North Central at Augustana
When: 1 p.m. Saturday, WONC-FM (89.1), wonc.org.
Outlook: The Cardinals (5-3, 4-1 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) kept their league title and postseason hopes alive with a crucial 33-15 win over previously unbeaten Illinois Wesleyan last Saturday. The Cardinals need to win this Saturday against Augustana and have Wesleyan knock off unbeaten Wheaton at home for there to be a shot at the NCAA Division III playoffs. NCC holds the tiebreakers if the three teams wind up tied at the end of the season. The Cardinals have won nine straight against Augustana (3-4, 2-3). The Vikings feature one of the top players in the nation in quarterback Sam Frasco. He has rushed for 1,134 yards and passed for 1,607 yards, ranking him fifth in Division III in total offense. “He makes them go,” NCC coach Jeff Thorne said. “He’s electric. He’s really hard to contain. He can throw it and he’s one of the fastest guys in the conference.” The Cardinals bounced back after a difficult loss to Wheaton with the Wesleyan win in rainy conditions. Running back Austin Breunig, who leads the conference in rushing in CCIW games, ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns. “Our guys have shown a lot of character in how they’ve responded after tough losses,” Thorne said. “Wheaton was a heartbreaker. It was devastating. For them to come out and play as hard as they did, I’m proud of them.” The Cardinals will play the game with one eye toward the score in Bloomington. “I’d be lying if I said we weren’t looking for some help,” Thorne said.
— Paul Johnson