Wartburg Runs Over Central (Iowa) in Top 15 Showdown
October 27, 2025
Wartburg has won three straight American Rivers Conference (ARC) titles. That doesn’t look to change in 2025. Using a stingy defense and punishing ground game, the Knights built a 21-0 halftime lead over then-No. 14 Central (Iowa) and never looked back, winning 28-13. Wartburg held Central to only 34 yards rushing in the game while producing 172 yards themselves, including three rushing touchdowns from Dawson Rud. The Knights take control of the ARC and remain at No. 7 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while the Dutch fell to No. 20.
The top eight teams were unchanged again with North Central still at No. 1 after a lopsided 76-14 win over Augustana (Ill.). The change comes from No. 9 on down thanks to teams in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) beating each other up. No. 8 UW-Whitewater beat then-No. 9 UW-Platteville, 29-19, causing the Pioneers to fall to No. 15, while No. 11 UW-La Crosse beat then-No. 24 UW-Oshkosh, 44-13, causing the Titans to fall out of the top 25. This coming Saturday, it will be another No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchup in the WIAC as new No. 9 UW-River Falls will host No. 8 UW-Whitewater.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 8 Next Game
1 North Central (52) 7-0 1300 1 D. Augustana (Ill.), 76-14 Nov. 1 at Carroll (Wis.)
2 Mount Union 7-0 1246 2 D. Ohio Northern, 33-7 Nov. 1 vs. Capital
3 Johns Hopkins 7-0 1177 3 D. Gettysburg, 59-21 Nov. 1 at No. 25 Muhlenberg
4 Salisbury 7-0 1096 4 D. Rowan, 31-28 Nov. 1 vs. William Paterson
5 Hardin-Simmons 7-0 1079 5 D. Nelson, 68-14 Nov. 1 at Howard Payne
6 Bethel (Minn.) 7-0 1050 6 D. Macalester, 53-0 Nov. 1 at Concordia (Minn.)
7 Wartburg 8-0 982 7 D. No. 14 Central (Iowa), 28-13 Nov. 1 at Nebraska Wesleyan
8 UW-Whitewater 6-1 948 8 D. No. 9 UW-Platteville, 29-19 Nov. 1 at No. 9 UW-River Falls
9 UW-River Falls 6-1 879 10 D. UW-Eau Claire, 73-21 Nov. 1 vs. No. 8 UW-Whitewater
10 St. John’s (Minn.) 6-1 804 11 D. Carleton, 49-10 Nov. 1 at Gustavus Adolphus
11 UW-La Crosse 5-1 786 12 D. No. 24 UW-Oshkosh, 44-13 Nov. 1 vs. UW-Stout
12 John Carroll 7-1 717 13 D. Wooster, 66-7 Nov. 8 vs. Ohio Wesleyan
13 Christopher Newport 7-0 637 15 D. William Paterson, 52-7 Nov. 1 vs. Montclair St.
14 DePauw 6-1 547 16 D. Denison, 35-28 Nov. 1 at Ohio Wesleyan
15 UW-Platteville 5-2 539 9 Lost to No. 8 UW-Whitewater, 29-19 Nov. 1 vs. UW-Oshkosh
16 Cortland 6-1 479 17 D. St. John Fisher, 31-7 Nov. 1 at Alfred St.
17 Hope 6-1 463 18 D. Adrian, 19-17 Nov. 1 at Albion
18 Randolph-Macon 7-1 398 20 D. Gallaudet, 47-7 Nov. 1 vs. Shenandoah
19 Central (Iowa) 6-1 378 14 Lost to No. 7 Wartburg, 28-13 Nov. 1 vs. Buena Vista
20 Berry 6-1 367 21 D. Millsaps, 43-20 Nov. 1 at Centre
21 Wheaton 5-2 258 22 D. Washington (Mo.), 28-24 Nov. 1 at Elmhurst
22 Trinity (Tex.) 6-1 216 23 D. Centre, 19-14 Nov. 1 at Sewanee
23 Wabash 6-1 136 25 Idle Nov. 1 vs. Wittenberg
24 Baldwin Wallace 6-1 124 NR D. Marietta, 38-0 Nov. 1 at Muskingum
25 Muhlenberg 6-1 95 NR D. No. 19 Carnegie Mellon, 27-23 Nov. 1 vs. No. 3 Johns Hopkins
Dropped Out: Carnegie Mellon (19), UW-Oshkosh (24)
Others Receiving Votes: UW-Oshkosh, 44; UW-Stout, 43; Hampden-Sydney, 36; Carnegie Mellon, 14; Alma, 11; Adrian, 10; Hanover, 9; Coe, 8; Monmouth (Ill.), 8; Chapman, 4; Washington & Jefferson, 3; Whitworth, 3; Concordia (Wis.), 2; Rensselaer, 2; Endicott, 1; Linfield, 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.
« « Previous PostNext Post » »
Wartburg has won three straight American Rivers Conference (ARC) titles. That doesn’t look to change in 2025. Using a stingy defense and punishing ground game, the Knights built a 21-0 halftime lead over then-No. 14 Central (Iowa) and never looked back, winning 28-13. Wartburg held Central to only 34 yards rushing in the game while producing 172 yards themselves, including three rushing touchdowns from Dawson Rud. The Knights take control of the ARC and remain at No. 7 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while the Dutch fell to No. 20.
