UW-Whitewater Takes Down Defending Champs
October 5, 2026
In a battle of top 10 teams, it was the UW-Whitewater defense that rose to the top. The Warhawks recorded five sacks and picked off the UW-River Falls quarterback three times enroute to a 24-16 win. The victory moved UW-Whitewater up to No. 5 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, while River Falls dropped to a tie at No. 7. Warhawks running back Tommy Novotny had a day, rushing for career highs in carries (23), rushing yards (192), and rushing touchdowns (3).
Because of UW-River Falls loss, that sets the stage for the second 1 vs. 2 matchup of the 2026 season as No. 1 North Central plays host to No. 2 Wheaton in a battle for the top spot in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Wheaton owns the overall record between the two programs at 55-48-3, but North Central has won the last five straight.
St. John’s (Minn.) handed Bethel (Minn.) their second loss of the season, 42-16, and jumps to the No. 3 spot while the Royals drop nine to No. 17. Trinity (Tex.) beat Berry, 23-6, and moved up to No. 6, while the Vikings fell to No. 19. In one of the biggest upsets of the weekend, WashU took down then-No. 6 John Carroll, 35-25, jumping the Bears up to No. 11 while the Blue Streaks dropped to No. 15.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 5 Next Game
1 North Central (53) 4-0 1325 1 D. Augustana (Ill.), 35-7 Oct. 10 vs. No. 2 Wheaton
2 Wheaton 5-0 1233 3 D. North Park, 33-6 Oct. 10 at No. 1 North Central
3 St. John’s (Minn.) 4-0 1184 5 D. No. 8 Bethel (Minn.), 42-16 Oct. 10 at Macalester
4 UW-Platteville 4-0 1172 4 D. UW-Stout, 31-27 Oct. 10 vs. UW-Eau Claire
5 UW-Whitewater 4-0 1166 7 D. No. 2 UW-River Falls, 24-16 Oct. 10 at No. 20 UW-La Crosse
6 Trinity (Tex.) 4-0 1029 9 D. No. 11 Berry, 23-6 Oct. 10 at Southwestern (Tex.)
7t. Hardin-Simmons 3-0 937 10 D. Fort Lauderdale, 58-0 Oct. 10 at McMurry
7t. UW-River Falls 3-1 937 2 Lost to No. 7 UW-Whitewater, 24-16 Oct. 10 vs. UW-Oshkosh
9 Salisbury 4-0 846 12 D. The College of New Jersey, 21-9 Oct. 10 vs. Rowan
10 Christopher Newport 4-0 822 13 D. William Paterson, 49-3 Oct. 10 at Kean
11 WashU 5-0 774 17 D. No. 6 John Carroll, 35-25 Oct. 17 at Kenyon
12 Hope 5-0 729 14 D. Olivet, 66-17 Oct. 17 vs. Adrian
13 Endicott 5-0 670 15 D. Univ. of New England, 55-27 Oct. 17 at Western New England
14 Cortland 5-0 630 16 D. No. 21 Utica, 31-21 Oct. 17 at Alfred
15 John Carroll 4-1 545 6 Lost to No. 17 WashU, 35-25 Oct. 17 vs. Wabash
16 Wartburg 2-2 417 18 D. Nebraska Wesleyan, 69-26 Oct. 10 vs. Buena Vista
17 Bethel (Minn.) 2-2 399 8 Lost to No. 5 St. John’s (Minn.), 42-16 Oct. 10 vs. Augsburg
18 Mary Hardin-Baylor 3-1 353 20 D. Keystone, 64-14 Oct. 10 vs. Howard Payne
19 Berry 3-1 347 11 Lost to No. 9 Trinity (Tex.), 23-6 Oct. 10 at Rhodes
20 UW-La Crosse 2-2 321 19 D. UW-Oshkosh, 32-31 Oct. 10 vs. No. 5 UW-Whitewater
21 Franklin & Marshall 4-0 228 25 D. Gettysburg, 29-0 Oct. 10 at Muhlenberg
22 Susquehanna 3-1 227 22 Idle Oct. 10 at Catholic
23 DePauw 4-1 192 23 D. Oberlin, 68-7 Oct. 17 vs. Denison
24 Baldwin Wallace 4-0 173 NR D. No. 24 Heidelberg, 41-26 Oct. 10 vs. Ohio Northern
25 Randolph-Macon 3-1 75 NR D. Bridgewater (Va.), 46-6 Oct. 10 at Washington & Lee
Dropped Out: Utica (21), Heidelberg (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Calvin, 65; Utica, 56; Lake Forest, 43; Mount Union, 43; Springfield, 41; Dickinson, 40; Ursinus, 27; Hampden-Sydney, 26; Chapman, 24; Concordia-Moorhead, 18; Washington & Jefferson, 18; Heidelberg, 17; Illinois Wesleyan, 16; Linfield, 9; Wabash, 9; Trinity (Conn.), 8; UW-Eau Claire, 6; Howard Payne, 5; U.S. Merchant Marine, 5; Brevard, 3; Hanover, 3; UW-Oshkosh, 3; LaGrange, 2; Roanoke, 2; Wesleyan, 2; Concordia (Wis.), 1; Mount St. Joseph, 1; Rowan, 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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In a battle of top 10 teams, it was the UW-Whitewater defense that rose to the top. The Warhawks recorded five sacks and picked off the UW-River Falls quarterback three times enroute to a 24-16 win. The victory moved UW-Whitewater up to No. 5 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, while River Falls dropped to a tie at No. 7. Warhawks running back Tommy Novotny had a day, rushing for career highs in carries (23), rushing yards (192), and rushing touchdowns (3).
