MOUNT UNION CONTINUES THEIR HOT START
October 16, 2023
The Mount Union (Ohio) Purple Raiders are hoping that the old saying, “defense wins championships,” comes true for them this season, as their defense posted another dominant showing Saturday afternoon in a 76-0 win over Capital (Ohio). The Mount Union defense held the Comets to just 66 yards of offense, leading to their third shutout of the 2023 season. With the win, the Purple Raiders move to 6-0 on the year and remain at No. 2 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
A few other Top 25 defenses flexed their muscles this week as No. 13 Susquehanna (Pa.) and No. 24 Delaware Valley (Pa.) posted shutouts while two teams held their opponents to just a field goal. The Susquehanna River Hawks held Juniata (Pa.) to 77 yards of offense and grabbed one interception in their 56-0 win while Delaware Valley forced a fumble and snagged an interception on their way to a 20-0 win over FDU-Fordham (N.J.).
There was only one loss by a Top 25 team this past week, with Wisconsin-River Falls falling to Wisconsin-Whitewater, 21-14. With the loss, Wisconsin-River Falls drops from No. 4 to No. 11 while Wisconsin-Whitewater rose from No. 11 to No. 6.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Last Week Next Game
1 North Central (Ill.) (48) 6-0 1224 1 D. Millikin (Ill.), 75-3 Oct. 21 vs. Washington (Mo.)
2 Mount Union (Ohio) (1) 6-0 1176 2 D. Capital (Ohio), 76-0 Oct. 21 at Wilmington (Ohio)
3 Wartburg (Iowa) 7-0 1125 3 D. Dubuque (Iowa), 31-10 Oct. 21 at Loras (Iowa)
4 Linfield (Ore.) 5-0 1010 5 D. George Fox (Ore.), 41-13 Oct. 21 at Puget Sound (Wash.)
5 Trinity (Tex.) 5-1 957 6 Idle Oct. 21 at Southwestern (Tex.)
6 Wisconsin-Whitewater 5-1 898 11 D. No. 4 Wisconsin-River Falls, 21-14 Oct. 21 vs. Wisconsin-Stout
7 Johns Hopkins (Md.) 6-0 889 7 D. Franklin & Marshall (Pa.), 34-27 Oct. 21 vs. Ursinus (Pa.)
8 Wisconsin-La Crosse 5-1 855 9 D. Wisconsin-Platteville, 21-17 Oct. 21 vs. Wisconsin-Oshkosh
9 St. John’s (Minn.) 5-1 851 8 D. Carleton (Minn.), 63-7 Oct. 21 at Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.)
10 Randolph-Macon (Va.) 6-0 777 10 D. Bridgewater (Va.), 38-3 Oct. 21 vs. Shenandoah (Va.)
11 Wisconsin-River Falls 5-1 746 4 Lost to No. 11 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 21-14 Oct. 21 at Wisconsin-Stevens Point
12 Aurora (Ill.) 6-0 679 12 D. St. Norbert (Wis.), 37-9 Oct. 21 vs. Wisconsin-Lutheran
13 Susquehanna (Pa.) 7-0 662 13 D. Juniata (Pa.), 56-0 Oct. 21 vs. Wilkes (Pa.)
14 Wheaton (Ill.) 5-1 588 14 D. Carthage (Wis.), 50-13 Oct. 21 at Carroll (Wis.)
15 Alma (Mich.) 6-0 520 15 D. Hope (Mich.), 35-17 Oct. 21 vs. Kalamazoo (Mich.)
16 John Carroll (Ohio) 5-1 504 16 D. Ohio Northern, 44-14 Oct. 21 at Capital (Ohio)
17 Muhlenberg (Pa.) 6-0 412 17 D. Gettysburg (Pa.), 41-13 Oct. 21 at Dickinson (Pa.)
18 Ithaca (N.Y.) 5-1 376 18 D. Union (N.Y.), 17-9 Oct. 21 at Rochester (N.Y.)
19 Cortland (N.Y.) 5-1 323 19 D. Alfred (N.Y.), 59-21 Oct. 21 at St. John Fisher (N.Y.)
20 Endicott (Mass.) 5-1 270 20 D. Western New England (Mass.), 24-21 Oct. 21 at Nichols (Mass.)
21 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) 5-1 203 21 D. Texas Lutheran, 27-22 Oct. 21 at Sul Ross St. (Tex.)
22 Grove City (Pa.) 7-0 191 23 D. Allegheny (Pa.), 31-7 Oct. 21 vs. St. Vincent (Pa.)
23 DePauw (Ind.) 7-0 188 22 D. Wooster (Ohio), 53-7 Oct. 21 at Wittenberg (Ohio)
24 Delaware Valley (Pa.) 5-1 93 24 D. FDU-Florham (N.J.), 20-0 Oct. 21 vs. Lebanon Valley (Pa.)
25 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) 3-3 66 NR D. Sul Ross State (Tex.), 37-13 Oct. 21 at Austin (Tex.)
Dropped Out: Washington (Mo.) (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Berry (Ga.), 62; Whitworth (Wash.), 50; Lake Forest (Ill.), 48; Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 37; Coe (Iowa), 34; Wisconsin-Platteville, 31; Belhaven (Miss.), 29; Carnegie Mellon (Pa.), 15; Augustana, (Ill.), 13; Utica (N.Y.), 13; Howard Payne (Tex.), 6; Union (N.Y.), 2; Rensselaer (N.Y.), 1; Wisconsin-Stout, 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.
