Calvin upsets Hope for control of the MIAA
November 9, 2026
In a battle of unbeaten teams, the game was played as expected as No. 8 Hope and No. 20 Calvin were knotted at 24 apiece at the end of the third quarter. But Calvin quarterback Thomas Vaccaro hit Luke Michmerhuizen with back-to-back 39-yard, and 64-yard touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, allowing the Knights to pull the upset, 38-24. The win moved Calvin up to No. 14 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, while Hope dropped 11 places to No. 19.
Wheaton remains No. 1 after blanking Elmhurst, 52-0, but we have a new No. 2 as UW-Whitewater edged UW-Platteville, 24-21, in a battle of unbeatens in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The No. 2 Warhawks travel to UW-Eau Claire to end the regular season while the Pioneers, who dropped to No. 6, end the season at UW-La Crosse, who just upset UW-River Falls, 41-30, dropping the Falcons out of the rankings.
There is only one top 25 matchup on the final Saturday of the 2026 regular season, and it is for the American Southwest Conference title as No. 5 Hardin-Simmons travels to No. 13 Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Cru and Cowboys have played each other twice the past two seasons, with each team splitting the wins.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 10 Next Game
1 Wheaton (37) 9-0 1303 1 D. Elmhurst, 52-0 Nov. 14 at Carthage
2 UW-Whitewater (16) 9-0 1275 4 D. No. 2 UW-Platteville, 24-21 Nov. 14 at UW-Eau Claire
3 St. John’s (Minn.) 9-0 1219 3 D. St. Scholastica, 56-6 Nov. 14 vs. St. Olaf
4 North Central 8-1 1138 5 D. Millikin, 62-12 Nov. 14 vs. Illinois Wesleyan
5 Hardin-Simmons 8-0 1075 6 D. Schreiner, 67-0 Nov. 14 at No. 13 Mary Hardin-Baylor
6 UW-Platteville 8-1 1058 2 Lost to No. 4 UW-Whitewater, 24-21 Nov. 14 at UW-La Crosse
7 WashU 9-0 1005 7 D. Ohio Wesleyan, 45-24 Nov. 14 vs. Wooster
8 Christopher Newport 9-0 935 9 D. TCNJ, 42-0 Nov. 14 at Salisbury
9 Endicott 9-0 911 10 D. New England College, 93-7 Nov. 14 at Curry
10 Cortland 9-0 856 11 D. Brockport, 42-24 Nov. 14 vs. Ithaca
11 Baldwin Wallace 9-0 723 14 D. Mount Union, 27-21 Nov. 14 vs. Muskingum
12 Wartburg 7-2 644 12 D. Central (Iowa), 28-7 Nov. 14 vs. Coe
13 Mary Hardin-Baylor 8-1 638 13 D. East Texas Baptist, 42-28 Nov. 14 vs. No. 5 Hardin-Simmons
14 Calvin 9-0 605 20 D. No. 8 Hope, 38-24 Nov. 14 at Alma
15 Trinity (Tex.) 8-1 557 15 D. Centre, 16-13 Nov. 14 at Rhodes
16 Bethel (Minn.) 7-2 497 16 D. Carleton, 53-10 Nov. 14 vs. St. Scholastica
17 DePauw 8-1 496 17 D. Wooster, 41-28 Nov. 14 vs. Wabash
18 Susquehanna 8-1 438 19 D. Western Connecticut St., 55-12 Nov. 14 vs. Juniata
19 Hope 8-1 360 8 Lost to No. 20 Calvin, 38-24 Nov. 14 vs. Trine
20 Springfield 8-1 266 22 D. Norwich, 55-0 Nov. 14 at SUNY Maritime
21 Lake Forest 9-0 261 21 D. Cornell (Iowa), 56-0 Nov. 14 at Chicago
22 Utica 8-1 225 24 D. Hartwick, 39-3 Nov. 14 vs. Brockport
23t. John Carroll 7-2 152 23 D. Oberlin, 64-7 Nov. 14 vs. Denison
23t. Linfield 7-1 152 25 D. Puget Sound, 77-3 Nov. 14 at Willamette
25 Chapman 8-1 99 NR D. Cal Lutheran, 20-9 Nov. 14 vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Dropped Out: UW-River Falls (18)
Others Receiving Votes: Washington & Jefferson, 59; Franklin & Marshall, 54; Trinity (Conn.), 36; Hampden-Sydney, 34; Dickinson, 29; Concordia (Wis.), 27; Benedictine (Ill.), 24; Rowan, 22; UW-River Falls, 20; Concordia-Moorhead, 18; Illinois Wesleyan, 5; U.S. Merchant Marine, 5; Montclair St., 2; Mount St. Joseph, 1; UW-La Crosse, 1.
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In a battle of unbeaten teams, the game was played as expected as No. 8 Hope and No. 20 Calvin were knotted at 24 apiece at the end of the third quarter. But Calvin quarterback Thomas Vaccaro hit Luke Michmerhuizen with back-to-back 39-yard, and 64-yard touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, allowing the Knights to pull the upset, 38-24. The win moved Calvin up to No. 14 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, while Hope dropped 11 places to No. 19.