Because of UW-River Falls loss, that sets the stage for the second 1 vs. 2 matchup of the 2026 season as No. 1 North Central plays host to No. 2 Wheaton in a battle for the top spot in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Wheaton owns the overall record between the two programs at 55-48-3, but North Central has won the last five straight.
St. John’s (Minn.) handed Bethel (Minn.) their second loss of the season, 42-16, and jumps to the No. 3 spot while the Royals drop nine to No. 17. Trinity (Tex.) beat Berry, 23-6, and moved up to No. 6, while the Vikings fell to No. 19. In one of the biggest upsets of the weekend, WashU took down then-No. 6 John Carroll, 35-25, jumping the Bears up to No. 11 while the Blue Streaks dropped to No. 15.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 5 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (53) | 4-0 | 1325 | 1 | D. Augustana (Ill.), 35-7 | Oct. 10 vs. No. 2 Wheaton | |
| 2 | Wheaton | 5-0 | 1233 | 3 | D. North Park, 33-6 | Oct. 10 at No. 1 North Central | |
| 3 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 4-0 | 1184 | 5 | D. No. 8 Bethel (Minn.), 42-16 | Oct. 10 at Macalester | |
| 4 | UW-Platteville | 4-0 | 1172 | 4 | D. UW-Stout, 31-27 | Oct. 10 vs. UW-Eau Claire | |
| 5 | UW-Whitewater | 4-0 | 1166 | 7 | D. No. 2 UW-River Falls, 24-16 | Oct. 10 at No. 20 UW-La Crosse | |
| 6 | Trinity (Tex.) | 4-0 | 1029 | 9 | D. No. 11 Berry, 23-6 | Oct. 10 at Southwestern (Tex.) | |
| 7t. | Hardin-Simmons | 3-0 | 937 | 10 | D. Fort Lauderdale, 58-0 | Oct. 10 at McMurry | |
| 7t. | UW-River Falls | 3-1 | 937 | 2 | Lost to No. 7 UW-Whitewater, 24-16 | Oct. 10 vs. UW-Oshkosh | |
| 9 | Salisbury | 4-0 | 846 | 12 | D. The College of New Jersey, 21-9 | Oct. 10 vs. Rowan | |
| 10 | Christopher Newport | 4-0 | 822 | 13 | D. William Paterson, 49-3 | Oct. 10 at Kean | |
| 11 | WashU | 5-0 | 774 | 17 | D. No. 6 John Carroll, 35-25 | Oct. 17 at Kenyon | |
| 12 | Hope | 5-0 | 729 | 14 | D. Olivet, 66-17 | Oct. 17 vs. Adrian | |
| 13 | Endicott | 5-0 | 670 | 15 | D. Univ. of New England, 55-27 | Oct. 17 at Western New England | |
| 14 | Cortland | 5-0 | 630 | 16 | D. No. 21 Utica, 31-21 | Oct. 17 at Alfred | |
| 15 | John Carroll | 4-1 | 545 | 6 | Lost to No. 17 WashU, 35-25 | Oct. 17 vs. Wabash | |
| 16 | Wartburg | 2-2 | 417 | 18 | D. Nebraska Wesleyan, 69-26 | Oct. 10 vs. Buena Vista | |
| 17 | Bethel (Minn.) | 2-2 | 399 | 8 | Lost to No. 5 St. John’s (Minn.), 42-16 | Oct. 10 vs. Augsburg | |
| 18 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 3-1 | 353 | 20 | D. Keystone, 64-14 | Oct. 10 vs. Howard Payne | |
| 19 | Berry | 3-1 | 347 | 11 | Lost to No. 9 Trinity (Tex.), 23-6 | Oct. 10 at Rhodes | |
| 20 | UW-La Crosse | 2-2 | 321 | 19 | D. UW-Oshkosh, 32-31 | Oct. 10 vs. No. 5 UW-Whitewater | |
| 21 | Franklin & Marshall | 4-0 | 228 | 25 | D. Gettysburg, 29-0 | Oct. 10 at Muhlenberg | |
| 22 | Susquehanna | 3-1 | 227 | 22 | Idle | Oct. 10 at Catholic | |
| 23 | DePauw | 4-1 | 192 | 23 | D. Oberlin, 68-7 | Oct. 17 vs. Denison | |
| 24 | Baldwin Wallace | 4-0 | 173 | NR | D. No. 24 Heidelberg, 41-26 | Oct. 10 vs. Ohio Northern | |
| 25 | Randolph-Macon | 3-1 | 75 | NR | D. Bridgewater (Va.), 46-6 | Oct. 10 at Washington & Lee | |
Dropped Out: Utica (21), Heidelberg (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Calvin, 65; Utica, 56; Lake Forest, 43; Mount Union, 43; Springfield, 41; Dickinson, 40; Ursinus, 27; Hampden-Sydney, 26; Chapman, 24; Concordia-Moorhead, 18; Washington & Jefferson, 18; Heidelberg, 17; Illinois Wesleyan, 16; Linfield, 9; Wabash, 9; Trinity (Conn.), 8; UW-Eau Claire, 6; Howard Payne, 5; U.S. Merchant Marine, 5; Brevard, 3; Hanover, 3; UW-Oshkosh, 3; LaGrange, 2; Roanoke, 2; Wesleyan, 2; Concordia (Wis.), 1; Mount St. Joseph, 1; Rowan, 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.
