Scouting the Pirates: Whitworth won its first nine games this season before closing the regular season with a 34-7 loss to Linfield.  The Pirates advanced to the second round with a 21-13 first-round victory over Pomona-Pitzer.

Whitworth was outgained by the Sagehens, 433-341, but forced three turnovers and stopped a lengthy third-quarter drive on downs as the Pirates won their first postseason game since 2006.

Quarterback Ryan Blair threw touchdown passes to Evan Liggett and Dawson Tobeck in the first quarter to put Whitworth in front, then connected with Tobeck for another score early in the fourth quarter after Pomona-Pitzer narrowed the gap to 14-10.

Blair, who ranks sixth nationally in passing yards (3,024) and eighth in touchdowns (36), finished the game 28 of 37 passing for 303 yards, finding Liggett seven times for 130. Liggett has scored 19 receiving touchdowns, third-most in Division III, and sits sixth nationwide in receiving yards (1,279). Tailback Luis Salgado owns the nation's 15th-highest rushing yardage total (1,213) despite gaining just 15 yards in last week's win.

Micajah Weisnger made a game-high 13 tackles for the Pirates, including two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Linebacker Zach Brooks is the leading tackler for a defense which ranks ranks sixth nationally in turnovers forced (27). Safety Daniel McKeirnan has a team-best five interceptions.

This Week for the Cardinals: North Central has been idle since closing out its fourth straight unbeaten regular season Nov. 16 with a 42-20 victory at Illinois Wesleyan.

The Cardinals traveled at least 90 yards for three of their six touchdowns and rushed for 374 yards. North Central has averaged 369 yards on the ground its last four games, boosting its season average to 308.5, third-most in Division III.

Luke Lehnen threw for 199 yards with touchdown passes to Jake Lynch and Thomas Skokna while running for a game-high 127 yards on just six attempts.

Lehnen's 95-yard touchdown run in the third quarter is the second-longest play from scrimmage in North Central history and the sixth-longest in Division III this season.

Charles Coleman ran for a career-high 98 yards and two touchdowns, giving the junior five scores in the last two games. Zack Orr made a career-high 11 tackles, the most by any North Central player this season.

North Central carries a 33-game home winning streak into the postseason dating back to 2018.

North Central vs. the NWC: This is the Cardinals' second game against a Northwest Conference opponent.

North Central traveled to face Linfield in the second round of the 2012 playoffs, losing a 30-14 decision to the Wildcats.
 

North Central in the NCAA Playoffs:  The Cardinals own a 31-13 overall record in the Division III Football Championship, including trips to the national championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the last four seasons. North Central is 19-4 in postseason home games.

North Central won the 2019 and 2022 national championships and finished as the national runner-up in 2021 and 2023. The Cardinals first qualified for the national quarterfinals in 2010 and the semifinals in 2013.

Elsewhere in the Bracket: The winner of this game will play the winner of the second-round matchup between Hope and Aurora in next week's third round.

Other second-round games in the Cardinals' section of the bracket feature UMASS-Dartmouth at Springfield and Endicott at Cortland.

Cardinals Sweep CCIW Individual Awards: North Central claimed each of the CCIW's annual individual awards last week after closing out its fourth straight CCIW championship.

Lehnen was recognized as the Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year for the second straight season, marking the eighth consecutive time a Cardinal has claimed the distinction. Defensive tackle John Sullivan shares this year's Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year honors. A North Central defensive lineman has won or shared the award each of the last three seasons.

Guard Sam Pryor was voted the Offensive Line Student-Athlete of the Year, extending the Cardinals' string of six straight honorees since the award was introduced in 2018. Running back Donovan McNeal was selected as the First-Year Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year, an honor presented for the first time last season.

Tight end Bobby Behmer received his third straight CCIW Elite 26 Award, presented to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average among the top two teams in the final CCIW standings.

North Central head coach Brad Spencer was named the CCIW Coach of the Year, becoming just the second coach in the conference's history to be so recognized three straight years.

All-CCIW Teams: A total of 19 Cardinals received All-CCIW accolades, 11 of which were voted to the First Team.

First Team Offense selections include Lehnen (quarterback), Skokna (wide receiver), Pryor (offensive line), Jeske Maples (offensive line) and Ryan Kennelly (offensive line). Making the Second Team are Behmer (tight end), Nick Fehrle (offensive line), Jack Rummell (wide receiver) and Joe Sacco (running back).

The Cardinals' six First Team Defense honorees are Sullivan (defensive line), Cortez Jones (defensive line), BJ Adamchik (linebacker), Brayden Garrigan (defensive back), Zack Orr (defensive back) and Rahmareon Roby (defensive back). Second Team selections are Jacob Vincent (defensive line), Angelo Cusumano (linebacker) and Jahmar Daniel (defensive back).

Wide receiver Jacob Paradee is a Second Team All-CCIW selection as a return specialist.

Lehnen Selected as Finalist for Campbell Trophy: Lehnen has been announced as a finalist for the National Football Foundation's (NFF) William V. Campbell Trophy, presented annually since 1990 to the student-athlete with the best combination of academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

Lehnen is the first player at North Central and the first from a CCIW institution since 2018 to be so honored. Finalists receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship.

The Campbell Trophy winner, announced Dec. 10 in Las Vegas, has their scholarship award increased to $25,000.

Lehnen Establishes National Records: Lehnen is the national all-divisions active leader in passing efficiency (211.9) and is on pace to establish a new collegiate career record.

The current record (202.6) is held by Mount Union's D'Angelo Fulford (202.6).

Lehnen has already established new all-divisions records for consecutive games with a touchdown pass (54) and touchdowns responsible for (196).  The former record was 190, set from 2019-2023 by John Matocha of the Colorado School of Mines.

Last week, Lehnen's 326 yards of total offense to push his career total to 14,686, bettering the previous standard of 14,568 set by Mount Union's Kevin Burke (2011-2014).

Cardinals' Career TD Passes Record Vanquished: Lehnen has thrown for 148 touchdown passes as a collegian, the most in the Cardinals' history. Lehnen's total ranks fifth in Division III history and 11th in college football history.

Lehnen now ranks fifth in Division III history and 11th in college football history in touchdown passes. Mount Union's Braxton Plunk (2019-23) owns the Division III record (158).

Adamchik Takes Place Among Top Tacklers: Adamchik's team-high 47 tackles thus far this season have pushed his career total to 243, ranking him sixth in the Cardinal's history in total stops. Adamchik has the most tackles of any active CCIW defender.

Orr Poised for Top 10 in Interceptions: Zack Orr enters Saturday's game with eight career interceptions. A ninth pick would move Orr into a six-way tie for ninth in the team's history.