Northwood Upsets Findlay On The Road
September 28, 2026
Northwood quarterback Ethan Hamby threw three touchdown passes and the Timberwolves’ defense held then-No. 9 Findlay to just 24 yards rushing and 171 total yards of offense in an important win in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, 34-11. The victory moved Northwood up to No. 14 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, while Findlay dropped seven spots to No. 16. This was the Timberwolves first win against an AFCA Top 25 team since September 30, 2006, when NU beat No. 12 Saginaw Valley State, 25-14.
The top 3 remained unchanged with Ferris State, Harding and Kutztown all holding steady after wins. No. 4 CSU Pueblo and No. 5 Minnesota State flip positions despite both teams winning on Saturday while Grand Valley State held at No. 6 after being idle. The changes from No. 7 on down are significant thanks to eight ranked teams losing this past weekend. Northwest Missouri State lost to Central Oklahoma, 19-14, and dropped six spots to No. 13 while Carson-Newman fell to Mars Hill, 10-6, and went from No. 16 to No. 23. That win allowed Mars Hill to enter the poll at a tie at No. 21 with Northeastern State, who lost to a ranked FCS program in Stephen F. Austin. This is Mars Hill’s first appearance in the AFCA Top 25 since October 30, 2023.
Benedict, Western Oregon, Augustana (S.D.) and Minnesota-Duluth all lost to unranked opponents and fell out of the top 25 to make room for three other teams. Henderson State jumps all the way up to No. 19 after beating Southern Arkansas, 20-7, and moving its record to 4-0. West Alabama re-enters the poll at No. 24 after dropping out last week while Walsh enters the AFCA poll for the first time ever at No. 25. The Cavaliers are 4-0 after beating Ashland, 17-10.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 4 Next Game
1 Ferris St. (31) 4-0 775 1 D. Kentucky Christian, 73-6 Oct. 3 at Northern Michigan
2 Harding 4-0 742 2 D. Ouachita Baptist, 28-27 Oct. 3 at East Central
3 Kutztown 4-0 707 3 D. Shepherd, 28-18 Oct. 3 at Shippensburg
4 CSU Pueblo 5-0 654 5 D. Colorado Mesa, 35-23 Oct. 3 at Adams St.
5 Minnesota St. 5-0 649 4 D. Sioux Falls, 28-14 Oct. 3 vs. Concordia-St. Paul
6 Grand Valley St. 4-0 609 6 Idle Oct. 3 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.)
7 Western Colorado 5-0 576 8 D. Adams St., 70-21 Oct. 3 at New Mexico Highlands
8 Slippery Rock 4-0 552 10 D. California (Pa.), 41-26 Oct. 3 vs. Gannon
9 Indiana (Pa.) 4-0 494 11 D. Seton Hill, 35-7 Oct. 3 at Edinboro
10 Emporia St. 4-0 473 12 Idle Oct. 3 vs. Missouri Western
11 Davenport 4-0 407 18 Idle Oct. 3 at Saginaw Valley St.
12 Central Washington 2-2 404 14 D. Sul Ross St., 61-22 Oct. 3 at Angelo St.
13 Northwest Missouri St. 3-1 368 7 Lost to Central Oklahoma, 19-14 Oct. 10 vs. Central Missouri
14 Northwood 4-0 356 23 D. No. 9 Findlay, 34-11 Oct. 3 vs. Kentucky Chrisitan
15 Newberry 3-1 299 21 D. Emory & Henry, 28-14 Oct. 3 vs. UVA Wise
16 Findlay 3-1 278 9 Lost to No. 23 Northwood, 34-11 Oct. 3 at Ohio Dominican
17 North Greenville 4-0 262 25 D. Ferrum, 41-10 Oct. 3 at UNC Pembroke
18 Valdosta St. 3-1 226 22 Idle Oct. 3 vs. Erskine
19 Henderson St. 4-0 180 NR D. Southern Arkansas, 20-7 Oct. 3 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma
20 Michigan Tech 3-1 178 24 Idle Oct. 3 at Roosevelt
21t. Mars Hill 4-0 110 NR D. No. 16 Carson-Newman, 10-6 Oct. 3 vs. Tusculum
21t. Northeastern St. 3-2 110 19 Lost to Stephen F. Austin, 63-14 Oct. 3 vs. UT Permian Basin
23 Carson-Newman 4-1 103 16 Lost to Mars Hill, 10-6 Oct. 3 at Lenoir-Rhyne
24 West Alabama 4-1 75 NR D. Barton, 17-7 Oct. 3 vs. Chowan
25 Walsh 4-0 71 NR D. Ashland, 17-10 Oct. 3 at Thomas More
Dropped Out: Benedict (15), Western Oregon (17), Augustana (S.D.) (20), Minnesota-Duluth (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Minnesota-Duluth, 70; Benedict, 68; UT Permian Basin, 68; Virginia Union, 37; Northern St., 32; East Central, 30; Western Oregon, 29; UNC Pembroke, 23; Central Oklahoma, 19; Shepherd, 13; Roosevelt, 11; Augustana (S.D.), 5; Anderson (S.C.), 4; Wayne St. (Neb.), 3; Central Missouri, 2; Tiffin, 1; Virginia St., 1; William Jewell, 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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Northwood quarterback Ethan Hamby threw three touchdown passes and the Timberwolves’ defense held then-No. 9 Findlay to just 24 yards rushing and 171 total yards of offense in an important win in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, 34-11. The victory moved Northwood up to No. 14 in this week’s AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, while Findlay dropped seven spots to No. 16. This was the Timberwolves first win against an AFCA Top 25 team since September 30, 2006, when NU beat No. 12 Saginaw Valley State, 25-14.
