After receiving the Gagliardi Trophy, the NCAA Division III equivalent of the Heisman, for the second time on Friday, Lehnen threw four touchdown passes and also ran for a TD as the Cardinals beat Mount Union 41-25 at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston to win their third national championship in their fifth straight appearance in the game.

Mount Union football has won 13 NCAA titles, but the Purple Raiders will have their hands full with North Central, the hottest program in D3 football.

Mount Union has won 13 D-III championships in 23 title game appearances, both of which are records. North Central — which captured its first title in 2019, the first championship-game berth in program history — beat the Purple Raiders 28-21 in the 2022 title game.

Mount Union's Tyler Echeverry ran 29 yards untouched to open the scoring — the first time North Central has trailed all season. Lehnen, who went 57-2 over his college career, threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Myles Walton to make it 7-7 with 4:35 left in the first quarter.

Mount Union and North Central will meet in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl for the second time in three years Sunday night in Houston.