SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth University has advanced to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Division III football championship, where the Pirates will take on top-ranked North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. Saturday's Kickoff is scheduled for noon Central time at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. Check the online football schedule for live stats, a link to the radio broadcast and a link to the ESPN+ broadcast.
Whitworth (10-1), ranked 21st in the AVCA Division III coaches poll and 22nd in the D3football.com poll, defeated Pomona-Pitzer 21-13 last Saturday in a first round championship game at the Pine Bowl. North Central (10-0), the top-ranked team in both polls, had a first-round bye.
NCAA Tickets: Tickets for Saturday's game will only be available at the gate. Gates will open 90 minutes prior to kickoff.
Watch on ESPN: ESPN owns the broadcast rights to all NCAA Division III football playoff games, so North Central is unable to stream the game online as normal. Viewers will be able to find Saturday's game on ESPN+, through the ESPN app or on the ESPN network through a cable or satellite service. A subscription that includes ESPN+ is required to view the game.
Listen Live: Bud Nameck will provide on online radio broadcast of the play by play at www.whitworthpirates.com.
NCAA Playoff Info: The NCAA Division III football playoffs consist of a 40-team field. The top 24 seeded teams did not play in the first round. As the 25th seeded team, Whitworth hosted one of the eight first-round games (bottom 16 seeds) last Saturday against Pomona-Pitzer. Thirty-two schools remain alive in the playoffs and will now advance on a week-by-week basis to the NCAA Division III championship game, known as the Stagg Bowl. It will be played on January 5th in Houston, Texas. All games up to the championship are played on campus and will start at noon local time. Click here for an interactive online bracket.
The Pirates: Whitworth took a 14-3 lead and held on to defeat visiting Pomona-Pitzer 21-13 in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Division III football championship last Saturday in the Pine Bowl. Even though the Sagehens outgained the Bucs 431-341, Whitworth averaged 6.0 yards per play to P-P's 5.3 yards per play. Whitworth finished with a 3-1 edge in turnovers.
The Pirate defense had to defend 81 plays from the explosive Sagehens' offense and limited the visitors to 13 points. Whitworth clinched the game when Omari Williams intercepted a pass at the Pirates' two-yard line with six seconds to play in the game. Williams added ten tackles and broke up two passes to go along with his game-clinching interception. Daniel McKeirnan also had an interception in the game, his fifth of the season, to go with eight tackles and two pass breakups. Micajah Weisner recorded a career-high 13 tackles, including two for losses of seven yards, and forced a fumble at Whitworth's ten-yard line that was recovered by Nathan Hummel. JT Muñoz made five tackles, including a strip sack that was eventually recovered by a P-P offensive lineman.
Quarterback Ryan Blair completed 28 of 37 passes for 303 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions to lead the offense. Whitworth's running game was mostly bottled up by the Sagehen's shifting five-man defensive front, finishing with 38 yards on the ground. Evan Liggett took a swing pass 42 yards for the game's first touchdown on the opening possession. He finished with seven catches for 130 yards. Dawson Tobeck caught the other two touchdown passes. Caelin Johnson added six receptions for 52 yards.
Matthew Herzog punted six times for an average of 40.3 yards. Iden Bone averaged 61.8 yards per kickoff, including one touchback. Nathan Owens returned the game's opening kickoff 40 yards to kickstart the Pirates' first touchdown drive.
Back-to-Back: Saturday's game marked Whitworth's second straight appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs and second straight ten-win season, the first time in school history the Pirates have reached either of those accomplishments in consecutive seasons.
This is Whitworth's sixth NCAA playoff appearance, fourth under Rod Sandberg.
Pirate Playoff History: The Pirates played in the 2023 NCAA Division III playoffs, defeating Chapman 42-28 in the first round before falling to eventual DIII semifinalist Wartberg 42-20 on the road in the second round.
