Striking quickly with a series of explosive offensive plays early in the game, the North Central College football team seized control of Saturday's Battle for the Little Brass Bell at McCully Stadium. The Cardinals led nearly the entire way in a 54-35 victory over Wheaton College, achieving their highest point total against the Thunder in more than a century.

No. 1-ranked North Central (4-0, 3-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) scored four times on plays of at least 40 yards in the first 18 minutes of play and led comfortably from then on, gaining 613 total yards on just 51 plays (averaging just more than 12 yards per play). The Cardinals gained a season-best 447 rushing yards and posted their highest point total against Wheaton since a 64-0 victory in 1917.

The scoring opened on the second play from scrimmage, as Joe Sacco took the ball around left end for a 73-yard touchdown run, giving the visitors a 7-0 edge after just 44 seconds had elapsed. The Thunder (3-1, 2-1 CCIW) responded with an 11-play, 54-yard drive which ate up nearly five minutes and culminated in a 14-yard scoring pass from Ben Thorson to Ben Bonga, leveling the score at 7-7.

Sacco put the Cardinals back in the end zone on the fourth play of the ensuing possession, running off right tackle for a 43-yard score with 7:28 still on the first-quarter clock. Wheaton was forced to punt on its next drive and pinned North Central on its own one-yard line. Just three plays later, yet another long touchdown run stretched the lead to 21-7, this time a 78-yard run by quarterback Luke Lehnen with 2:04 to play in the first period.

A second straight Wheaton punt set the stage for the Cardinals' lone passing touchdown of the contest. Lehnen pushed a shovel pass to running back Charles Coleman, who darted through the left side of the defense for a 65-yard scoring reception. North Central's final scoring drive of the opening half started at the Thunder 42-yard line following a fourth-down stop by Jahron Williams and Bobby Medina. A 28-yard run by Coleman brought the guests to the one-yard line, and Jordan Chisum covered the remaining distance to send North Central into halftime with a 35-7 lead and a 373-151 advantage in total yards.

Wheaton, ranked No. 8 by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and No. 10 by D3football.com entering the game, scored on the first drive of the second half as Giovanni Weeks ran six yards for a touchdown. The Thunder recorded a fumble at the North Central 30-yard line but were turned away near the goal line by cornerback Ethan Groark, who broke up a deep pass on fourth down. Lehnen fired a deep pass to DeAngelo Hardy for a 48-yard gain to jumpstart the following drive before calling his own number for a 13-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 42-14 with 9:39 left in the third quarter.

A 12-play, 72-yard possession for the hosts ended with Thorson's 30-yard touchdown toss to Caleb Titherington, and the Thunder followed with an onside kick in an attempt to narrow the gap further. North Central, however, recorded the ball and drove 47 yards in seven plays and scored on Chisum's five-yard run to give the Cardinals a 48-21 lead. North Central's final score came with 10:44 to go in the game, as Coleman closed an eight-play, 59-yard drive with a 19-yard touchdown run.

Lehnen ran 13 times for a career-high 170 rushing yards while also completing 5 of 8 passes for 166 yards. Sacco gained a career-best 138 yards on just six carries, while Sean Allen ran 15 times for 74 yards and Coleman gained 60 yards on five attempts.  North Central's rushing total is the second-highest recorded in a single game by a NCAA Division III team thus far this season.

Linebacker Danny Nuccio recorded eight solo tackles and a quarterback sack, matching Antwain Walker for the team lead in total stops, while Will Vernon finished with seven and Medina totaled six.

The Cardinals host Carroll University (3-1, 2-1) Saturday at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium on Homecoming Weekend. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.