UW-River Falls Rolls to Upset of UW-Platteville
October 13, 2025
UW-River Falls built a 24-7 halftime lead over UW-Platteville and never looked back, rolling to a 31-21 victory and handing the Pioneers their first loss of the season. The Falcons racked up 631 yards of total offense, including a single-game career high of 443 passing yards from senior quarterback Kaleb Blaha. The win moved UW-River Falls up five spots to No. 12 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while UW-Platteville dropped seven places to No. 14. The Pioneers don’t have long to lick their wounds as they will host No. 4 UW-La Crosse on Saturday.
The top six spots remained unchanged this week with North Central still on top. No. 3 Johns Hopkins survived a scare against No. 19 Carnegie Mellon, escaping with a 28-27 win, while No. 6 Hardin-Simmons took control of the American Southwest Conference with a decisive, 34-7, victory over then-No. 22 Mary Hardin-Baylor. The loss dropped the Crusaders out of the top 25.
With UMHB and Muhlenberg dropping out of the poll, it allowed Berry to re-enter at No. 21 and Maryville to enter the AFCA Top 25 for the first time in program history. The Scots, ranked No. 25, are 5-0 and are tied with Berry atop the Southern Athletic Association standings.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 6 Next Game
1 North Central (52) 5-0 1300 1 D. Millikin, 59-10 Oct. 18 at North Park
2 Mount Union 5-0 1247 2 D. Wilmington, 59-0 Oct. 18 at Heidelberg
3 Johns Hopkins 5-0 1163 3 D. No. 15 Carnegie Mellon, 28-27 Oct. 18 vs. Ursinus
4 UW-La Crosse 4-0 1143 4 D. UW-Eau Claire, 41-21 Oct. 18 at No. 14 UW-Platteville
5 Salisbury 5-0 1056 5 D. Kean, 38-24 Oct. 18 at Montclair St.
6 Hardin-Simmons 5-0 1043 6 D. No. 22 Mary Hardin-Baylor, 34-7 Oct. 18 at East Texas Baptist
7 Bethel (Minn.) 5-0 995 8 D. Augsburg, 56-7 Oct. 18 vs. St. Olaf
8 Wartburg 6-0 928 9 D. Dubuque, 33-7 Oct. 18 at Loras
9 DePauw 5-0 854 10 Idle Oct. 18 vs. No. 15 John Carroll
10 UW-Whitewater 4-1 798 12 D. UW-Stevens Point, 45-14 Oct. 17 vs. UW-Stout
11 St. John’s (Minn.) 4-1 765 11 D. Macalester, 70-0 Oct. 18 at Concordia (Minn.)
12 UW-River Falls 4-1 726 17 D. No. 7 UW-Platteville, 31-21 Oct. 18 at UW-Stevens Point
13 Central (Iowa) 5-0 642 16 Idle Oct. 18 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan
14 UW-Platteville 4-1 590 7 Lost to No. 17 UW-River Falls, 31-21 Oct. 8 vs. No. 4 UW-La Crosse
15 John Carroll 5-1 556 18 D. Wittenberg, 44-7 Oct. 18 at No. 9 DePauw
16 Christopher Newport 5-0 441 21 D. Castleton, 69-7 Oct. 18 vs. Kean
17 Cortland 4-1 391 19 Idle Oct. 18 vs. Alfred
18 Hope 4-1 378 20 Idle Oct. 18 vs. Kalamazoo
19 Carnegie Mellon 3-2 332 15 Lost to No. 3 Johns Hopkins, 28-27 Oct. 18 vs. Gettysburg
20 Randolph-Macon 5-1 242 25 D. Averett, 77-20 Oct. 18 at Guilford
21 Berry 4-1 233 NR D. No. 13 Trinity (Tex.), 29-6 Oct. 18 at Sewanee
22 Wheaton 3-2 224 24 D. Illinois Wesleyan, 65-21 Oct. 18 vs. Carthage
23 Trinity (Tex.) 4-1 163 13 Lost to Berry, 29-6 Oct. 18 vs. Rhodes
24 UW-Oshkosh 3-2 147 14 Lost to UW-Stout, 27-16 Oct. 18 vs. UW-Eau Claire
25 Maryville 5-0 127 NR D. Centre, 33-13 Oct. 18 at Millsaps
Dropped Out: Mary Hardin-Baylor (22), Muhlenberg (23)
Others Receiving Votes: UW-Stout, 103; Linfield, 101; Wabash, 30; Baldwin Wallace, 29; Hampden-Sydney, 24; Lewis & Clark, 24; Muhlenberg, 15; Adrian, 14; Ursinus, 13; Mary Hardin-Baylor, 11; Washington (Mo.), 11; Hanover, 10; Cal Lutheran, 7; Plymouth St., 7; Alma, 6; Coe, 6; Rensselaer, 2; Endicott, 1; Ithaca, 1; Monmouth (Ill.), 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.
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UW-River Falls built a 24-7 halftime lead over UW-Platteville and never looked back, rolling to a 31-21 victory and handing the Pioneers their first loss of the season. The Falcons racked up 631 yards of total offense, including a single-game career high of 443 passing yards from senior quarterback Kaleb Blaha. The win moved UW-River Falls up five spots to No. 12 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while UW-Platteville dropped seven places to No. 14. The Pioneers don’t have long to lick their wounds as they will host No. 4 UW-La Crosse on Saturday.
