KENOSHA, WIS. – The Carthage College Red Men football team was unable to keep up with the high-powered North Central College offense, falling at Art Keller Field 41-17 Saturday, October 17th to closeout the "Family Weekend" athletic events.
 
The Cardinals used long touchdown plays throughout the night to drop the Red Men to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, while NCC improves to 4-2 and 3-0 in the CCIW.
 
Following a scoreless first quarter, North Central's Austin Breunig put the Cardinals in the end zone twice as he broke off touchdown runs of 50 yards and 33 yards respectively to put the Cardinals up 14-0, which would be the score going into half.
 
On the first play of the second half for the Cardinals, the center made an errant snap to the quarterback as he looked for a play call on the sideline that Terrance Allen pounced on for a Red Men recovery at the North Central eight-yard line.
 
Carthage would have to settle for a Lance Unland 35-yard field goal to put Carthage on the board but NCC would answer with a 21-yard run for Bruenig's third touchdown of the game.
 
"We did a nice job in the first half of limiting the big plays," said head football coach Mike Yeager.  "But in the second half we obviously allowed too many of those.  They're a good football team.  You've got to make them earn it.  When you give them easy plays it makes it real hard on yourselves."
 
James Cobbs III would find the end zone for the Red Men in the third quarter with 5:02 on the clock, as Bobby Suchecki hooked up with Cobbs on a short curl rout that allowed Cobbs to spin out of a tackle and walk into the end zone.  The pending PAT would cut the lead to 21-10. 
 
The North Central offense would take advantage of Carthage drives that came to an end with a turnover-on-downs and an interception on the first play of each of their next drives as Dylan Warden his receivers for touchdown passes of 72-yards and 24-yards respectively.
 
Carthage would get back in the end zone on their next drive as Nick Anzelmo would finish off a five play, 72-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Bazarek to make the score 35-17 following the Lance Unland PAT.
 
That would be as close as the Red Men would get as the Cardinals would get a touchdown back to seal Carthage's fate at 41-17.
 
Carthage struggled on third downs on the evening, only converting on three of seventeen opportunities.
 
"The money down has been the issue for us on both sides of the ball," noted Yeager. "We have got to get better in that area."
 
Statistically, Lafayette McGary led the rushing game for the second week in a row with 69 yards on 16 carries but was outdone by North Central's Breunig who finished the night with 185 yards on 19 carries.
 
Bobby Suchecki threw for 196 yards on 11-of-27 passing with the single touchdown to Cobbs.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, K.J. Simpson had eight solo tackles to lead all Red Men while also forcing a fumble.  Pete Laughlin recorded two sacks and three and a half tackles for losses.  As a team the Red Men got to the quarterbacks three times and recorded six tackles for loss with two fumble recoveries and one interception.
 
The Red Men will look to bounce back next weekend on the road at Augustana College, Saturday, October 24 at the Knowlton Outdoor Athletic Complex at 1:00 p.m.
 
Looking ahead Yeager to Augustana Yeager stated, "They will be a great challenge.  You know in this league you've got to come to play every single week.  So we will have our hands full for sure."