Wisconsin-River Falls faces major challenge in NCAA Division III title game

Over the past 30 years, there have been three dynasties in Division III football.

In its first appearance in the D-III championship game, Wisconsin-River Falls will face the current dynasty.

On Sunday night, Jan. 4, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, the Falcons (13-1) will take on defending national champion North Central (Ill.), which is making its sixth consecutive appearance in the Stagg Bowl.

North Central (14-0), which has won titles in 2019, 2022 and 2024, has won 29 consecutive games and is 58-1 in the past four seasons. The Cardinals, located in Naperville, Ill., are 82-3 since the start of the 2019 season.

The Cardinals defeated Mount Union 41-25 in last year’s championship game. It was the 23rd time that Mount Union had appeared in the championship game since 1993. Mount Union, which also lost to North Central in the 2022 championship game, has won 13 titles since 1993 — including five between 2005 to ’15, when they appeared in 11 consecutive championship games.

The other dynasty is Wisconsin-Whitewater, which won six titles between 2007 and ’14. Whitewater and Mount Union played for the title nine times in the 10 seasons — all but 2012 — between 2005 and ’14.

UW-River Falls coach Matt Walker said North Central is similar to Mount Union and Whitewater.

The Falcons advanced to the championship game in dramatic fashion. In their 48-41 victory over Johns Hopkins in the semifinals on Dec. 20, Blake Rohrer caught a 79-yard touchdown pass from Kaleb Blaha with 45 seconds left as the Falcons rallied from a 27-21 halftime deficit.

The winning drive started at the Falcons 4-yard line after they forced the Blue Jays to punt. The TD pass was the fifth of game for Blaha, a senior from Fridley. Blaha completed 30 of 48 passes for a school-record 520 yards. The TD reception was the third of the game for Rohrer, a junior from Woodbury, who had nine catches for 236 yards.

North Central reached the Stagg Bowl after a 41-21 victory over John Carroll on Dec. 20. It was the 45th consecutive home victory for the Cardinals.

After that victory, Cardinals coach Brad Spencer told reporters: “UW-River Falls is as advertised. It will be an exciting two weeks to prepare for them and find ways to slow them down.”

The Cardinals have been led by Garret Wilson, who has passed for 2,886 yards and 42 TDs with just four interceptions, and fellow sophomore Donovan McNeal, a running back who has rushed for 1,462 yards (eight yards per carry) and 11 TDs.