North Central Dominates In Top 20 Showdown
September 15, 2025
Playing in their first game of the season, the defending national champions looked the part. North Central recorded 596 yards of total offense and held UW-Oshkosh to just 50 yards rushing in a lopsided 45-14 victory. The Titans scored the game’s first touchdown with 6:57 left in the first quarter, then didn’t score again until the game was already decided with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals still hold the No. 1 spot in the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, with all 52 first-place votes. UW-Oshkosh falls to No. 21.
There wasn’t any movement in the top five, but that will change next week as No. 3 Johns Hopkins will travel to No. 5 Susquehanna in a big top five showdown. The Blue Jays already survived one ranked opponent, beating then-No. 21 John Carroll, 27-14 this past Saturday. Another big top 25 battle this coming weekend has No. 9 Mary Hardin-Baylor playing host to No. 16 UW-Whitewater. The Crusaders won last year’s meeting in Whitewater, but the Warhawks own the overall series record at 8-3. The final top 25 matchup this coming weekend features a newly ranked team as Berry enters the AFCA poll for the first time this season at No. 22. The Vikings will test their new ranking against No. 20 Carnegie Mellon. The Tartans are looking to rebound after their 38-14 loss to No. 8 UW-La Crosse.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 2 Next Game
1 North Central (52) 1-0 1300 1 D. No. 18 UW-Oshkosh, 45-14 Sept. 20 vs. Carthage
2 Mount Union 2-0 1248 2 D. No. 15 Grove City, 49-14 Sept. 27 at Baldwin Wallace
3 Johns Hopkins 2-0 1173 3 D. No. 21 John Carroll, 27-13 Sept. 20 at No. 5 Susquehanna
4 St. John’s (Minn.) 1-0 1103 4 D. Minnesota-Morris, 49-0 Sept. 20 at Hamline
5 Susquehanna 2-0 1065 5 D. Bridgewater (Va.), 56-17 Sept. 20 vs. No. 3 Johns Hopkins
6 Salisbury 2-0 968 7 D. McDaniel, 62-7 Sept. 27 at Catholic
7 Hardin-Simmons 2-0 959 6 D. McMurry, 24-19 Sept. 20 vs. Louisiana Christian
8 UW-La Crosse 1-0 921 9 D. No. 16 Carnegie Mellon, 38-14 Sept. 20 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.)
9 Mary Hardin-Baylor 1-0 891 8 Idle Sept. 20 vs. No. 16 UW-Whitewater
10 UW-Platteville 2-0 822 11 D. Dubuque, 56-27 Sept. 20 vs. Springfield
11 Wartburg 2-0 810 10 D. UW-Stout, 16-0 Sept. 20 at Simpson
12 Bethel (Minn.) 1-0 731 12 D. Northwestern (Minn.), 50-3 Sept. 20 at Gustavus Adolphus
13 UW-River Falls 2-0 662 14 D. Coe, 59-47 Sept. 20 at Belhaven
14 DePauw 2-0 651 13 D. Centre, 35-14 Sept. 20 vs. Kenyon
15 Hope 2-0 558 17 D. Franklin, 38-14 Sept. 20 vs. Mount St. Joseph
16 UW-Whitewater 2-0 536 19 D. Saint Xavier, 37-0 Sept. 20 at No. 9 Mary Hardin-Baylor
17 Grove City 1-1 302 15 Lost to No. 2 Mount Union, 49-14 Sept. 27 vs. Washington & Jefferson
18 Wheaton 0-1 270 22 Idle Sept. 20 at Augustana (Ill.)
19 Trinity (Tex.) 2-0 249 NR D. Belhaven, 49-0 Sept. 20 at Pacific Lutheran
20 Carnegie Mellon 1-1 248 16 Lost to No. 9 UW-La Crosse, 38-14 Sept. 20 vs. No. 22 Berry
21 UW-Oshkosh 1-1 230 18 Lost to No. 1 North Central, 45-14 Sept. 20 vs. Roosevelt
22 Berry 2-0 205 NR D. LaGrange, 48-0 Sept. 20 at No. 20 Carnegie Mellon
23 John Carroll 1-1 155 21 Lost to No. 3 Johns Hopkins, 27-13 Sept. 20 vs. Oberlin
24 Cortland 1-1 154 23 D. Union (N.Y.), 30-6 Sept. 20 at Hartwick
25 Central (Iowa) 2-0 128 NR D. No. 20 Randolph-Macon, 10-0 Sept. 20 at Luther
Dropped Out: Randolph-Macon (20), Linfield (24), Springfield (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Brockport, 99; Linfield, 96; Springfield, 72; Utica, 71; Hampden-Sydney, 44; Baldwin Wallace, 32; Randolph-Macon, 25; Washington (Mo.), 24; Christopher Newport, 19; Coe, 18; Whitworth, 13; Alma, 12; Wabash, 10; Salve Regina, 9; Chapman, 4; Illinois College, 3; Muhlenberg, 3; Ursinus, 3; Wesleyan, 2; Western New England, 1; Calvin, 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
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Playing in their first game of the season, the defending national champions looked the part. North Central recorded 596 yards of total offense and held UW-Oshkosh to just 50 yards rushing in a lopsided 45-14 victory. The Titans scored the game’s first touchdown with 6:57 left in the first quarter, then didn’t score again until the game was already decided with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals still hold the No. 1 spot in the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, with all 52 first-place votes. UW-Oshkosh falls to No. 21.
