No. 2 Wheaton Takes Down No. 1 North Central
October 12, 2026
In the second 1 vs. 2 matchup of the 2026 season, it was No. 2 who prevailed this time. No. 2 Wheaton used a tough defense to hold No. 1 North Central to just 165 yards of total offense and came back from a 10-2 late fourth quarter deficit to win 13-10. This was Wheaton’s first win over the Cardinals since 2019 and ended North Central’s 53-game win streak in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. With the victory, Wheaton moves to No. 1 in the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, for the first time in program history. North Central drops to No. 4.
St. John’s (Minn.) and UW-Platteville each move up one place to second and third, respectively, while UW-Whitewater stays put at No. 5. After blanking UW-Eau Claire, 38-0, No. 3 UW-Platteville will host No. 8 UW-River Falls in the only top 25 matchup this coming weekend.
Calvin, Lake Forest and Utica are newcomers this week at 23, 24 and 25, respectively. This is Calvin’s first appearance in the AFCA poll in program history, which is a short history because the Knights just started their football program in 2024.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 6 Next Game
1 Wheaton (50) 6-0 1320 2 D. No. 1 North Central, 13-10 Oct. 17 vs. Carroll (Wis.)
2 St. John’s (Minn.) (1) 5-0 1232 3 D. Macalester, 62-6 Oct. 17 vs. Concordia-Moorhead
3 UW-Platteville 5-0 1180 4 D. UW-Eau Claire, 38-0 Oct. 17 vs. No. 8 UW-River Falls
4 North Central 4-1 1164 1 Lost to No. 2 Wheaton, 13-10 Oct. 17 at Elmhurst
5 UW-Whitewater (2) 5-0 1160 5 D. No. 20 UW-La Crosse, 24-18 Oct. 17 at UW-Stout
6 Trinity (Tex.) 5-0 1046 6 D. Southwestern (Tex.), 35-7 Oct. 17 vs. Maryville
7 Hardin-Simmons 4-0 987 7t D. McMurry, 48-17 Oct. 17 vs. East Texas Baptist
8 UW-River Falls 4-1 943 7t D. UW-Oshkosh, 34-31 OT Oct. 17 at No. 3 UW-Platteville
9 WashU 5-0 854 11 Idle Oct. 17 at Kenyon
10 Christopher Newport 5-0 848 10 D. Kean, 31-20 Oct. 17 at Montclair St.
11 Hope 5-0 785 12 Idle Oct. 17 vs. Adrian
12 Endicott 5-0 741 13 Idle Oct. 17 at Western New England
13 Cortland 5-0 696 14 Idle Oct. 17 at Alfred
14 John Carroll 4-1 550 15 Idle Oct. 17 vs. Wabash
15 Wartburg 3-2 456 16 D. Buena Vista, 72-14 Oct. 17 at Loras
16 Mary Hardin-Baylor 4-1 442 18 D. Howard Payne, 33-10 Oct. 17 at Texas Wesleyan
17 Bethel (Minn.) 3-2 415 17 D. Augsburg, 63-0 Oct. 17 at St. Olaf
18 Berry 4-1 387 19 D. Rhodes, 50-7 Oct. 17 vs. Southwestern (Tex.)
19 Salisbury 4-1 318 9 Lost to Rowan, 26-21 Oct. 17 at Castleton
20 Baldwin Wallace 5-0 317 24 D. Ohio Northern, 38-10 Oct. 17 at Marietta
21 Susquehanna 4-1 310 22 D. Catholic, 45-21 Oct. 17 vs. Moravian
22 DePauw 4-1 219 23 Idle Oct. 17 vs. Denison
23 Calvin 5-0 117 NR Idle Oct. 17 vs. Kalamazoo
24 Lake Forest 6-0 74 NR D. Ripon, 45-14 Oct. 17 vs. Luther
25 Rowan 4-1 64 NR D. No. 9 Salisbury, 26-21 Oct. 17 vs. Kean
Dropped Out: UW-La Crosse (20), Franklin & Marshall (21), Randolph-Macon (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Utica, 60; UW-La Crosse, 60; Ursinus, 58; Springfield, 55; Dickinson, 52; Chapman, 36; Mount Union, 36; Heidelberg, 35; Concordia-Moorhead, 30; Illinois Wesleyan, 28; Trinity (Conn.), 17; Linfield, 16; Hampden-Sydney, 15; Wabash, 15; Franklin & Marshall, 14; Concordia (Wis.), 12; U.S. Merchant Marine, 12; Washington & Jefferson, 12; Brevard, 8; Benedictine (Ill.), 6; Allegheny, 5; Brockport, 4; Massachusetts Maritime, 4; Wesleyan, 3; Denison, 2; LaGrange, 2; Hanover, 1; Howard Payne, 1; UW-Oshkosh, 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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In the second 1 vs. 2 matchup of the 2026 season, it was No. 2 who prevailed this time. No. 2 Wheaton used a tough defense to hold No. 1 North Central to just 165 yards of total offense and came back from a 10-2 late fourth quarter deficit to win 13-10. This was Wheaton’s first win over the Cardinals since 2019 and ended North Central’s 53-game win streak in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. With the victory, Wheaton moves to No. 1 in the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, for the first time in program history. North Central drops to No. 4.
