Oct 17, 2015
The North Central College football team put its quick-strike scoring ability on full display Saturday at Carthage College, finding the end zone on the first play of three of its scoring drives and keeping its record perfect in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play on Saturday by cruising to a 41-17 victory over Carthage College at Art Keller Field.
The Cardinals (4-2, 3-0 CCIW) scored from at least 20 yards out on each of their six scoring drives as they won for the 10th straight time over Carthage and kept pace with Wheaton College and Illinois Wesleyan University, who also remain unbeaten in CCIW play.
As it did in last week's 47-20 win over North Park University, North Central leaned on running backAustin Breunig, who scored three touchdowns and gained 185 yards on 19 carries. Quarterback Dylan Warden, meanwhile, threw for touchdowns on three of his four completed passes as he helped the Cardinals put the game away in the second half.
After both teams missed field-goal attempts in the first period, Breunig opened the scoring with a 50-yard scoring run after North Central took possession following a short Red Men punt. Dropping back to punt on its next drive, Carthage botched the snap, allowing the Cardinals to take possession on the Carthage 46-yard line. Four plays later, Breunig was in the end zone again, scoring from 33 yards out to double the visitors' lead to 14-0 with 7:06 left in the first half. North Central maintained its 14-0 advantage through to halftime.
Carthage (2-4, 1-2 CCIW) got on the board with a 35-yard field goal from Lance Unland with 13:38 left in the third quarter, but the Cardinals responded with a nine-play, 76-yad drive which culminated in Breunig's 21-yard scoring run and boosted North Central's advantage to 21-3 with 9:17 left in the period. The Red Men scored their first touchdown on Bobby Suchecki's 13-yard TD pass to James Cobbs with 5:02 left in the third quarter, but a pair of quick-strike scores put North Central in a commanding position before the period ended. After stopping a fourth-down conversion attempt at their own 28-yard line, the Cardinals got a 72-yard TD pass from Warden to Cory Hartema to extend their lead, and after Richard Zirngibl's interception of a Bobby Suchecki pass, North Central scored on a second-straight first-play drive as Warden found Nolan Brannick for a 24-yard score with 55 seconds left in the third period.
After the Red Men responded with a five-play, 72-yard drive which finished with Nick Anzelmo's 20-yard TD pass to Tommy Bazarek, North Central put up the final touchdown of the day on Warden's 38-yard scoring pass to Alex Ulmer with 10:36 left in the contest.
The Cardinals outgained Carthage, 463-321, including a 242-107 edge in rushing yards. Breunig ran for 185 yards on 19 carries, matching the career-high yardage he achieved only a week earlier, while Warden completed 4 of 9 passes for 146 yards and Hartema gained a team-best 84 receiving yards on two catches. Tom Sora was North Central's top tackler with 10 total stops,while Justin Stuursma totaled eight and Kevin Nalefski finished with seven.
Bobby Suchecki completed 11 of 27 passes for 196 yards for the Red Men, while Lafayette McGary ran for 69 yards on 16 carries and Eddie Miklasz caught four passes for 59 yards.
The Cardinals (4-2, 3-0 CCIW) host seventh-ranked Wheaton College (6-0, 3-0) at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.