
Grove City Takes Down Cortland
September 8, 2025
Grove City used a stingy defense to upset then-No. 11 Cortland, 31-14. The Wolverine defense picked off seven Cortland passes, returning one for a touchdown, and held the Dragons to 3-of-11 on third down conversions. The win vaults Grove City to No. 15 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The loss dropped Cortland 12 spots to No. 23. The Wolverines don’t have long to savor the victory as they host No. 2 Mount Union in one of four top 25 matchups this coming weekend.
No. 1 North Central will open their season against No. 18 UW-Oshkosh. The Titans enter the game fresh off their upset at then-No. 15 Linfield, 31-14, which vaulted them into the rankings. The loss dropped the Wildcats to No. 24. No. 3 Johns Hopkins will also join the top 25 matchup party as they host No. 21 John Carroll. The final matchup sees No. 9 UW-La Crosse opening their season on the road at No. 16 Carnegie Mellon.
The top 10 remained unchanged after the first week of the season other than UW-La Crosse and Wartburg switching spots.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 1 Next Game
1 North Central (51) 0-0 1299 1 Idle Sept. 13 vs. No. 18 UW-Oshkosh
2 Mount Union (1) 1-0 1249 2 D. No. 17 Wheaton, 37-29 Sept. 13 at No. 15 Grove City
3 Johns Hopkins 1-0 1178 3 D. Ithaca, 42-14 Sept. 13 vs. No. 21 John Carroll
4 St. John’s (Minn.) 0-0 1108 4 Idle Sept. 13 vs. Minnesota-Morris
5 Susquehanna 1-0 1065 5 D. Union (N.Y.), 33-14 Sept. 13 vs. Bridgewater (Va.)
6 Hardin-Simmons 1-0 946 6 D. Chapman, 37-30 Sept. 13 vs. McMurry
7 Salisbury 1-0 914 7 D. Washington and Lee, 42-21 Sept. 13 at McDaniel
8 Mary Hardin-Baylor 1-0 903 8 D. Bethel (Tenn.), 30-23 Sept. 20 vs. No. 19 UW-Whitewater
9 UW-La Crosse 0-0 844 10 Idle Sept. 13 at No. 16 Carnegie Mellon
10 Wartburg 1-0 819 9 D. Monmouth (Ill.), 21-7 Sept. 13 at UW-Stout
11 UW-Platteville 1-0 795 14 D. No. 24 Aurora, 41-0 Sept. 13 at Dubuque
12 Bethel (Minn.) 0-0 716 12 Idle Sept. 13 vs. Northwestern (Minn.)
13 DePauw 1-0 632 16 D. Rose-Hulman, 40-0 Sept. 13 at Centre
14 UW-River Falls 1-0 557 19 D. Alma, 45-33 Sept. 13 vs. Coe
15 Grove City 1-0 556 23 D. No. 11 Cortland, 31-14 Sept. 13 vs. No. 2 Mount Union
16 Carnegie Mellon 1-0 507 18 D. Chicago, 20-0 Sept. 13 vs. No. 9 UW-La Crosse
17 Hope 1-0 449 20 D. Loras, 62-0 Sept. 13 at Franklin
18 UW-Oshkosh 1-0 424 NR D. No. 15 Linfield, 31-14 Sept. 13 at No. 1 North Central
19 UW-Whitewater 1-0 372 22 D. Carleton, 45-14 Sept. 13 at Saint Xavier
20 Randolph-Macon 1-0 348 21 D. Dickinson, 48-34 Sept. 13 at Central (Iowa)
21 John Carroll 1-0 270 25 D. Waynesburg, 48-14 Sept. 13 at No. 3 Johns Hopkins
22 Wheaton 0-1 269 17 Lost to No. 2 Mount Union, 37-29 Sept. 20 at Augustana (Ill.)
23 Cortland 0-1 157 11 Lost to No. 23 Grove City, 31-14 Sept. 13 vs. Union (N.Y.)
24 Linfield 0-1 75 15 Lost to UW-Oshkosh, 31-14 Sept. 20 vs. Chapman
25 Springfield 0-1 62 13 Lost to Western New England, 23-22 Sept. 13 vs. Husson
Dropped Out: Aurora (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Trinity (Tex.), 55; Whitworth, 50; Coe, 48; Endicott, 47; Berry, 45; Washington (Mo.), 25; Brockport, 21; Chapman, 18; Alma, 16; Utica, 15; Aurora, 8; UW-Stout, 8; Baldwin Wallace, 5; Western New England, 5; Christopher Newport, 3; Hampden-Sydney, 3; Mount St. Joseph, 3; Wesleyan, 3; Wabash, 2; Washington & Lee, 2; Belhaven, 1; Central (Iowa), 1; Illinois College, 1; Salve Regina, 1.