Whitworth previously appeared in the NCAA DIII playoffs in 2018 following a 10-0 regular season. The Bucs rolled past Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 48-6 in the first round, then lost 45-24 on the road at 3rd-ranked St. John's. In 2015 the Pirates were invited as an at-large participant and lost 48-10 at 2nd-ranked Linfield in the first round. In 2006 Whitworth finished the regular season 10-0 and defeated an unbeaten Occidental squad 27-23 in the first round of the tournament in the Pine Bowl. The Pirates fell to St. John's (Minn.) 21-3 in the second round, also played in the Pine Bowl Whitworth's first NCAA playoff appearance came in 2001 when the Pirates lost at home to Pacific Lutheran 27-26 in overtime in the first round.
The Bucs had one NAIA playoff appearance, falling 13-7 at Humboldt State in the semifinals in 1960.
Team Captains: The Pirate team captains in 2024 are QB Ryan Blair and OG Jake Trost from the offense and ILB Zach Brooks and DT JT Muñoz from the defense. A special forces captain is selected on a week-by-week basis. Last week's special forces captain was Jacob Brandvold.
Special Forces Captains, week-by-week: Sept. 7 – Luke Roberts; Sept. 14 – Ryan Kinney; Sept. 21 - Micajah Weisner; Oct. 5 – Dawson Tobeck; Oct. 12 – Chris Knutson; Oct. 19 – Trey Rose; Oct. 26 – Daniel McKiernan; Nov. 2 – Cameron Sheley; Nov. 9 – Luke McCorkle; Nov. 16 – Marcus Viramontes; Nov. 23 – Jacob Brandvold.
2024 All-NWC Honors: Whitworth had seven first team selections and five second team mentions on the 2024 All-Northwest Conference Football team, led by Offensive Player of the Year Ryan Blair (QB). He was joined on the first team offense by WR Evan Liggett, RB Luis Salgado and C Patton Miller. Three Pirates made the first team defense: DE JT Muñoz, LB Zach Brooks and FS Daniel McKiernan. The second team included OT Dillon Helle, DE Dylan Owen, DT Justin Gies, LB Micajah Weisner and CB Omari Williams. The six players who received honorable mention consideration are OG Jake Trost, OG, Jake McCabe, WR Caelin Johnson, TE Taylor Wells, RB/KR Nathan Owens and CB Joshua Lawson.
It's Better to Take than Give: Whitworth's defense has been downright effective taking away the ball in 2024. Through 11 games this season the Pirates have 27 takeaways, which is second in the NWC and ranks 6th in NCAA Division III. More importantly, Whitworth is second in the nation in turnover margin (27-6, or +1.91 turnovers per game). The Bucs are first in the NWC and rank 15th in Division III in fumbled recovered (11) and second in the NWC in pass interceptions with 16 (14th in DIII). Daniel McKeirnan, a two-time first team All-NWC safety, has five in 2024 while Omari Williams has four.
Selfish with the Ball: On the flip side, the Pirate offense has been downright selfish with the ball. Whitworth ranks fourth in NCAA Division III in turnovers lost with six. The Pirates gave up one interception in the first half of the season opener at Gustavus Adolphus and went 25 quarters without a turnover until the third quarter at Pacific.
To Protect and to Serve: The Whitworth offensive line is a huge reason for the records broken and milestones attained in 2024. Patton Miller (C) is a two-time first team All-NWC honoree, while Dillon Helle (RT) is a second team choice in 2024 after earning first team recognition in 2023. Whitworth guards Jack Trost and Jake McCabe claimed honorable mention consideration. Along with two-year starter Kiefer Furness (LT), the offensive line is playing at a high level. The Pirates lead the NWC in yards per play (7.2) by a wide margin. The offensive line has allowed only 11 sacks in 11 games (1.0 per game), which leads the NWC.
