NAPERVILLE, Ill. - For the first 15 minutes of Saturday's game, Carroll's football team went toe-to-toe with defending Division-III National Champion North Central (Ill.), matching them score for score in the first quarter. Eventually, North Central would show why they are currently the number-one ranked team in the country, defeating the Pioneers 69-24.

The Cardinals (5-0, 4-0 CCIW) recorded just two more first downs than the Pioneers (3-2, 2-2 CCIW), but North Central out-gained them in total offensive yards (695-337). The Cardinals rushed for 310 yards (8.6 yards per carry) and passed for 385 (32.1 yards per completion). Carroll finished with 243 yards through the air, snapping a streak of three consecutive 300-yard passing games.

North Central opened the scoring just two minutes into the game when Sean Allen scored on a 22-yard run. Unfazed, Carroll answered by taking their first possession of the contest 67 yards in 14 plays, tying the game on a one-yard run by quarterback Josh Raby. That tie would be short-lived, as Joey Lombardi returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a score. Carroll would not back down, answering with another touchdown drive on the ensuing possession, which was capped by a 14-yard TD pass from Raby to tight end Trevor Hancock. That tie was again short-lived, with North Central scoring on the very next play from scrimmage, a 76-yard touchdown pass from Luke Lehnen to Deangelo Hardy to give the Cardinals a 21-14 lead after one quarter of play.

North Central would add two more passing touchdowns in the second quarter, before Carroll scored their next points on a 30-yard field goal by Jake Laurent. That gives Laurent eight field goals on the season and 23 for his career, which ranks second in program history and is just one shy of the school record, set in 2007. North Central then added two more touchdowns in the final two minutes of the half, scoring on a 45-yard run by Joe Sacco and on a 69-yard pass from Lehnen to Hardy to give the Cardinals a 49-17 halftime lead.

NCC added a pair of touchdowns in the third period on a 76-yard interception return and a 93-yard touchdown pass from Lehnen to Hardy, before adding another in the opening minute of the fourth on a 9-yard TD run by Allen. Carroll capped the scoring mid-way through the fourth with a one-yard TD pass from Raby to Austin Eichstaedt.

Raby finished the game with 243 yards and two touchdowns, while Eichstaedt led the Pioneers with five receptions for 109 yards. That gives the receiver four consecutive 100-yard receiving games and keeps him on pace to break the program's single season record for receiving yards. Jaxon Case led Carroll's rushing attack with 54 yards on 14 carries.

Lehnen completed 12-of-13 passes for 385 yards and five touchdowns for North Central. Hardy did most of the damage himself, catching seven passes for 278 yards and four touchdowns. Jacob Paradee added two catches for 54 yards and a score. Sacco paced the Cardinals' rushing attack with 106 yards on seven carries (15.1 ypc).

After two consecutive road games, Carroll will now return home next weekend, as they'll host Elmhurst College for the Pioneers' annual Homecoming game. That contest will begin at 1 p.m. at Schneider Stadium in Waukesha, Wis.