Franklin & Marshall earns first-ever playoff bid
November 17, 2025
Franklin & Marshall erased a 21-point deficit to Johns Hopkins, then blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. JHU scored a touchdown in their first overtime possession, then the Diplomats answered with a touchdown of their own but decided to go for two and the win. Franklin & Marshall quarterback Ty Tremba found Louis Paris wide open for the two-point conversion, giving the Diplomats a 29-28 win and the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs. It was also the first conference title since 2017 for Franklin & Marshall, who jump up seven spots to No. 18 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The loss dropped Johns Hopkins eight places to No. 11. The Diplomats will host Eastern on November 29 during the second round of the playoffs, while the Blue Jays will host the winner between Springfield and No. 22 Cortland, also in the second round.
North Central finishes the regular season at No. 1 with a perfect 10-0 record. They are followed by No. 2 Mount Union, No. 3 Bethel (Minn.), No. 4 UW-River Falls and No. 5 Wartburg. Those top five teams received first-round byes, along with No. 7 Christopher Newport, No. 11 Johns Hopkins and No. 19 Berry.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 11 Next Game
1 North Central (52) 10-0 1300 1 D. Illinois Wesleyan, 24-7 Nov. 29 TBD
2 Mount Union 10-0 1220 2 D. Muskingum, 51-7 Nov. 29 TBD
3 Bethel (Minn.) 10-0 1174 4 D. St. Scholastica, 62-0 Nov. 29 TBD
4 UW-River Falls 9-1 1144 5 D. UW-Stout, 29-19 Nov. 29 TBD
5 Wartburg 10-0 1106 6 D. Buena Vista, 63-20 Nov. 29 TBD
6 St. John’s (Minn.) 9-1 1017 7 D. St. Olaf, 63-21 Nov. 29 vs. No. 23 Monmouth (Ill.)
7 Christopher Newport 10-0 970 8 D. College of New Jersey, 27-7 Nov. 29 TBD
8 John Carroll 9-1 897 9 D. Denison, 48-21 Nov. 29 vs. No. 17 Randolph-Macon
9 Salisbury 9-1 814 10 D. Castleton, 63-13 Nov. 29 vs. No. 24 Endicott
10 DePauw 9-1 749 11 D. No. 23 Wabash, 41-20 Nov. 29 at No. 14 UW-Whitewater
11 Johns Hopkins 9-1 748 3 Lost to No. 25 Franklin & Marshall, 29-28 OT Nov. 29 TBD
12 Hardin-Simmons 9-1 725 12 D. East Texas Baptist, 63-14 Nov. 29 at No. 21 Trinity (Tex.)
13 UW-Platteville 8-2 684 13 D. UW-Eau Claire, 55-28 Nov. 29 vs. No. 25 Alma
14 UW-Whitewater 8-2 577 16 D. UW-Oshkosh, 24-7 Nov. 29 vs. No. 10 DePauw
15 Hope 9-1 569 15 D. Olivet, 63-6 Nov. 29 vs. No. 16 UW-La Crosse
16 UW-La Crosse 7-2 514 17 D. UW-Stevens Point, 52-0 Nov. 29 at No. 15 Hope
17 Randolph-Macon 9-1 463 18 D. Hampden-Sydney, 42-14 Nov. 29 at No. 8 John Carroll
18 Franklin & Marshall 9-1 458 25 D. No. 3 Johns Hopkins, 29-28 OT Nov. 29 vs. Eastern
19 Berry 9-1 422 20 D. Southwestern (Tex.), 49-7 Nov. 29 TBD
20 Wheaton 8-2 320 21 D. North Park, 52-6 Nov. 22 vs. Crown
21 Trinity (Tex.) 9-1 301 22 D. Maryville, 31-14 Nov. 29 vs. No. 12 Hardin-Simmons
22 Cortland 8-2 100 14 Lost to Ithaca, 26-21 Nov. 22 at Springfield
23 Monmouth (Ill.) 9-1 96 NR D. Knox, 69-0 Nov. 29 at No. 6 St. John’s (Minn.)
24 Endicott 9-1 80 NR D. Curry, 45-17 Nov. 29 at No. 9 Salisbury
25 Alma 8-2 75 NR D. No. 24 Adrian, 35-34 Nov. 29 at No. 13 UW-Platteville
Dropped Out: Central (Iowa) (19), Wabash (23), Adrian (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Coe, 68; Central (Iowa), 45; Susquehanna, 41; Muhlenberg, 40; Mary Hardin-Baylor, 28; Whitworth, 21; Hanover, 19; Springfield, 17; Washington & Jefferson, 13; Washington (Mo.), 11; Concordia (Wis.), 10; Eastern, 10; Adrian, 8; Ithaca, 8; Baldwin Wallace, 6; Chapman, 6; LaGrange, 6; Trinity (Conn.), 6; Linfield, 5; Wabash, 5; Wesleyan, 2; Grove City, 1; Ohio Northern, 1.