There wasn’t any movement in the top five, but that will change next week as No. 3 Johns Hopkins will travel to No. 5 Susquehanna in a big top five showdown. The Blue Jays already survived one ranked opponent, beating then-No. 21 John Carroll, 27-14 this past Saturday. Another big top 25 battle this coming weekend has No. 9 Mary Hardin-Baylor playing host to No. 16 UW-Whitewater. The Crusaders won last year’s meeting in Whitewater, but the Warhawks own the overall series record at 8-3. The final top 25 matchup this coming weekend features a newly ranked team as Berry enters the AFCA poll for the first time this season at No. 22. The Vikings will test their new ranking against No. 20 Carnegie Mellon. The Tartans are looking to rebound after their 38-14 loss to No. 8 UW-La Crosse.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 2 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (52) | 1-0 | 1300 | 1 | D. No. 18 UW-Oshkosh, 45-14 | Sept. 20 vs. Carthage | |
| 2 | Mount Union | 2-0 | 1248 | 2 | D. No. 15 Grove City, 49-14 | Sept. 27 at Baldwin Wallace | |
| 3 | Johns Hopkins | 2-0 | 1173 | 3 | D. No. 21 John Carroll, 27-13 | Sept. 20 at No. 5 Susquehanna | |
| 4 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 1-0 | 1103 | 4 | D. Minnesota-Morris, 49-0 | Sept. 20 at Hamline | |
| 5 | Susquehanna | 2-0 | 1065 | 5 | D. Bridgewater (Va.), 56-17 | Sept. 20 vs. No. 3 Johns Hopkins | |
| 6 | Salisbury | 2-0 | 968 | 7 | D. McDaniel, 62-7 | Sept. 27 at Catholic | |
| 7 | Hardin-Simmons | 2-0 | 959 | 6 | D. McMurry, 24-19 | Sept. 20 vs. Louisiana Christian | |
| 8 | UW-La Crosse | 1-0 | 921 | 9 | D. No. 16 Carnegie Mellon, 38-14 | Sept. 20 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.) | |
| 9 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 1-0 | 891 | 8 | Idle | Sept. 20 vs. No. 16 UW-Whitewater | |
| 10 | UW-Platteville | 2-0 | 822 | 11 | D. Dubuque, 56-27 | Sept. 20 vs. Springfield | |
| 11 | Wartburg | 2-0 | 810 | 10 | D. UW-Stout, 16-0 | Sept. 20 at Simpson | |
| 12 | Bethel (Minn.) | 1-0 | 731 | 12 | D. Northwestern (Minn.), 50-3 | Sept. 20 at Gustavus Adolphus | |
| 13 | UW-River Falls | 2-0 | 662 | 14 | D. Coe, 59-47 | Sept. 20 at Belhaven | |
| 14 | DePauw | 2-0 | 651 | 13 | D. Centre, 35-14 | Sept. 20 vs. Kenyon | |
| 15 | Hope | 2-0 | 558 | 17 | D. Franklin, 38-14 | Sept. 20 vs. Mount St. Joseph | |
| 16 | UW-Whitewater | 2-0 | 536 | 19 | D. Saint Xavier, 37-0 | Sept. 20 at No. 9 Mary Hardin-Baylor | |
| 17 | Grove City | 1-1 | 302 | 15 | Lost to No. 2 Mount Union, 49-14 | Sept. 27 vs. Washington & Jefferson | |
| 18 | Wheaton | 0-1 | 270 | 22 | Idle | Sept. 20 at Augustana (Ill.) | |
| 19 | Trinity (Tex.) | 2-0 | 249 | NR | D. Belhaven, 49-0 | Sept. 20 at Pacific Lutheran | |
| 20 | Carnegie Mellon | 1-1 | 248 | 16 | Lost to No. 9 UW-La Crosse, 38-14 | Sept. 20 vs. No. 22 Berry | |
| 21 | UW-Oshkosh | 1-1 | 230 | 18 | Lost to No. 1 North Central, 45-14 | Sept. 20 vs. Roosevelt | |
| 22 | Berry | 2-0 | 205 | NR | D. LaGrange, 48-0 | Sept. 20 at No. 20 Carnegie Mellon | |
| 23 | John Carroll | 1-1 | 155 | 21 | Lost to No. 3 Johns Hopkins, 27-13 | Sept. 20 vs. Oberlin | |
| 24 | Cortland | 1-1 | 154 | 23 | D. Union (N.Y.), 30-6 | Sept. 20 at Hartwick | |
| 25 | Central (Iowa) | 2-0 | 128 | NR | D. No. 20 Randolph-Macon, 10-0 | Sept. 20 at Luther | |
Dropped Out: Randolph-Macon (20), Linfield (24), Springfield (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Brockport, 99; Linfield, 96; Springfield, 72; Utica, 71; Hampden-Sydney, 44; Baldwin Wallace, 32; Randolph-Macon, 25; Washington (Mo.), 24; Christopher Newport, 19; Coe, 18; Whitworth, 13; Alma, 12; Wabash, 10; Salve Regina, 9; Chapman, 4; Illinois College, 3; Muhlenberg, 3; Ursinus, 3; Wesleyan, 2; Western New England, 1; Calvin, 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
