared the team lead in tackles with 10 stops each.
The Cardinals travel to face fifth-ranked Wheaton College (1-0) next Saturday in the annual Battle for the Little Brass Bell. Kickoff at McCully Stadium is set for 6:00 p.m.