# 2023 North Central Cardinals football team

The 2023 North Central Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented North Central College of Naperville, Illinois, as a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) during the 2023 NCAA Division III football season. In their second year under head coach Brad Spencer, the Cardinals compiled a 14–1 record (9–0 against conference opponents), won the CCIW championship, and were ranked No. 1 in Division III at the end of the regular season.
The team advanced to the Division III playoffs where they defeated Belhaven (65–0) in the first round, Trinity (TX) (71–28) in the second round, Wisconsin–La Crosse (55–42) in the quarterfinals, and Wartburg (34–27) in the semifinals. The Cardinals were then defeated by Cortland, 38–37, in the Stagg Bowl, the Division III championship game. North Central scored with 1:20 remaining against Cortland but was stopped on an attempted two-point conversion.
Prior to the loss to Cortland, the Cardinals had won 29 consecutive games and appeared in four consecutive Division III championship games, winning national championships in 2019 and 2022.
The team broke CCIW offensive records with 576 points and 5,504 total yards in nine conference games. Through all 15 games, the Cardinals scored an NCAA record 879 points, an average of 58.6 points per game.
The team was led by quarterback Luke Lehnen, who won the Gagliardi Trophy as the Division III player of the year. Other key players included running back Joe Sacco, wide receiver DeAngelo Hardy, and linebacker BJ Adamchik.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 1:00 p.m. | at Roosevelt* | No. 1 | Morris FieldArlington Heights, IL | W 41–7 | 1,132 |
| September 16 | 1:00 p.m. | Carthage | No. 1 | Benedetti–Wehrli StadiumNaperville, IL | W 70–0 | 1,100 |
| September 23 | 2:00 p.m. | at Elmhurst | No. 1 | Langhorst FieldElmhurst, IL | W 59–6 | 2,400 |
| September 30 | 1:00 p.m. | at No. 8 Wheaton (IL) | No. 1 | McCully StadiumWheaton, IL (Battle for the Little Brass Bell) | W 54–35 | 5,102 |
| October 7 | 6:00 p.m. | Carroll (WI) | No. 1 | Benedetti–Wehrli StadiumNaperville, IL | W 69–24 | 4,000 |
| October 14 | 1:00 p.m. | at Millikin | No. 1 | Frank M. Lindsay FieldDecatur, IL | W 75–3 | 800 |
| October 21 | 1:00 p.m. | Washington University | No. 1 | Benedetti–Wehrli StadiumNaperville, IL | W 49–3 | 2,700 |
| October 28 | 1:00 p.m. | at North Park | No. 1 | Holmgren Athletic ComplexChicago, IL | W 56–0 | 445 |
| November 4 | 1:00 p.m. | Illinois Wesleyan | No. 1 | Benedetti–Wehrli StadiumNaperville, IL | W 83–26 | 2,800 |
| November 11 | 12:00 p.m. | at Augustana (IL) | No. 1 | Lindberg StadiumRock Island, IL | W 61–17 | 2,286 |
| November 18 | 12:00 p.m. | Belhaven* | No. 1 | Benedetti–Wehrli StadiumNaperville, IL (NCAA Division III first round) | W 65–0 | 1,338 |
| November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 4 Trinity (TX)* | No. 1 | Benedetti–Wehrli StadiumNaperville, IL (NCAA Division III second round) | W 71–28 | 1,169 |
| December 2 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 6 Wisconsin–La Crosse* | No. 1 | Veterans Memorial FieldLa Crosse, WI (NCAA Division III quarterfinal) | W 55–42 | 2,422 |
| December 9 | 2:33 p.m. | at No. 3 Wartburg* | No. 1 | Walston-Hoover StadiumWaverly, IA (NCAA Division III semifinal) | W 34–27 | 3,525 |
| December 15 | 7:03 p.m. | vs. Cortland* | No. 1 | Salem Football StadiumSalem, VA (Stagg Bowl) | L 37–38 | 3,381 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Coaching staff

* Brad Spencer, head coach
* Shane Dierking, assistant head coach, defensive coordinator, linebackers coach
* Eric Stuedemann, offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, recruiting coordinator
* Colin Wood, special teams coordinator, cornerbacks coach
* Joe Fehrle, tight end coach, strength coordinator
* DJ Warkenthien, defensive line coach assistant strength coordinator
* Sharmore Clarke, offensive line coach