St. John’s (Minn.) and UW-Platteville each move up one place to second and third, respectively, while UW-Whitewater stays put at No. 5. After blanking UW-Eau Claire, 38-0, No. 3 UW-Platteville will host No. 8 UW-River Falls in the only top 25 matchup this coming weekend.
Calvin, Lake Forest and Utica are newcomers this week at 23, 24 and 25, respectively. This is Calvin’s first appearance in the AFCA poll in program history, which is a short history because the Knights just started their football program in 2024.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 6 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wheaton (50) | 6-0 | 1320 | 2 | D. No. 1 North Central, 13-10 | Oct. 17 vs. Carroll (Wis.) | |
| 2 | St. John’s (Minn.) (1) | 5-0 | 1232 | 3 | D. Macalester, 62-6 | Oct. 17 vs. Concordia-Moorhead | |
| 3 | UW-Platteville | 5-0 | 1180 | 4 | D. UW-Eau Claire, 38-0 | Oct. 17 vs. No. 8 UW-River Falls | |
| 4 | North Central | 4-1 | 1164 | 1 | Lost to No. 2 Wheaton, 13-10 | Oct. 17 at Elmhurst | |
| 5 | UW-Whitewater (2) | 5-0 | 1160 | 5 | D. No. 20 UW-La Crosse, 24-18 | Oct. 17 at UW-Stout | |
| 6 | Trinity (Tex.) | 5-0 | 1046 | 6 | D. Southwestern (Tex.), 35-7 | Oct. 17 vs. Maryville | |
| 7 | Hardin-Simmons | 4-0 | 987 | 7t | D. McMurry, 48-17 | Oct. 17 vs. East Texas Baptist | |
| 8 | UW-River Falls | 4-1 | 943 | 7t | D. UW-Oshkosh, 34-31 OT | Oct. 17 at No. 3 UW-Platteville | |
| 9 | WashU | 5-0 | 854 | 11 | Idle | Oct. 17 at Kenyon | |
| 10 | Christopher Newport | 5-0 | 848 | 10 | D. Kean, 31-20 | Oct. 17 at Montclair St. | |
| 11 | Hope | 5-0 | 785 | 12 | Idle | Oct. 17 vs. Adrian | |
| 12 | Endicott | 5-0 | 741 | 13 | Idle | Oct. 17 at Western New England | |
| 13 | Cortland | 5-0 | 696 | 14 | Idle | Oct. 17 at Alfred | |
| 14 | John Carroll | 4-1 | 550 | 15 | Idle | Oct. 17 vs. Wabash | |
| 15 | Wartburg | 3-2 | 456 | 16 | D. Buena Vista, 72-14 | Oct. 17 at Loras | |
| 16 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 4-1 | 442 | 18 | D. Howard Payne, 33-10 | Oct. 17 at Texas Wesleyan | |
| 17 | Bethel (Minn.) | 3-2 | 415 | 17 | D. Augsburg, 63-0 | Oct. 17 at St. Olaf | |
| 18 | Berry | 4-1 | 387 | 19 | D. Rhodes, 50-7 | Oct. 17 vs. Southwestern (Tex.) | |
| 19 | Salisbury | 4-1 | 318 | 9 | Lost to Rowan, 26-21 | Oct. 17 at Castleton | |
| 20 | Baldwin Wallace | 5-0 | 317 | 24 | D. Ohio Northern, 38-10 | Oct. 17 at Marietta | |
| 21 | Susquehanna | 4-1 | 310 | 22 | D. Catholic, 45-21 | Oct. 17 vs. Moravian | |
| 22 | DePauw | 4-1 | 219 | 23 | Idle | Oct. 17 vs. Denison | |
| 23 | Calvin | 5-0 | 117 | NR | Idle | Oct. 17 vs. Kalamazoo | |
| 24 | Lake Forest | 6-0 | 74 | NR | D. Ripon, 45-14 | Oct. 17 vs. Luther | |
| 25 | Rowan | 4-1 | 64 | NR | D. No. 9 Salisbury, 26-21 | Oct. 17 vs. Kean | |
Dropped Out: UW-La Crosse (20), Franklin & Marshall (21), Randolph-Macon (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Utica, 60; UW-La Crosse, 60; Ursinus, 58; Springfield, 55; Dickinson, 52; Chapman, 36; Mount Union, 36; Heidelberg, 35; Concordia-Moorhead, 30; Illinois Wesleyan, 28; Trinity (Conn.), 17; Linfield, 16; Hampden-Sydney, 15; Wabash, 15; Franklin & Marshall, 14; Concordia (Wis.), 12; U.S. Merchant Marine, 12; Washington & Jefferson, 12; Brevard, 8; Benedictine (Ill.), 6; Allegheny, 5; Brockport, 4; Massachusetts Maritime, 4; Wesleyan, 3; Denison, 2; LaGrange, 2; Hanover, 1; Howard Payne, 1; UW-Oshkosh, 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.
