| Year Game Played: | 2021 |
| Game Name: | NCAA Division III Football Championship |
| Subheader: | Stagg Bowl XLVIII |
| Visitor Name Short: | North Central |
| Visitor Nickname: | Cardinals |
| Home Nickname: | Crusaders |
| Visitor School: | North Central College |
| Home Name Short: | Mary Hardin–Baylor |
| Football Season: | 2021 |
| Home School: | University of Mary Hardin–Baylor |
| Visitor Record: | 13–0 |
| Home Record: | 14–0 |
| Visitor Conference: | CCIW |
| Home Conference: | ASC |
| Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
| Home 1Q: | 16 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 10 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 7 |
| Home 2Q: | 3 |
| Home 3Q: | 14 |
| Home 4Q: | 24 |
| Visitor Coach: | Jeff Thorne |
| Home Coach: | Pete Fredenburg |
| Date Game Played: | December 17 |
| Stadium: | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium |
| City: | Canton, Ohio |
| Referee: | Stuart Hindman (Centennial) |
| Attendance: | 1,830 |
| Us Network: | ESPNU |
| Different Previous: | 2019 |
| Different Next: | 2022 |
The 2021 NCAA Division III Football Championship Game, more commonly referred to as the 2021 Stagg Bowl or Stagg Bowl XLVIII, is a postseason college football game that determined a national champion in NCAA Division III for the 2021 season. It was played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, on December 17, 2021. Kickoff was scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST, and the game aired on ESPNU. The game featured the North Central Cardinals, from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, and the Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders, from the American Southwest Conference.
The participants of the 2021 NCAA Division III Football Championship Game were the finalists of the 2021 Division III Playoffs, a 32-team single-elimination bracket.[1] The game featured North Central, the defending national champions after winning the 2019 Stagg Bowl, and making their second title game appearance,[2] and Mary Hardin–Baylor, seeking their second championship (their 2016 championship victory was later vacated) in their fifth title game appearance.[3] This contest was the first between the two teams.[3]
| Statistics | NCC | UMHB |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 28 |
| Plays–yards | 61-287 | 65-596 |
| Rushes–yards | 34-85 | 32-133 |
| Passing yards | 202 | 463 |
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18-27-3 | 24-33-0 |
| Time of possession | 28:48 | 31:12 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Central | Passing | Luke Lehnen | 18-27, 202 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT |
| Rushing | Ethan Greenfield | 25 carries, 124 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Andrew Kamienski | 8 receptions, 115 yards | |
| Mary Hardin–Baylor | Passing | Kyle King | 22-29, 436 yards, 3 TD |
| Rushing | Aphonso Thomas | 13 carries, 65 yards, 2 TD | |
| Receiving | Brenton Martin | 9 receptions, 170 yards, 1 TD |