The top 3 remained unchanged with Ferris State, Harding and Kutztown all holding steady after wins. No. 4 CSU Pueblo and No. 5 Minnesota State flip positions despite both teams winning on Saturday while Grand Valley State held at No. 6 after being idle. The changes from No. 7 on down are significant thanks to eight ranked teams losing this past weekend. Northwest Missouri State lost to Central Oklahoma, 19-14, and dropped six spots to No. 13 while Carson-Newman fell to Mars Hill, 10-6, and went from No. 16 to No. 23. That win allowed Mars Hill to enter the poll at a tie at No. 21 with Northeastern State, who lost to a ranked FCS program in Stephen F. Austin. This is Mars Hill’s first appearance in the AFCA Top 25 since October 30, 2023.
Benedict, Western Oregon, Augustana (S.D.) and Minnesota-Duluth all lost to unranked opponents and fell out of the top 25 to make room for three other teams. Henderson State jumps all the way up to No. 19 after beating Southern Arkansas, 20-7, and moving its record to 4-0. West Alabama re-enters the poll at No. 24 after dropping out last week while Walsh enters the AFCA poll for the first time ever at No. 25. The Cavaliers are 4-0 after beating Ashland, 17-10.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 4 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (31) | 4-0 | 775 | 1 | D. Kentucky Christian, 73-6 | Oct. 3 at Northern Michigan | |
| 2 | Harding | 4-0 | 742 | 2 | D. Ouachita Baptist, 28-27 | Oct. 3 at East Central | |
| 3 | Kutztown | 4-0 | 707 | 3 | D. Shepherd, 28-18 | Oct. 3 at Shippensburg | |
| 4 | CSU Pueblo | 5-0 | 654 | 5 | D. Colorado Mesa, 35-23 | Oct. 3 at Adams St. | |
| 5 | Minnesota St. | 5-0 | 649 | 4 | D. Sioux Falls, 28-14 | Oct. 3 vs. Concordia-St. Paul | |
| 6 | Grand Valley St. | 4-0 | 609 | 6 | Idle | Oct. 3 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.) | |
| 7 | Western Colorado | 5-0 | 576 | 8 | D. Adams St., 70-21 | Oct. 3 at New Mexico Highlands | |
| 8 | Slippery Rock | 4-0 | 552 | 10 | D. California (Pa.), 41-26 | Oct. 3 vs. Gannon | |
| 9 | Indiana (Pa.) | 4-0 | 494 | 11 | D. Seton Hill, 35-7 | Oct. 3 at Edinboro | |
| 10 | Emporia St. | 4-0 | 473 | 12 | Idle | Oct. 3 vs. Missouri Western | |
| 11 | Davenport | 4-0 | 407 | 18 | Idle | Oct. 3 at Saginaw Valley St. | |
| 12 | Central Washington | 2-2 | 404 | 14 | D. Sul Ross St., 61-22 | Oct. 3 at Angelo St. | |
| 13 | Northwest Missouri St. | 3-1 | 368 | 7 | Lost to Central Oklahoma, 19-14 | Oct. 10 vs. Central Missouri | |
| 14 | Northwood | 4-0 | 356 | 23 | D. No. 9 Findlay, 34-11 | Oct. 3 vs. Kentucky Chrisitan | |
| 15 | Newberry | 3-1 | 299 | 21 | D. Emory & Henry, 28-14 | Oct. 3 vs. UVA Wise | |
| 16 | Findlay | 3-1 | 278 | 9 | Lost to No. 23 Northwood, 34-11 | Oct. 3 at Ohio Dominican | |
| 17 | North Greenville | 4-0 | 262 | 25 | D. Ferrum, 41-10 | Oct. 3 at UNC Pembroke | |
| 18 | Valdosta St. | 3-1 | 226 | 22 | Idle | Oct. 3 vs. Erskine | |
| 19 | Henderson St. | 4-0 | 180 | NR | D. Southern Arkansas, 20-7 | Oct. 3 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma | |
| 20 | Michigan Tech | 3-1 | 178 | 24 | Idle | Oct. 3 at Roosevelt | |
| 21t. | Mars Hill | 4-0 | 110 | NR | D. No. 16 Carson-Newman, 10-6 | Oct. 3 vs. Tusculum | |
| 21t. | Northeastern St. | 3-2 | 110 | 19 | Lost to Stephen F. Austin, 63-14 | Oct. 3 vs. UT Permian Basin | |
| 23 | Carson-Newman | 4-1 | 103 | 16 | Lost to Mars Hill, 10-6 | Oct. 3 at Lenoir-Rhyne | |
| 24 | West Alabama | 4-1 | 75 | NR | D. Barton, 17-7 | Oct. 3 vs. Chowan | |
| 25 | Walsh | 4-0 | 71 | NR | D. Ashland, 17-10 | Oct. 3 at Thomas More |
Dropped Out: Benedict (15), Western Oregon (17), Augustana (S.D.) (20), Minnesota-Duluth (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Minnesota-Duluth, 70; Benedict, 68; UT Permian Basin, 68; Virginia Union, 37; Northern St., 32; East Central, 30; Western Oregon, 29; UNC Pembroke, 23; Central Oklahoma, 19; Shepherd, 13; Roosevelt, 11; Augustana (S.D.), 5; Anderson (S.C.), 4; Wayne St. (Neb.), 3; Central Missouri, 2; Tiffin, 1; Virginia St., 1; William Jewell, 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.