Surgical Precision: Ryan Blair, the 2024 NWC Offensive Player of the Year, has thrown the ball to devastating effect for Whitworth's opponents. He has completed 239 of 346 passes (69.1%) for 3024 yards with 36 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Blair threw 181 passes between his first and second interceptions of the season. He leads the NWC and is eighth in NCAA DIII in touchdown passes. Blair has broken Whitworth's previous single season record of 29, shared by Joel Clark (2005) and Ian Kolste (2016). His passing efficiency rating of 174.5 leads the NWC and ranks 20th in NCAA Division III.
Touchdown Machine: First team All-NWC WR Evan Liggett has 19 touchdown receptions in 2024, which is third in NCAA Division III and double any other player in the NWC. That total is a new Whitworth record, breaking the mark of 15 set by former All-American tight end Michael Allen in 2005. He has caught 69 passes for 1279 yards, an average of 18.1 yards per reception, which leads the NWC. He has broken the school record for receiving yards in a season, surpassing the old mark of 1,226 set by Dwayne Tawney in 2002. He also now holds the record for receiving touchdowns in a career with 30, surpassing the old record of 29 set by Michael Allen from 2003-06.
Running Man: Luis Salgado, a two-time first team All-NWC honoree, has 1213 yards this season (15th in NCAA Div. III) and is averaging 110.3 yards per game (23rd in Division III). His average of 6.8 yards per carry is 11th in Division III. He is Whitworth's first 1,000-yard rusher since Duke DeGaetano ran for 1,001 yards in 2016 and is within distance of the Pirates' single-season record of 1,293 set by Damion Putney in 1999. Salgado set a Northwest Conference record with 365 yards in a win at Pacific (Ore.) on October 26th, when he averaged 14.6 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns.
Inside Man: Zach Brooks, Whitworth's inside linebacker, earned first team All-NWC for the second straight season in 2024. Brooks leads the NWC, and ranks 13th in Division III, in tackles per game (10.7). He has 118 tackles in 2024, more than any Pirate ever in a single season. Brooks has led Whitworth in tackles in nine out of 11 games of the season.
11th Heaven: With the win over Puget Sound on October 19th, Whitworth clinched its 11th consecutive winning season under head coach Rod Sandberg. That extended the longest streak of winning campaigns in school history. The previous long streak of seven was set between 1959 and 1965.
Above Water: The Pirates' all-time record in football now stands at 428-419-18. This season Whitworth moved above the .500 mark in all-time won-loss record for the first time since the Bucs were 32-31-2 before the start of the 1929 season.
Whitworth won its 100th game in 1959, during Heritage Gallery member Sam Adams' second season. The 200th victory came in 1981 under Bruce Grambo and the 300th win came in 2006 when John Tully led the Pirates to an 11-1 finish. Whitworth won for the 400th time in school history on October 16, 2021 vs. PLU. It took 55 years to get the 100th win, 22 more to get to 200 and 25 to get to 300. It took Whitworth only 15 years to get to 400.
In 1997 Whitworth's record in football was 248-337-18, 89 games under .500. Since that point Whitworth is 180-82.
Winning the Opener: Following the win at Gustavus Adolphus on Sept. 7, Whitworth has won nine of its 11 season-openers under head coach Rod Sandberg. The Pirates are 5-1 at home and 4-1 on the road. Whitworth's only season-opening losses under Sandberg came in 2016 and 2022.
On the Internet: This season the audio of Whitworth's games airs live on the internet at WhitworthPirates.com. Inland Northwest Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Bud Nameck, familiar in Spokane as the KXLY channel 4 sports director for over 20 years and the longtime host of the KXLY 920am Morning News, is in his tenth season as the voice of the Pirates in 2024. He was the voice of Washington State University men's basketball for 22 years and spent that same amount of time on the Cougar football broadcasts – the final three on play by play. He is a longtime resident of the Inland Northwest who began his career as the Sports Information Director and radio voice of Gonzaga University basketball and baseball in the 1980s.
