Junior Levi Moore threw for 156 yards in the loss to North Central. (Jessi Szafoni | Contributing Photographer)

On Sept. 27, WashU’s football team matched up at home against conference opponent No. 1 North Central College. North Central has been a perennial force in the world of Division III football, coming off of three NCAA Championships in the last six years. They have also been a historically unfavorable matchup for the Bears, who have a 1-10 all-time record against the Cardinals. North Central continued their streak of dominance against the Bears in 2025, defeating WashU 41-14. 

Despite their record against North Central, the Bears went into the game highly motivated as an energetic crowd filled the stadium on Parent’s Weekend, creating an undeniable atmosphere. With two wins under their belt, the Bears looked to flip the script against one of the country’s most dominant teams. Even though the Cardinals ultimately prevailed, the Bears still demonstrated their tenacity against a top-ranked opponent, demonstrating their potential as the season continues. 

“Our guys love competing against the best teams on our schedule,” head coach Aaron Keen said about the squad’s mentality heading into the game. “It’s a great measure of where we are as a program. We look forward to these opportunities.”

WashU came out of the gate hungry, forcing a Cardinal punt on the first drive of the game. But the tide turned them right back as junior quarterback Levi Moore was intercepted in Bears territory, leading to a Cardinals touchdown. 

Despite being down a score just two minutes into play, the Bears kept their heads up. After an interception from senior linebacker Salomon Dessalines, they marched right back downfield for a touchdown off of a 16-yard completion to sophomore receiver Lucas Blumenthal.

With the score knotted up 7-7, the Bears looked to maintain their momentum defensively. However, the Cardinals swiftly answered back with a 54-yard completion followed by a touchdown of their own. They would score a field goal and then another touchdown unanswered, extending the Bears’ deficit to 17 points. 

Midway through the second quarter, the Bears seemed to regain their footing. Off of a crucial interception from junior Joy Chane, Moore connected with  junior receiver Makael Carter for a 43-yard touchdown to make it a 24-14 game. 

Following a successful North Central field goal, the Bears found themselves at a relatively modest deficit at the half, trailing the Cardinals 27-14. At this point, they had already scored more points than in their last three outings against the Cardinals combined. 

Coming out of the locker room at the half, the Bears received the kickoff, but quickly punted it away. From there, despite valiant effort from WashU’s secondary, North Central’s offensive firepower could not be denied as they went on to score both a field goal and touchdown. The Bears were unable to regain their momentum and fell to the Cardinals, 44-14.

Despite the crushing loss, the Bears’ ability to force turnovers was certainly the highlight of the game. With three picks and two forced fumbles, the secondary proved it could go toe-to-toe with one of D-III’s most efficient passing attacks. 

Keen hopes to use the loss as a learning opportunity for the squad as they get ready to host College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin foe Illinois Wesleyan University on Oct. 4 at 6:00 p.m.

“We have a phrase that we use for when we stumble a little bit: this week is a ‘get right’ week,” Keen said. “We’re gonna work hard to correct our mistakes and get back on the winning track next weekend.”