2025 Stagg Bowl

2025 NCAA Division III Football Championship
Stagg Bowl LI
Mount Union Purple Raiders North Central Cardinals (13–0) (13–0) OAC CCIW 25 41 Head coach:  Geoff Dartt Head coach:  Brad Spencer
1 2 3 4 Total Mount Union 7 3 7 8 25 North Central 7 7 7 20 41
Date	January 5, 2025
Season	2024
Stadium	Shell Energy Stadium
Location	Houston, Texas
Referee	Steven Gorski (LC)
Attendance	1,938
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN/ESPN+
International TV coverage
Network	Canada: TSN+

The 2025 NCAA Division III Football Championship Game, more commonly referred to as the 2025 Stagg Bowl or Stagg Bowl LI, was a postseason college football played on January 5, 2025, at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas. It determined a national champion in NCAA Division III for the 2024 season. The game began at 8:00 p.m. EST, and aired on ESPN and ESPN+. The game featured the two finalists of the 40-team single elimination playoff bracket, Mount Union and North Central; North Central won 41–25 to claim their third national championship.

Teams

The participants of the 2024 NCAA Division III Football Championship Game are the finalists of the 2024 Division III Playoffs, a 40-team single elimination brackets tournament which began on November 16. The winners of each of the four 8-team regions qualified for the national semifinals.

National semifinals

	Semifinals December 21 Asterisk denotes host					National Championship January 5, 2025 Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, Texas
		Susquehanna	0
	*	North Central	66
						North Central		41
						Mount Union		25
		Johns Hopkins	37
	*	Mount Union	45

Game summary

2025 Stagg Bowl

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 5 Mount Union	7	3	7	8	25
No. 1 North Central	7	7	7	20	41

at Shell Energy Stadium • Houston, Texas

• Date: Sunday, January 5, 2025
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 1,938
• Referee: Steven Gorski
• TV: ESPN/ESPN+

Game information

First quarter UMU – Tyler Echeverry 24-yard run (Ivan Maric kick), 8:30. Purple Raiders 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 4:19. NCC – Myles Walton 24-yard pass from Luke Lehnen (Sean Ryniec kick), 4:35. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:48. Second quarter NCC – Luke Lehnen 16-yard run (Sean Ryniec kick), 8:09. Cardinals 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 5:17. UMU – Ivan Maric 30-yard field goal, 3:57. Cardinals 14–10. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 4:07. Third quarter NCC – Jacob Paradee 1-yard pass from Luke Lehnen (Sean Ryniec kick), 5:57. Cardinals 21–10. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:01. UMU – Nick Turner 31-yard pass from T. J. Deshields (Ivan Maric kick), 3:17. Cardinals 21–17. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:40. Fourth quarter NCC – Jack Rummell 6-yard pass from Luke Lehnen (Sean Ryniec kick), 14:18. Cardinals 28–17. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:49. UMU – Jerry Cooper 54-yard pass from T. J. Deshields (T. J. Deshields pass to Drew Sims), 13:37. Cardinals 28–25. Drive: 2 plays, 55 yards, 0:32. NCC – Charles Coleman 66-yard run (kick blocked), 12:41. Cardinals 34–25. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:56. NCC – Jacob Paradee 12-yard pass from Luke Lehnen (Sean Ryniec kick), 2:32. Cardinals 41–25. Drive: 15 plays, 92 yards, 6:54.

Statistics

Statistics	UMU	NCC
First downs	23	25
Plays–yards	64–426	63–495
Rushes–yards	28–112	37–197
Passing yards	314	298
Passing: comp–att–int	21–36–0	18–26–0
Time of possession	29:32	30:28

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mount Union	Passing	T. J. Deshields	21/36, 314 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Tyler Echeverry	20 rushes, 83 yards, TD
	Receiving	Nick Turner	7 receptions, 104 yards, TD
North Central	Passing	Luke Lehnen	18/26, 298 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Charles Coleman	2 rushes, 68 yards, TD
	Receiving	Thomas Skokna	3 receptions, 94 yards