The top eight teams were unchanged again with North Central still at No. 1 after a lopsided 76-14 win over Augustana (Ill.). The change comes from No. 9 on down thanks to teams in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) beating each other up. No. 8 UW-Whitewater beat then-No. 9 UW-Platteville, 29-19, causing the Pioneers to fall to No. 15, while No. 11 UW-La Crosse beat then-No. 24 UW-Oshkosh, 44-13, causing the Titans to fall out of the top 25. This coming Saturday, it will be another No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchup in the WIAC as new No. 9 UW-River Falls will host No. 8 UW-Whitewater.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 8 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (52) | 7-0 | 1300 | 1 | D. Augustana (Ill.), 76-14 | Nov. 1 at Carroll (Wis.) | |
| 2 | Mount Union | 7-0 | 1246 | 2 | D. Ohio Northern, 33-7 | Nov. 1 vs. Capital | |
| 3 | Johns Hopkins | 7-0 | 1177 | 3 | D. Gettysburg, 59-21 | Nov. 1 at No. 25 Muhlenberg | |
| 4 | Salisbury | 7-0 | 1096 | 4 | D. Rowan, 31-28 | Nov. 1 vs. William Paterson | |
| 5 | Hardin-Simmons | 7-0 | 1079 | 5 | D. Nelson, 68-14 | Nov. 1 at Howard Payne | |
| 6 | Bethel (Minn.) | 7-0 | 1050 | 6 | D. Macalester, 53-0 | Nov. 1 at Concordia (Minn.) | |
| 7 | Wartburg | 8-0 | 982 | 7 | D. No. 14 Central (Iowa), 28-13 | Nov. 1 at Nebraska Wesleyan | |
| 8 | UW-Whitewater | 6-1 | 948 | 8 | D. No. 9 UW-Platteville, 29-19 | Nov. 1 at No. 9 UW-River Falls | |
| 9 | UW-River Falls | 6-1 | 879 | 10 | D. UW-Eau Claire, 73-21 | Nov. 1 vs. No. 8 UW-Whitewater | |
| 10 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 6-1 | 804 | 11 | D. Carleton, 49-10 | Nov. 1 at Gustavus Adolphus | |
| 11 | UW-La Crosse | 5-1 | 786 | 12 | D. No. 24 UW-Oshkosh, 44-13 | Nov. 1 vs. UW-Stout | |
| 12 | John Carroll | 7-1 | 717 | 13 | D. Wooster, 66-7 | Nov. 8 vs. Ohio Wesleyan | |
| 13 | Christopher Newport | 7-0 | 637 | 15 | D. William Paterson, 52-7 | Nov. 1 vs. Montclair St. | |
| 14 | DePauw | 6-1 | 547 | 16 | D. Denison, 35-28 | Nov. 1 at Ohio Wesleyan | |
| 15 | UW-Platteville | 5-2 | 539 | 9 | Lost to No. 8 UW-Whitewater, 29-19 | Nov. 1 vs. UW-Oshkosh | |
| 16 | Cortland | 6-1 | 479 | 17 | D. St. John Fisher, 31-7 | Nov. 1 at Alfred St. | |
| 17 | Hope | 6-1 | 463 | 18 | D. Adrian, 19-17 | Nov. 1 at Albion | |
| 18 | Randolph-Macon | 7-1 | 398 | 20 | D. Gallaudet, 47-7 | Nov. 1 vs. Shenandoah | |
| 19 | Central (Iowa) | 6-1 | 378 | 14 | Lost to No. 7 Wartburg, 28-13 | Nov. 1 vs. Buena Vista | |
| 20 | Berry | 6-1 | 367 | 21 | D. Millsaps, 43-20 | Nov. 1 at Centre | |
| 21 | Wheaton | 5-2 | 258 | 22 | D. Washington (Mo.), 28-24 | Nov. 1 at Elmhurst | |
| 22 | Trinity (Tex.) | 6-1 | 216 | 23 | D. Centre, 19-14 | Nov. 1 at Sewanee | |
| 23 | Wabash | 6-1 | 136 | 25 | Idle | Nov. 1 vs. Wittenberg | |
| 24 | Baldwin Wallace | 6-1 | 124 | NR | D. Marietta, 38-0 | Nov. 1 at Muskingum | |
| 25 | Muhlenberg | 6-1 | 95 | NR | D. No. 19 Carnegie Mellon, 27-23 | Nov. 1 vs. No. 3 Johns Hopkins | |
Dropped Out: Carnegie Mellon (19), UW-Oshkosh (24)
Others Receiving Votes: UW-Oshkosh, 44; UW-Stout, 43; Hampden-Sydney, 36; Carnegie Mellon, 14; Alma, 11; Adrian, 10; Hanover, 9; Coe, 8; Monmouth (Ill.), 8; Chapman, 4; Washington & Jefferson, 3; Whitworth, 3; Concordia (Wis.), 2; Rensselaer, 2; Endicott, 1; Linfield, 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.