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The Mount Union (Ohio) Purple Raiders are hoping that the old saying, “defense wins championships,” comes true for them this season, as their defense posted another dominant showing Saturday afternoon in a 76-0 win over Capital (Ohio). The Mount Union defense held the Comets to just 66 yards of offense, leading to their third shutout of the 2023 season. With the win, the Purple Raiders move to 6-0 on the year and remain at No. 2 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
A few other Top 25 defenses flexed their muscles this week as No. 13 Susquehanna (Pa.) and No. 24 Delaware Valley (Pa.) posted shutouts while two teams held their opponents to just a field goal. The Susquehanna River Hawks held Juniata (Pa.) to 77 yards of offense and grabbed one interception in their 56-0 win while Delaware Valley forced a fumble and snagged an interception on their way to a 20-0 win over FDU-Fordham (N.J.).
There was only one loss by a Top 25 team this past week, with Wisconsin-River Falls falling to Wisconsin-Whitewater, 21-14. With the loss, Wisconsin-River Falls drops from No. 4 to No. 11 while Wisconsin-Whitewater rose from No. 11 to No. 6.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Last Week | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (Ill.) (48) | 6-0 | 1224 | 1 | D. Millikin (Ill.), 75-3 | Oct. 21 vs. Washington (Mo.) | |
| 2 | Mount Union (Ohio) (1) | 6-0 | 1176 | 2 | D. Capital (Ohio), 76-0 | Oct. 21 at Wilmington (Ohio) | |
| 3 | Wartburg (Iowa) | 7-0 | 1125 | 3 | D. Dubuque (Iowa), 31-10 | Oct. 21 at Loras (Iowa) | |
| 4 | Linfield (Ore.) | 5-0 | 1010 | 5 | D. George Fox (Ore.), 41-13 | Oct. 21 at Puget Sound (Wash.) | |
| 5 | Trinity (Tex.) | 5-1 | 957 | 6 | Idle | Oct. 21 at Southwestern (Tex.) | |
| 6 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 5-1 | 898 | 11 | D. No. 4 Wisconsin-River Falls, 21-14 | Oct. 21 vs. Wisconsin-Stout | |
| 7 | Johns Hopkins (Md.) | 6-0 | 889 | 7 | D. Franklin & Marshall (Pa.), 34-27 | Oct. 21 vs. Ursinus (Pa.) | |
| 8 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 5-1 | 855 | 9 | D. Wisconsin-Platteville, 21-17 | Oct. 21 vs. Wisconsin-Oshkosh | |
| 9 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 5-1 | 851 | 8 | D. Carleton (Minn.), 63-7 | Oct. 21 at Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) | |
| 10 | Randolph-Macon (Va.) | 6-0 | 777 | 10 | D. Bridgewater (Va.), 38-3 | Oct. 21 vs. Shenandoah (Va.) | |
| 11 | Wisconsin-River Falls | 5-1 | 746 | 4 | Lost to No. 11 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 21-14 | Oct. 21 at Wisconsin-Stevens Point | |
| 12 | Aurora (Ill.) | 6-0 | 679 | 12 | D. St. Norbert (Wis.), 37-9 | Oct. 21 vs. Wisconsin-Lutheran | |
| 13 | Susquehanna (Pa.) | 7-0 | 662 | 13 | D. Juniata (Pa.), 56-0 | Oct. 21 vs. Wilkes (Pa.) | |
| 14 | Wheaton (Ill.) | 5-1 | 588 | 14 | D. Carthage (Wis.), 50-13 | Oct. 21 at Carroll (Wis.) | |
| 15 | Alma (Mich.) | 6-0 | 520 | 15 | D. Hope (Mich.), 35-17 | Oct. 21 vs. Kalamazoo (Mich.) | |
| 16 | John Carroll (Ohio) | 5-1 | 504 | 16 | D. Ohio Northern, 44-14 | Oct. 21 at Capital (Ohio) | |
| 17 | Muhlenberg (Pa.) | 6-0 | 412 | 17 | D. Gettysburg (Pa.), 41-13 | Oct. 21 at Dickinson (Pa.) | |
| 18 | Ithaca (N.Y.) | 5-1 | 376 | 18 | D. Union (N.Y.), 17-9 | Oct. 21 at Rochester (N.Y.) | |
| 19 | Cortland (N.Y.) | 5-1 | 323 | 19 | D. Alfred (N.Y.), 59-21 | Oct. 21 at St. John Fisher (N.Y.) | |
| 20 | Endicott (Mass.) | 5-1 | 270 | 20 | D. Western New England (Mass.), 24-21 | Oct. 21 at Nichols (Mass.) | |
| 21 | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | 5-1 | 203 | 21 | D. Texas Lutheran, 27-22 | Oct. 21 at Sul Ross St. (Tex.) | |
| 22 | Grove City (Pa.) | 7-0 | 191 | 23 | D. Allegheny (Pa.), 31-7 | Oct. 21 vs. St. Vincent (Pa.) | |
| 23 | DePauw (Ind.) | 7-0 | 188 | 22 | D. Wooster (Ohio), 53-7 | Oct. 21 at Wittenberg (Ohio) | |
| 24 | Delaware Valley (Pa.) | 5-1 | 93 | 24 | D. FDU-Florham (N.J.), 20-0 | Oct. 21 vs. Lebanon Valley (Pa.) | |
| 25 | Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) | 3-3 | 66 | NR | D. Sul Ross State (Tex.), 37-13 | Oct. 21 at Austin (Tex.) | |
Dropped Out: Washington (Mo.) (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Berry (Ga.), 62; Whitworth (Wash.), 50; Lake Forest (Ill.), 48; Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 37; Coe (Iowa), 34; Wisconsin-Platteville, 31; Belhaven (Miss.), 29; Carnegie Mellon (Pa.), 15; Augustana, (Ill.), 13; Utica (N.Y.), 13; Howard Payne (Tex.), 6; Union (N.Y.), 2; Rensselaer (N.Y.), 1; Wisconsin-Stout, 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.
