Hardin-Simmons Beats UW-La Crosse For Third Straight Time
September 14, 2026
Hardin-Simmons has UW-La Crosse’s number. The Cowboys beat the Eagles for a third straight time, 28-20. Hardin-Simmons scored first and never trailed but had to overcome three lost fumbles in the victory. The win moves the Cowboys up to No. 12 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, while UW-La Crosse fell into a tie at No. 23.
No. 1 North Central played their second straight ranked opponent, but this one wasn’t as easy. No. 10 Wartburg had a 14-7 halftime lead, but the Cardinals scored 17 unanswered points in the second half and held on for a 26-20 win. Wheaton remains No. 2, but the rest of the top 25 has changed because of Johns Hopkins upset loss to unranked Randolph-Macon, 28-21. The Blue Jays dropped 12 spots to No. 15, allowing UW-Platteville and UW-River Falls to rise one place each to third and fourth, respectively. St. John’s (Minn.) moves up three to No. 5.
Then-No. 21 Coe lost to No. 4 UW-River Falls, 38-6, dropping the Kohawks out of the poll and allowing WashU to enter. The Bears beat then-No. 13 DePauw, 37-27, dropping the Tigers to No. 25 and WashU coming in at a tie for No. 23. The victory over DePauw was the Bears first win over a ranked opponent since 2018.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 2 Next Game
1 North Central (52) 2-0 1324 1 D. No. 10 Wartburg, 26-20 Sept. 19 at North Park
2 Wheaton 2-0 1262 2 D. Albion, 45-3 Sept. 19 vs. Millikin
3 UW-Platteville 2-0 1187 4 D. Dubuque, 59-0 Sept. 19 at Springfield
4 UW-River Falls (1) 2-0 1169 5 D. No. 21 Coe, 38-6 Sept. 19 at No. 10 Wartburg
5 St. John’s (Minn.) 1-0 1020 8 Idle Sept. 19 vs. Hamline
6 John Carroll 2-0 971 9 D. Ohio Wesleyan, 44-7 Sept. 19 vs. Kenyon
7 Bethel (Minn.) 0-1 917 7 Idle Sept. 19 vs. Gustavus Adolphus
8 Mount Union 1-1 896 6 D. Grove City, 21-17 Sept. 19 vs. Heidelberg
9 UW-Whitewater 2-0 887 11 D. Saint Xavier, 49-14 Sept. 26 at Keystone
10 Wartburg 1-1 847 10 Lost to No. 1 North Central, 26-20 Sept. 19 vs. No. 4 UW-River Falls
11 Trinity (Tex.) 2-0 806 12 D. McMurry, 31-17 Sept. 19 vs. Pacific Lutheran
12 Hardin-Simmons 2-0 760 16 D. No. 14 UW-La Crosse, 28-20 Sept. 19 vs. Clutch City Prep
13 Berry 2-0 662 15 D. LaGrange, 20-17 Sept. 19 vs. Carnegie Mellon
14 Salisbury 1-0 594 17 D. McDaniel, 31-0 Sept. 19 vs. Washington & Lee
15 Johns Hopkins 1-1 526 3 Lost to Randolph-Macon, 28-21 Sept. 19 vs. No. 19 Susquehanna
16 Christopher Newport 2-0 512 18 D. Western Connecticut, 37-7 Sept. 26 at No. 19 Susquehanna
17 Mary Hardin-Baylor 2-0 502 19 D. Pacific Lutheran, 29-6 Sept. 19 vs. No. 22 Endicott
18 Hope 2-0 444 20 D. UW-Stevens Point, 38-10 Sept. 19 at Hanover
19 Susquehanna 2-0 333 22 D. Bridgewater (Va.), 41-14 Sept. 19 at No. 15 Johns Hopkins
20 Linfield 1-0 305 23 Idle Sept. 19 at Chapman
21 Cortland 2-0 252 24 D. Union (N.Y.), 26-0 Sept. 19 vs. Hartwick
22 Endicott 2-0 209 25 D. Muhlenberg, 49-21 Sept. 19 at No. 17 Mary Hardin-Baylor
23t. UW-La Crosse 0-2 200 14 Lost to No. 16 Hardin-Simmons, 28-20 Sept. 19 at Wayne St. (Mich.)
23t. WashU 2-0 200 NR D. No. 13 DePauw, 37-27 Sept. 19 at Wittenberg
25 DePauw 1-1 113 13 Lost to WashU, 37-27 Sept. 19 vs. Ohio Wesleyan
Dropped Out: Coe (21)
Others Receiving Votes: Springfield, 61; Randolph-Macon, 52; Coe, 37; Utica, 36; Franklin & Marshall, 35; Wabash, 18; Calvin, 15; Hanover, 12; Mount St. Joseph, 9; UW-Oshkosh, 8; Hampden-Sydney, 6; Illinois Wesleyan, 6; UW-Stout, 6; Baldwin-Wallace, 5; Dickinson, 4; Grove City, 4; LaGrange, 4; Lake Forest, 4; Adrian, 2; Augustana (Ill.), 1; Chapman, 1; Hobart, 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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Hardin-Simmons has UW-La Crosse’s number. The Cowboys beat the Eagles for a third straight time, 28-20. Hardin-Simmons scored first and never trailed but had to overcome three lost fumbles in the victory. The win moves the Cowboys up to No. 12 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, while UW-La Crosse fell into a tie at No. 23.