The Head Coach: Now in his 11th season, Rod Sandberg has entrenched himself in the Whitworth and NCAA record books as the Pirates' head football coach. Sandberg has guided the Pirates to an 84-23 record over that span, including three appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs (2015, 2018 and 2023). He is in second place in total victories in school history and no Pirate coach reached 50 victories as quickly as Sandberg. Sandberg's winning percentage of .771 is the best among Whitworth coaches with at least five seasons and currently ranks among the top 10 active coaches in all of Division III. He coached the Pirates to the fourth unbeaten regular season in school history (9-0) in 2018 and repeated that accomplishment last season. The Bucs' 15-game winning streak, counting the final five games of 2017 and the first ten of 2018, is the second-longest in school history. Whitworth was 6-4 in 2014, Sandberg's first season, the best first-year record for a Pirate football coach since Rod Enos led the team to a 6-3 mark in 1965. Sandberg spent 19 seasons on the defensive staff at Wheaton College (Ill.), including the last 11 as defensive coordinator. Wheaton made the NCAA Division III playoffs five times during Sandberg's tenure as defensive coordinator. The team never lost a first round playoff game and reached the Division III semifinals in 2008 and quarterfinals in 2003. Sandberg's 2007 and 2013 squads led the Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, regarded as one of the strongest football leagues at the Division III level, in scoring defense. The Thunder were second in the league in scoring defense five other times.
Sandberg wins in 100th game: Rod Sandberg coached his 100th game at Whitworth on Oct. 5 at Pacific Lutheran. Only John Tully, who went 131-103 in 24 seasons as Pirate head coach, reached the 100-game plateau as a head coach at Whitworth.
The Cardinals: North Central College (10-0) may be the most formidable foe Whitworth has faced in more than a decade. The top-ranked Cardinals have played in the last four Stagg Bowls (Division III championship games) with two wins (2019 and 2022) and two losses (2021 and 2023). They averaged 57.1 points and 561.4 yards on offense while allowing only 11.1 points and 249.1 yards on defense. NCC is coming off a first-round bye.
Located in Naperville, Illinois, North Central is a member of the Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) and will be the first school from that conference Whitworth has faced in football.
Head coach Brad Spencer, a former Cardinal wide receiver and assistant coach, is in his third season and has a remarkable 39-1 record to this point. He first team went 15-0 and won the Division III title. Last season North Central finished 14-1, losing by only a single point in the championship. He is a three-time CCIW Coach of the Year.
Fifth-year QB Luke Lehnen is the two-time CCIW Offensive Player of the Year and the recipient of the 2023 Gagliardi Trophy, given to the top player in NCAA Division III. This season he has completed 129 of 189 passes for 2218 yards with 29 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also rushed for 720 yards and 12 touchdowns to lead the CCIW in both passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns. He holds NCAA career records that may never be broken, including consecutive games with a touchdown pass (54) and total touchdowns responsible for (196). He is the all-time Division III leader in total offense (14,686 yards and counting).
His favorite target this season is junior WR Thomas Skokna, who earned first team All-CCIW recognition after catching 34 passes for 628 yards (18.1 ypc) and nine touchdowns. But the Cardinals kill opponents with a devastating rushing attack, featuring a deep and talented stable of running backs, that averages 308.5 yards per game and 7.4 yards per carry. Leading the way up front is 2024 CCIW offensive lineman of the year Sam Pryor (Sr., OG).
The stout defense is led by 2024 Co-CCIW Defensive Player of the Year John Sullivan, a senior DT who finished with 46 tackles. He led the team with 12.5 tackles for loss (-54 yards) and five sacks. First team All-CCIW LB BJ Adamchick has 47 tackles, including six for loss, an interception and a forced fumble.
The Series: Whitworth and North Central have never played in football. The Cardinals will be the Pirates' first-ever opponent from the CCIW. NCC has played one game against a Northwest Conference school, falling at Linfield in the second round of the 2012 NCAA championship.
Coming up next: The winner of Saturday's game will take on the winner of another second-round contest between Hope College (Mich.) and Aurora University (Ill.) on December 7th.
