Losses by two Top 10 teams led to a minor reshuffling at the top of the AFCA Division III Coaches’ Poll this week as two teams moved into the Top 10 for the first time this year.

Mount Union still holds down the No. 1 spot after recording a 41-7 win over John Carroll. The Purple Raiders picked up 39 of 40 first place votes. There was a switch at No. 2 as last week’s No. 3, Wabash switched places with previous No. 2 Muhlenberg. Wabash raced past Oberlin, 60-7, while Muhlenberg held on to defeat Dickinson, 31-25. North Central remains at No. 4 after a 30-7 win over Illinois Wesleyan. Cortland State is up one spot to No. 5 after a 24-18 win over the College of New Jersey.

Millsaps moves up one spot to No. 6 after defeating Trinity (Texas), 56-27, and securing the top spot in the SCAC. The win also avenges the Majors’ stunning loss to the Tigers on Trinity’s now famous 15-lateral “Mississippi Miracle” in 2007. Mary Hardin-Baylor climbs two spots to No. 7 after downing East Texas Baptist, 27-6. No. 8 Wisconsin-Whitewater rebounded from its first loss of the year to post a 40-10 win over then-No. 23 Wisconsin-Eau Claire. No. 9 Willamette was idle. Case Western cracks the top 10 after a 38-24 win over Chicago.

Hardin-Simmons is up two spots to No. 11 after a 52-6 win over Texas Lutheran. Wesley moves up two spots to No. 12 following a 36-21 win over then-No. 17 Salisbury. No. 13 Otterbein kept pace with Mount Union in the OAC by posting a 55-0 win over Marietta. Wisconsin-Stevens Point climbs five spots to No. 14 with a 34-33 over Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Occidental is up three to No. 15 after slipping past California Lutheran, 24-21.

Monmouth (Ill.) is up four to No. 16 after a 78-17 win over Illinois College. Rensselaer improved to 7-0 on the season with a 25-12 win over Union (N.Y.). Washington & Jefferson tumbles from No. 5 to No. 18 after a 35-29 upset loss to Thomas More. Ithaca is up three to No. 19 after beating Springfield, 37-8. Trinity (Texas) tumbles to No. 20 after its loss to Millsaps.

Montclair State is up three spots to No. 21 following a 38-14 win over Western Connecticut. No. 22 Redlands improved to 6-1 on the season with a 52-13 win over Pomona-Pitzer. Thomas More breaks into the rankings at No. 23 this week after its 35-29 win over then-No. 5 Washington & Jefferson. Trine also enters the rankings for the first time this season at No. 24. Salisbury falls to No. 25 after its loss to Wesley.

Conference Breakdown: America Southwest (Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons), Atlantic Central (Wesley, Salisbury), New Jersey (Cortland St., Montclair St.), Ohio (Mount Union, Otterbein), Presidents (Washington & Jefferson, Thomas More), Southern California (Occidental, Redlands), Southern Collegiate (Trinity {Texas}, Millsaps), Wisconsin (Wisconsin-Whitewater, Wisconsin-Stevens Point), Centennial (Muhlenberg), Empire 8 (Ithaca), Liberty (Rensselaer), Illinois-Wisconsin (North Central), Michigan (Trine), Midwest (Monmouth {Ill.}), North Coast (Wabash), Northwest (Willamette), UAA (Case Western).

Head-to-Head
No. 1 Mount Union travels to Westerville, Ohio to visit No. 13 Otterbein in the only Top 25 match-up this weekend. The winner will take sole possession of first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The Purple Raiders lead the all-time series between the two schools 36-4 and have won the last 30 meetings dating back to 1977. Otterbein’s 8-0 start is the best in school history and the eight wins equals the most in a single season for the program.  

Poll Points
Thomas More’s win over Washington & Jefferson clinched the Saints’ first-ever Presidents Athletic Conference title ... Trine rolled up 417 yards in total offense in the Thunder’s 30-7 win over Albion ... Wabash clinched a fourth consecutive North Coast championship with its 60-7 win over Oberlin on Saturday ...  North Central forced seven turnovers in its 30-7 win over Illinois Wesleyan and is 8-0 for just the second time in the program’s history ... Cortland State runningback Andrew Giuliano set a school record with his 17th rushing touchdown this season in the Red Dragons’ win over the College of New Jersey ... Millsaps rolled up a season-high 576 yards in its win over Trinity. The victory snapped Trinity’s 13-year (37 games) home conference winning streak ... Mary Hardin-Baylor has won 27 consecutive American Southwest Conference games ... Saturday’s meeting between Wisconsin-Whitewater and Wisconsin-Eau Claire was the second of the season between the two schools and is considered a non-conference game for both.

Dropped Out: Wheaton (Ill.) (16), Wis.-Eau Claire (23).

Others Receiving Votes: Rowan (N.J.), 70; Franklin (Ind.), 59; Huntingdon (Ala.), 53; Trinity (Conn.), 37; Wheaton (Ill.), 26; Hampden-Sydney (Va.), 26; Christopher Newport (Va.), 21; Curry (Mass.), 17; Catholic (D.C.), 16; Wartburg (Iowa), 15; LaGrange (Ga.), 14; Northwestern (Minn.), 12; Ferrum (Va.), 10; Wis.-Eau Claire, 10; Linfield (Ore.), 9; Hartwick (N.Y.), 8; Buena Vista (Iowa), 6; Ripon (Wis.), 6; St. John’s (Minn.), 5; Wooster (Ohio), 3; Adrian (Mich.), 2; Elmhurst (Ill.), 1; Plymouth St. (N.H.), 1.