No. 1 North Central played their second straight ranked opponent, but this one wasn’t as easy. No. 10 Wartburg had a 14-7 halftime lead, but the Cardinals scored 17 unanswered points in the second half and held on for a 26-20 win. Wheaton remains No. 2, but the rest of the top 25 has changed because of Johns Hopkins upset loss to unranked Randolph-Macon, 28-21. The Blue Jays dropped 12 spots to No. 15, allowing UW-Platteville and UW-River Falls to rise one place each to third and fourth, respectively. St. John’s (Minn.) moves up three to No. 5.
Then-No. 21 Coe lost to No. 4 UW-River Falls, 38-6, dropping the Kohawks out of the poll and allowing WashU to enter. The Bears beat then-No. 13 DePauw, 37-27, dropping the Tigers to No. 25 and WashU coming in at a tie for No. 23. The victory over DePauw was the Bears first win over a ranked opponent since 2018.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 2 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (52) | 2-0 | 1324 | 1 | D. No. 10 Wartburg, 26-20 | Sept. 19 at North Park | |
| 2 | Wheaton | 2-0 | 1262 | 2 | D. Albion, 45-3 | Sept. 19 vs. Millikin | |
| 3 | UW-Platteville | 2-0 | 1187 | 4 | D. Dubuque, 59-0 | Sept. 19 at Springfield | |
| 4 | UW-River Falls (1) | 2-0 | 1169 | 5 | D. No. 21 Coe, 38-6 | Sept. 19 at No. 10 Wartburg | |
| 5 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 1-0 | 1020 | 8 | Idle | Sept. 19 vs. Hamline | |
| 6 | John Carroll | 2-0 | 971 | 9 | D. Ohio Wesleyan, 44-7 | Sept. 19 vs. Kenyon | |
| 7 | Bethel (Minn.) | 0-1 | 917 | 7 | Idle | Sept. 19 vs. Gustavus Adolphus | |
| 8 | Mount Union | 1-1 | 896 | 6 | D. Grove City, 21-17 | Sept. 19 vs. Heidelberg | |
| 9 | UW-Whitewater | 2-0 | 887 | 11 | D. Saint Xavier, 49-14 | Sept. 26 at Keystone | |
| 10 | Wartburg | 1-1 | 847 | 10 | Lost to No. 1 North Central, 26-20 | Sept. 19 vs. No. 4 UW-River Falls | |
| 11 | Trinity (Tex.) | 2-0 | 806 | 12 | D. McMurry, 31-17 | Sept. 19 vs. Pacific Lutheran | |
| 12 | Hardin-Simmons | 2-0 | 760 | 16 | D. No. 14 UW-La Crosse, 28-20 | Sept. 19 vs. Clutch City Prep | |
| 13 | Berry | 2-0 | 662 | 15 | D. LaGrange, 20-17 | Sept. 19 vs. Carnegie Mellon | |
| 14 | Salisbury | 1-0 | 594 | 17 | D. McDaniel, 31-0 | Sept. 19 vs. Washington & Lee | |
| 15 | Johns Hopkins | 1-1 | 526 | 3 | Lost to Randolph-Macon, 28-21 | Sept. 19 vs. No. 19 Susquehanna | |
| 16 | Christopher Newport | 2-0 | 512 | 18 | D. Western Connecticut, 37-7 | Sept. 26 at No. 19 Susquehanna | |
| 17 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 2-0 | 502 | 19 | D. Pacific Lutheran, 29-6 | Sept. 19 vs. No. 22 Endicott | |
| 18 | Hope | 2-0 | 444 | 20 | D. UW-Stevens Point, 38-10 | Sept. 19 at Hanover | |
| 19 | Susquehanna | 2-0 | 333 | 22 | D. Bridgewater (Va.), 41-14 | Sept. 19 at No. 15 Johns Hopkins | |
| 20 | Linfield | 1-0 | 305 | 23 | Idle | Sept. 19 at Chapman | |
| 21 | Cortland | 2-0 | 252 | 24 | D. Union (N.Y.), 26-0 | Sept. 19 vs. Hartwick | |
| 22 | Endicott | 2-0 | 209 | 25 | D. Muhlenberg, 49-21 | Sept. 19 at No. 17 Mary Hardin-Baylor | |
| 23t. | UW-La Crosse | 0-2 | 200 | 14 | Lost to No. 16 Hardin-Simmons, 28-20 | Sept. 19 at Wayne St. (Mich.) | |
| 23t. | WashU | 2-0 | 200 | NR | D. No. 13 DePauw, 37-27 | Sept. 19 at Wittenberg | |
| 25 | DePauw | 1-1 | 113 | 13 | Lost to WashU, 37-27 | Sept. 19 vs. Ohio Wesleyan | |
Dropped Out: Coe (21)
Others Receiving Votes: Springfield, 61; Randolph-Macon, 52; Coe, 37; Utica, 36; Franklin & Marshall, 35; Wabash, 18; Calvin, 15; Hanover, 12; Mount St. Joseph, 9; UW-Oshkosh, 8; Hampden-Sydney, 6; Illinois Wesleyan, 6; UW-Stout, 6; Baldwin-Wallace, 5; Dickinson, 4; Grove City, 4; LaGrange, 4; Lake Forest, 4; Adrian, 2; Augustana (Ill.), 1; Chapman, 1; Hobart, 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.
