Bragging Rights
Which team will leave Williams Stadium heartbroken in this year's rivalry clash?
Fans are surely in for a treat on Saturday as two rivals prepare to face off in this college football classic. The DePaul Blue Demons and the North Central Cardinals will face off in a HFC battle at 12:00 p.m. at Williams Stadium. Given the disparity between these two teams on paper, it's safe to say the Blue Demons are not likely losing any sleep ahead of Saturday's matchup.
DePaul heads into the contest having just come up short against #1 Space Force. The Blue Demons took a 17-13 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Starfleet last Saturday. The loss put an end to the Blue Demons' undefeated start to the season. Coach Parz stayed level afterward: "Nobody goes undefeated by accident, and nobody stays down after one loss unless they choose to."
Despite the loss, DePaul saw an underclassman step up: freshman De'Andre Lawry rushed for 102 yards and 1 score on only 10 carries. The bulk of those rushing yards came from one huge play: a run that gained an incredible 66 yards.
Meanwhile, North Central was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap last Saturday as they fell 21-15 to Pittsburg State.
Defeat or not, North Central got some senior leadership from Ethan Vasko and LaKelsey Johnson Jr.. Vasko threw for 344 yards and 1 touchdown, while Johnson Jr. picked up 140 receiving yards and 1 TD.
Most of the squad's points were scored by special teams, which contributed nine in total. All those points came courtesy of Chase Reeves: he added nine points with three field goals.
DePaul's loss dropped their record down to 2-1. As for North Central, they now have a losing record at 1-2.