Wheaton remains No. 1 after blanking Elmhurst, 52-0, but we have a new No. 2 as UW-Whitewater edged UW-Platteville, 24-21, in a battle of unbeatens in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The No. 2 Warhawks travel to UW-Eau Claire to end the regular season while the Pioneers, who dropped to No. 6, end the season at UW-La Crosse, who just upset UW-River Falls, 41-30, dropping the Falcons out of the rankings.
There is only one top 25 matchup on the final Saturday of the 2026 regular season, and it is for the American Southwest Conference title as No. 5 Hardin-Simmons travels to No. 13 Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Cru and Cowboys have played each other twice the past two seasons, with each team splitting the wins.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 10 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wheaton (37) | 9-0 | 1303 | 1 | D. Elmhurst, 52-0 | Nov. 14 at Carthage | |
| 2 | UW-Whitewater (16) | 9-0 | 1275 | 4 | D. No. 2 UW-Platteville, 24-21 | Nov. 14 at UW-Eau Claire | |
| 3 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 9-0 | 1219 | 3 | D. St. Scholastica, 56-6 | Nov. 14 vs. St. Olaf | |
| 4 | North Central | 8-1 | 1138 | 5 | D. Millikin, 62-12 | Nov. 14 vs. Illinois Wesleyan | |
| 5 | Hardin-Simmons | 8-0 | 1075 | 6 | D. Schreiner, 67-0 | Nov. 14 at No. 13 Mary Hardin-Baylor | |
| 6 | UW-Platteville | 8-1 | 1058 | 2 | Lost to No. 4 UW-Whitewater, 24-21 | Nov. 14 at UW-La Crosse | |
| 7 | WashU | 9-0 | 1005 | 7 | D. Ohio Wesleyan, 45-24 | Nov. 14 vs. Wooster | |
| 8 | Christopher Newport | 9-0 | 935 | 9 | D. TCNJ, 42-0 | Nov. 14 at Salisbury | |
| 9 | Endicott | 9-0 | 911 | 10 | D. New England College, 93-7 | Nov. 14 at Curry | |
| 10 | Cortland | 9-0 | 856 | 11 | D. Brockport, 42-24 | Nov. 14 vs. Ithaca | |
| 11 | Baldwin Wallace | 9-0 | 723 | 14 | D. Mount Union, 27-21 | Nov. 14 vs. Muskingum | |
| 12 | Wartburg | 7-2 | 644 | 12 | D. Central (Iowa), 28-7 | Nov. 14 vs. Coe | |
| 13 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 8-1 | 638 | 13 | D. East Texas Baptist, 42-28 | Nov. 14 vs. No. 5 Hardin-Simmons | |
| 14 | Calvin | 9-0 | 605 | 20 | D. No. 8 Hope, 38-24 | Nov. 14 at Alma | |
| 15 | Trinity (Tex.) | 8-1 | 557 | 15 | D. Centre, 16-13 | Nov. 14 at Rhodes | |
| 16 | Bethel (Minn.) | 7-2 | 497 | 16 | D. Carleton, 53-10 | Nov. 14 vs. St. Scholastica | |
| 17 | DePauw | 8-1 | 496 | 17 | D. Wooster, 41-28 | Nov. 14 vs. Wabash | |
| 18 | Susquehanna | 8-1 | 438 | 19 | D. Western Connecticut St., 55-12 | Nov. 14 vs. Juniata | |
| 19 | Hope | 8-1 | 360 | 8 | Lost to No. 20 Calvin, 38-24 | Nov. 14 vs. Trine | |
| 20 | Springfield | 8-1 | 266 | 22 | D. Norwich, 55-0 | Nov. 14 at SUNY Maritime | |
| 21 | Lake Forest | 9-0 | 261 | 21 | D. Cornell (Iowa), 56-0 | Nov. 14 at Chicago | |
| 22 | Utica | 8-1 | 225 | 24 | D. Hartwick, 39-3 | Nov. 14 vs. Brockport | |
| 23t. | John Carroll | 7-2 | 152 | 23 | D. Oberlin, 64-7 | Nov. 14 vs. Denison | |
| 23t. | Linfield | 7-1 | 152 | 25 | D. Puget Sound, 77-3 | Nov. 14 at Willamette | |
| 25 | Chapman | 8-1 | 99 | NR | D. Cal Lutheran, 20-9 | Nov. 14 vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps | |
Dropped Out: UW-River Falls (18)
Others Receiving Votes: Washington & Jefferson, 59; Franklin & Marshall, 54; Trinity (Conn.), 36; Hampden-Sydney, 34; Dickinson, 29; Concordia (Wis.), 27; Benedictine (Ill.), 24; Rowan, 22; UW-River Falls, 20; Concordia-Moorhead, 18; Illinois Wesleyan, 5; U.S. Merchant Marine, 5; Montclair St., 2; Mount St. Joseph, 1; UW-La Crosse, 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.
