Sealing the game's outcome in the first half with near-flawless execution on both sides of the ball, the North Central College football team found little resistance in a 59-6 victory over Elmhurst University at Langhorst Field.
The Cardinals (3-0, 2-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) scored touchdowns on all seven possessions in the first two periods, while Elmhurst was forced to punt the first six times it had the ball. The visitors needed four plays to establish a lead they would hold throughout the afternoon, as Joe Sacco slithered through the Bluejays' defense for a 20-yard touchdown run with 13:07 on the first-quarter clock.
Sacco's longest run of the day was a 37-yarder which set North Central up on the hosts' five-yard line. Two plays later, Sacco was called upon again and scored for the second time to double the lead to 14-0 with 9:00 to play in the opening quarter. The Cardinals' next possession was dominated by their passing attack, as Luke Lehnen threw to DeAngelo Hardy for 15 yards and Joey Lombardi for 22 before another 15-yard pass to Hardy to advance to the Elmhurst two-yard line. On third down, Lehnen completed a touchdown pass to Hardy for the fifth time this season, leaving the score at 21-0.
The Bluejays' punt attempt on the ensuing drive resulted in an errant snap, and North Central's Jake Lynch recovered the ball to give the Cardinals a short field at the Elmhurst 25 near the end of the first quarter. On the final play of the period, Sean Allen ran off right tackle to the end zone for a 28-0 advantage.
Elmhurst (1-2, 0-2 CCIW) ran more than six minutes off the clock on its next drive before its progress was cut short by three straight negative plays. Angelo Cusumano darted through the Bluejays' line to bring down running back Jonas Burnett for a six-yard loss and Will Kettelkamp sacked quarterback Andrey Acosta for a two-yard loss, setting up third down-and-18 at the Elmhurst 45-yard line. Kettelkamp and Danny Nuccio sacked Acosta for a five-yard loss, forcing the hosts' fourth punt of the day.
Lehnen opened the next possession with a 39-yard pass to Allen, who followed with a 16-yard run and a 14-yard reception on consecutive plays. One first down at the one-yard line, Lehnen rolled to his right, changed directions to avoid pressure, and ran for a touchdown with 6:59 left in the half. Lehnen now ranks eighth in the Cardinals' history in career rushing touchdowns (25).
North Central took possession at the Bluejays' 18-yard line following a short punt from deep in Elmhurst territory. Sacco hauled in a 14-yard pass from Lehnen before running for a third touchdown from three yards away. The guests' final drive of the first half started at the Elmhurst 45 with 2:11 on the clock and saw Lehnen connect with Jacob Paradee for 17 yards and Lombardi for 24 before handing off to Jordan Chisum, who made it a 49-0 count with 1:10 on the clock with a three-yard scoring run. The Cardinals owned a 330-57 advantage in total yards in the first half.
The Cardinals turned to their reserves in the second half as the starters were permitted to rest. An eight-play, 51-yard drive by North Central's second offensive unit culminated in Darius Byrd's one-yard touchdown run with 6:03 left in the third period. The Bluejays scored their lone touchdown with 10:58 to go in the game, as Acosta kept the drive alive with a 16-yard completion on fourth down before throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to Seth Desmore. The final points of the affair were scored by North Central kicker Sean Ryniec, whose first collegiate field-goal attempt was good from 28 yards away.
The Cardinals' victory over Elmhurst is their 24th straight dating back to 1999. North Central has now won 29 straight regular-season games and 26 consecutive CCIW contests.
Sacco ran for 80 yards on just seven carries as the Cardinals owned a 212-17 advantage in rushing yards. Lehnen completed 11 of 14 passes for 201 yards and Lombardi was the team's leading receiver with 57 yards on three catches. BJ Adamchik and James Hart shared the team lead in tackles with six apiece while Ethan Groark intercepted a pass on Elmhurst's first possession of the second half.
Up next for the Cardinals is the annual Battle for the Little Brass Bell against Wheaton College, which is ranked eighth in the most recent American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 Poll and 10th in the latest D3football.com Top 25 Poll. Saturday's game will take place at Wheaton's McCully Stadium, with kickoff set for 1:00 p.m.
First-Half Clinic Pushes North Central past Elmhurst
/seasons/2023/boxscores/20230923_n4c1.xml
2023
North Central (Ill.)
59
Elmhurst
6
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 North Central (Ill.) (3-0) | 28 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 59 |
| Elmhurst (1-2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Sep 23, 2023