Cardinals Bash Big Blue, 38-7
The North Central College football team was victorious for the
16th straight regular-season home game on Saturday, racing to an
early lead and cruising past the Millikin University Big Blue,
38-7, at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
The Cardinals (6-0, 3-0 College Conference of Illinois &
Wisconsin) dominated on both sides of the ball en route to a 35-0
halftime lead before the backups ran out the clock.
North Central's offense hit a speedbump getting started, as Brad
Crackel's first pass was intercepted by Big Blue safety
Sonnie Rollins at the Millikin 35-yard line. The visitors attempted
to convert on fourth down, needing just one yard, but Willie
Hayes sacked quarterback Luke Hockaday to end the
drive.
Once they regained possession, the Cardinals methodically covered
35 yards in six plays to get to the end zone, as Jordan
Tassio ran two yards for a touchdown to give the hosts a
7-0 lead with 10:19 on the first-quarter clock.
The Big Blue (3-3, 0-3 CCIW) came up short on another fourth-down
conversion and turned the ball over on the North Central 42. The
Cardinals followed with a 10-play, 58-yard drive that led to
another Tassio score, this time from three yards out, doubling
North Central's lead to 14-0.
The Cardinals' next drive led to their first score of the second
period. After a Millikin punt, North Central got a boost from a
31-yard run by Nick
Kukuc before eventually scoring on a four-yard run by
Crackel with 11:43 to go in the first half. The Big Blue drove 62
yards in 11 plays on their next drive, but a pair of penalties left
the visitors facing a third-and-15 at the North Central 22.
Hockaday was sacked by Peter
Bulandr and Valente
Garza, shaking up the Millikin signal-caller and forcing
him from the game, and another fourth-down conversion attempt
failed.
North Central took over at its own 18-yard line and needed just two
plays to score again, as Crackel beat an oncoming blitz by firing a
pass over the middle to Kyle
Fiedorowicz. Finding no defenders in front of him,
Fiedorowicz sprinted unmolested to the goal line for a 78-yard
touchdown reception, matching the third-longest passing play in
school history and increasing the lead to 28-0.
Millikin backup quarterback Matt Holmes was unable to pick up a
first down on the team's next drive, and the Big Blue punted to
give North Central possession on the visitors' 45-yard line with
3:45 to play. Six plays later, Tassio picked through the defense
for a 21-yard touchdown run and a 35-0 advantage.
A short Millikin punt on the first possession of the second
half led to the Cardinals' final score. Taking over at the Big Blue
39, the Cardianls drove 20 yards in five plays before bringing on
kicker Nick
Dace for a 36-yard field goal.
Millikin drove for its lone score on its final possession, as
running back Grant Shannon capped off an eight-play, 52-yard drive
with a four-yard touchdown run.
Crackel completed 14 of 19 passes for 206 yards. Fiedorowicz gained
a career-high 103 yards on three receptions, while Joe
Antonacci caught four passes for 45 yards. Kukuc led the
ground game with 72 yards on 11 carries, Tassio picked up 59 yards
on nine attempts, and Denzel
Thompson ran 11 times for 53 yards.
Matt
Wenger led North Central's defense with seven tackles,
while Joey
Michals finished with six. #Jim Clendenning collected two
of the Cardinals' five quarterback sacks.
Millikin running back Dion Wilson, who was ranked second nationally
in rushing heading into the game, was limited to 83 yards on 14
carries. Wilson had gained at least 100 yards in each of the Big
Blue's five previous games. Backup quarterback Matt Holmes
completed 5 of 13 passes for 58 yards.
The Cardinals host Illinois Wesleyan University on Saturday for
Homecoming, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m.