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Grove City used a stingy defense to upset then-No. 11 Cortland, 31-14. The Wolverine defense picked off seven Cortland passes, returning one for a touchdown, and held the Dragons to 3-of-11 on third down conversions. The win vaults Grove City to No. 15 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The loss dropped Cortland 12 spots to No. 23. The Wolverines don’t have long to savor the victory as they host No. 2 Mount Union in one of four top 25 matchups this coming weekend.
No. 1 North Central will open their season against No. 18 UW-Oshkosh. The Titans enter the game fresh off their upset at then-No. 15 Linfield, 31-14, which vaulted them into the rankings. The loss dropped the Wildcats to No. 24. No. 3 Johns Hopkins will also join the top 25 matchup party as they host No. 21 John Carroll. The final matchup sees No. 9 UW-La Crosse opening their season on the road at No. 16 Carnegie Mellon.
The top 10 remained unchanged after the first week of the season other than UW-La Crosse and Wartburg switching spots.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 1 Next Game
1 North Central (51) 0-0 1299 1 Idle Sept. 13 vs. No. 18 UW-Oshkosh
2 Mount Union (1) 1-0 1249 2 D. No. 17 Wheaton, 37-29 Sept. 13 at No. 15 Grove City
3 Johns Hopkins 1-0 1178 3 D. Ithaca, 42-14 Sept. 13 vs. No. 21 John Carroll
4 St. John’s (Minn.) 0-0 1108 4 Idle Sept. 13 vs. Minnesota-Morris
5 Susquehanna 1-0 1065 5 D. Union (N.Y.), 33-14 Sept. 13 vs. Bridgewater (Va.)
6 Hardin-Simmons 1-0 946 6 D. Chapman, 37-30 Sept. 13 vs. McMurry
7 Salisbury 1-0 914 7 D. Washington and Lee, 42-21 Sept. 13 at McDaniel
8 Mary Hardin-Baylor 1-0 903 8 D. Bethel (Tenn.), 30-23 Sept. 20 vs. No. 19 UW-Whitewater
9 UW-La Crosse 0-0 844 10 Idle Sept. 13 at No. 16 Carnegie Mellon
10 Wartburg 1-0 819 9 D. Monmouth (Ill.), 21-7 Sept. 13 at UW-Stout
11 UW-Platteville 1-0 795 14 D. No. 24 Aurora, 41-0 Sept. 13 at Dubuque
12 Bethel (Minn.) 0-0 716 12 Idle Sept. 13 vs. Northwestern (Minn.)
13 DePauw 1-0 632 16 D. Rose-Hulman, 40-0 Sept. 13 at Centre
14 UW-River Falls 1-0 557 19 D. Alma, 45-33 Sept. 13 vs. Coe
15 Grove City 1-0 556 23 D. No. 11 Cortland, 31-14 Sept. 13 vs. No. 2 Mount Union
16 Carnegie Mellon 1-0 507 18 D. Chicago, 20-0 Sept. 13 vs. No. 9 UW-La Crosse
17 Hope 1-0 449 20 D. Loras, 62-0 Sept. 13 at Franklin
18 UW-Oshkosh 1-0 424 NR D. No. 15 Linfield, 31-14 Sept. 13 at No. 1 North Central
19 UW-Whitewater 1-0 372 22 D. Carleton, 45-14 Sept. 13 at Saint Xavier
20 Randolph-Macon 1-0 348 21 D. Dickinson, 48-34 Sept. 13 at Central (Iowa)
21 John Carroll 1-0 270 25 D. Waynesburg, 48-14 Sept. 13 at No. 3 Johns Hopkins
22 Wheaton 0-1 269 17 Lost to No. 2 Mount Union, 37-29 Sept. 20 at Augustana (Ill.)
23 Cortland 0-1 157 11 Lost to No. 23 Grove City, 31-14 Sept. 13 vs. Union (N.Y.)
24 Linfield 0-1 75 15 Lost to UW-Oshkosh, 31-14 Sept. 20 vs. Chapman
25 Springfield 0-1 62 13 Lost to Western New England, 23-22 Sept. 13 vs. Husson
Dropped Out: Aurora (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Trinity (Tex.), 55; Whitworth, 50; Coe, 48; Endicott, 47; Berry, 45; Washington (Mo.), 25; Brockport, 21; Chapman, 18; Alma, 16; Utica, 15; Aurora, 8; UW-Stout, 8; Baldwin Wallace, 5; Western New England, 5; Christopher Newport, 3; Hampden-Sydney, 3; Mount St. Joseph, 3; Wesleyan, 3; Wabash, 2; Washington & Lee, 2; Belhaven, 1; Central (Iowa), 1; Illinois College, 1; Salve Regina, 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.