The top six spots remained unchanged this week with North Central still on top. No. 3 Johns Hopkins survived a scare against No. 19 Carnegie Mellon, escaping with a 28-27 win, while No. 6 Hardin-Simmons took control of the American Southwest Conference with a decisive, 34-7, victory over then-No. 22 Mary Hardin-Baylor. The loss dropped the Crusaders out of the top 25.
With UMHB and Muhlenberg dropping out of the poll, it allowed Berry to re-enter at No. 21 and Maryville to enter the AFCA Top 25 for the first time in program history. The Scots, ranked No. 25, are 5-0 and are tied with Berry atop the Southern Athletic Association standings.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 6 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (52) | 5-0 | 1300 | 1 | D. Millikin, 59-10 | Oct. 18 at North Park | |
| 2 | Mount Union | 5-0 | 1247 | 2 | D. Wilmington, 59-0 | Oct. 18 at Heidelberg | |
| 3 | Johns Hopkins | 5-0 | 1163 | 3 | D. No. 15 Carnegie Mellon, 28-27 | Oct. 18 vs. Ursinus | |
| 4 | UW-La Crosse | 4-0 | 1143 | 4 | D. UW-Eau Claire, 41-21 | Oct. 18 at No. 14 UW-Platteville | |
| 5 | Salisbury | 5-0 | 1056 | 5 | D. Kean, 38-24 | Oct. 18 at Montclair St. | |
| 6 | Hardin-Simmons | 5-0 | 1043 | 6 | D. No. 22 Mary Hardin-Baylor, 34-7 | Oct. 18 at East Texas Baptist | |
| 7 | Bethel (Minn.) | 5-0 | 995 | 8 | D. Augsburg, 56-7 | Oct. 18 vs. St. Olaf | |
| 8 | Wartburg | 6-0 | 928 | 9 | D. Dubuque, 33-7 | Oct. 18 at Loras | |
| 9 | DePauw | 5-0 | 854 | 10 | Idle | Oct. 18 vs. No. 15 John Carroll | |
| 10 | UW-Whitewater | 4-1 | 798 | 12 | D. UW-Stevens Point, 45-14 | Oct. 17 vs. UW-Stout | |
| 11 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 4-1 | 765 | 11 | D. Macalester, 70-0 | Oct. 18 at Concordia (Minn.) | |
| 12 | UW-River Falls | 4-1 | 726 | 17 | D. No. 7 UW-Platteville, 31-21 | Oct. 18 at UW-Stevens Point | |
| 13 | Central (Iowa) | 5-0 | 642 | 16 | Idle | Oct. 18 vs. Nebraska Wesleyan | |
| 14 | UW-Platteville | 4-1 | 590 | 7 | Lost to No. 17 UW-River Falls, 31-21 | Oct. 8 vs. No. 4 UW-La Crosse | |
| 15 | John Carroll | 5-1 | 556 | 18 | D. Wittenberg, 44-7 | Oct. 18 at No. 9 DePauw | |
| 16 | Christopher Newport | 5-0 | 441 | 21 | D. Castleton, 69-7 | Oct. 18 vs. Kean | |
| 17 | Cortland | 4-1 | 391 | 19 | Idle | Oct. 18 vs. Alfred | |
| 18 | Hope | 4-1 | 378 | 20 | Idle | Oct. 18 vs. Kalamazoo | |
| 19 | Carnegie Mellon | 3-2 | 332 | 15 | Lost to No. 3 Johns Hopkins, 28-27 | Oct. 18 vs. Gettysburg | |
| 20 | Randolph-Macon | 5-1 | 242 | 25 | D. Averett, 77-20 | Oct. 18 at Guilford | |
| 21 | Berry | 4-1 | 233 | NR | D. No. 13 Trinity (Tex.), 29-6 | Oct. 18 at Sewanee | |
| 22 | Wheaton | 3-2 | 224 | 24 | D. Illinois Wesleyan, 65-21 | Oct. 18 vs. Carthage | |
| 23 | Trinity (Tex.) | 4-1 | 163 | 13 | Lost to Berry, 29-6 | Oct. 18 vs. Rhodes | |
| 24 | UW-Oshkosh | 3-2 | 147 | 14 | Lost to UW-Stout, 27-16 | Oct. 18 vs. UW-Eau Claire | |
| 25 | Maryville | 5-0 | 127 | NR | D. Centre, 33-13 | Oct. 18 at Millsaps | |
Dropped Out: Mary Hardin-Baylor (22), Muhlenberg (23)
Others Receiving Votes: UW-Stout, 103; Linfield, 101; Wabash, 30; Baldwin Wallace, 29; Hampden-Sydney, 24; Lewis & Clark, 24; Muhlenberg, 15; Adrian, 14; Ursinus, 13; Mary Hardin-Baylor, 11; Washington (Mo.), 11; Hanover, 10; Cal Lutheran, 7; Plymouth St., 7; Alma, 6; Coe, 6; Rensselaer, 2; Endicott, 1; Ithaca, 1; Monmouth (Ill.), 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.