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Franklin & Marshall erased a 21-point deficit to Johns Hopkins, then blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. JHU scored a touchdown in their first overtime possession, then the Diplomats answered with a touchdown of their own but decided to go for two and the win. Franklin & Marshall quarterback Ty Tremba found Louis Paris wide open for the two-point conversion, giving the Diplomats a 29-28 win and the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs. It was also the first conference title since 2017 for Franklin & Marshall, who jump up seven spots to No. 18 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The loss dropped Johns Hopkins eight places to No. 11. The Diplomats will host Eastern on November 29 during the second round of the playoffs, while the Blue Jays will host the winner between Springfield and No. 22 Cortland, also in the second round.
North Central finishes the regular season at No. 1 with a perfect 10-0 record. They are followed by No. 2 Mount Union, No. 3 Bethel (Minn.), No. 4 UW-River Falls and No. 5 Wartburg. Those top five teams received first-round byes, along with No. 7 Christopher Newport, No. 11 Johns Hopkins and No. 19 Berry.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 11 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (52) | 10-0 | 1300 | 1 | D. Illinois Wesleyan, 24-7 | Nov. 29 TBD | |
| 2 | Mount Union | 10-0 | 1220 | 2 | D. Muskingum, 51-7 | Nov. 29 TBD | |
| 3 | Bethel (Minn.) | 10-0 | 1174 | 4 | D. St. Scholastica, 62-0 | Nov. 29 TBD | |
| 4 | UW-River Falls | 9-1 | 1144 | 5 | D. UW-Stout, 29-19 | Nov. 29 TBD | |
| 5 | Wartburg | 10-0 | 1106 | 6 | D. Buena Vista, 63-20 | Nov. 29 TBD | |
| 6 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 9-1 | 1017 | 7 | D. St. Olaf, 63-21 | Nov. 29 vs. No. 23 Monmouth (Ill.) | |
| 7 | Christopher Newport | 10-0 | 970 | 8 | D. College of New Jersey, 27-7 | Nov. 29 TBD | |
| 8 | John Carroll | 9-1 | 897 | 9 | D. Denison, 48-21 | Nov. 29 vs. No. 17 Randolph-Macon | |
| 9 | Salisbury | 9-1 | 814 | 10 | D. Castleton, 63-13 | Nov. 29 vs. No. 24 Endicott | |
| 10 | DePauw | 9-1 | 749 | 11 | D. No. 23 Wabash, 41-20 | Nov. 29 at No. 14 UW-Whitewater | |
| 11 | Johns Hopkins | 9-1 | 748 | 3 | Lost to No. 25 Franklin & Marshall, 29-28 OT | Nov. 29 TBD | |
| 12 | Hardin-Simmons | 9-1 | 725 | 12 | D. East Texas Baptist, 63-14 | Nov. 29 at No. 21 Trinity (Tex.) | |
| 13 | UW-Platteville | 8-2 | 684 | 13 | D. UW-Eau Claire, 55-28 | Nov. 29 vs. No. 25 Alma | |
| 14 | UW-Whitewater | 8-2 | 577 | 16 | D. UW-Oshkosh, 24-7 | Nov. 29 vs. No. 10 DePauw | |
| 15 | Hope | 9-1 | 569 | 15 | D. Olivet, 63-6 | Nov. 29 vs. No. 16 UW-La Crosse | |
| 16 | UW-La Crosse | 7-2 | 514 | 17 | D. UW-Stevens Point, 52-0 | Nov. 29 at No. 15 Hope | |
| 17 | Randolph-Macon | 9-1 | 463 | 18 | D. Hampden-Sydney, 42-14 | Nov. 29 at No. 8 John Carroll | |
| 18 | Franklin & Marshall | 9-1 | 458 | 25 | D. No. 3 Johns Hopkins, 29-28 OT | Nov. 29 vs. Eastern | |
| 19 | Berry | 9-1 | 422 | 20 | D. Southwestern (Tex.), 49-7 | Nov. 29 TBD | |
| 20 | Wheaton | 8-2 | 320 | 21 | D. North Park, 52-6 | Nov. 22 vs. Crown | |
| 21 | Trinity (Tex.) | 9-1 | 301 | 22 | D. Maryville, 31-14 | Nov. 29 vs. No. 12 Hardin-Simmons | |
| 22 | Cortland | 8-2 | 100 | 14 | Lost to Ithaca, 26-21 | Nov. 22 at Springfield | |
| 23 | Monmouth (Ill.) | 9-1 | 96 | NR | D. Knox, 69-0 | Nov. 29 at No. 6 St. John’s (Minn.) | |
| 24 | Endicott | 9-1 | 80 | NR | D. Curry, 45-17 | Nov. 29 at No. 9 Salisbury | |
| 25 | Alma | 8-2 | 75 | NR | D. No. 24 Adrian, 35-34 | Nov. 29 at No. 13 UW-Platteville | |
Dropped Out: Central (Iowa) (19), Wabash (23), Adrian (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Coe, 68; Central (Iowa), 45; Susquehanna, 41; Muhlenberg, 40; Mary Hardin-Baylor, 28; Whitworth, 21; Hanover, 19; Springfield, 17; Washington & Jefferson, 13; Washington (Mo.), 11; Concordia (Wis.), 10; Eastern, 10; Adrian, 8; Ithaca, 8; Baldwin Wallace, 6; Chapman, 6; LaGrange, 6; Trinity (Conn.), 6; Linfield, 5; Wabash, 5; Wesleyan, 2; Grove City, 1; Ohio Northern, 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.
