Rowan Wins Sixth In A Row
October 26, 2026
Clinging to a 9-7 halftime lead over The College of New Jersey, Rowan exploded with three touchdowns in the third quarter to run away with the win, 30-7. It was the Profs sixth straight victory and puts them in a tie for the top spot in the New Jersey Athletic Conference with No. 8 Christopher Newport, who they will face this coming Saturday. The win put Rowan back into the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, at No. 24. The Profs first entered the top 25 two weeks ago, which was their first appearance in the AFCA poll since October 19, 2015.
Wheaton was idle but remains No. 1 with 37 first-place votes, followed by No. 2 UW-Platteville, who beat UW-Oshkosh, 38-6, and received 15 first place votes this week. St. John’s (Minn.) is third with UW-Whitewater at No. 4. The Warhawks blanked UW-Stevens Point, 63-0, and received the final first-place vote. North Central rounds out the top five.
The only other top 25 matchup besides Christopher Newport and Rowan is No. 12 John Carroll traveling to No. 21 DePauw. Both teams sit in a tie for second in the North Coast Athletic Conference behind league leader, No. 7 WashU.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 8 Next Game
1 Wheaton (37) 7-0 1306 1 Idle Oct. 31 at Augustana (Ill.)
2 UW-Platteville (15) 7-0 1277 2 D. UW-Oshkosh, 38-6 Oct. 31 at UW-Stevens Point
3 St. John’s (Minn.) 7-0 1205 3 D. Carleton, 49-10 Oct. 31 vs. Gustavus Adolphus
4 UW-Whitewater (1) 7-0 1176 4 D. UW-Stevens Point, 63-0 Oct. 31 vs. UW-Oshkosh
5 North Central 6-1 1107 5 D. Carroll (Wis.), 62-7 Oct. 31 vs. Carthage
6 Hardin-Simmons 6-0 1057 6 D. Nelson, 52-0 Oct. 31 at Howard Payne
7 WashU 7-0 986 7 D. Wabash, 27-17 Oct. 31 vs. Denison
8 Christopher Newport 7-0 931 8 D. Castleton, 63-6 Oct. 31 vs. No. 24 Rowan
9 Hope 7-0 884 9 D. Alma, 38-3 Oct. 31 vs. Kalamazoo
10 Endicott 7-0 840 10 D. Nichols, 86-0 Oct. 31 at Maine Maritime
11 Cortland 7-0 793 11 D. St. John Fisher, 28-20 Oct. 31 vs. Alfred St.
12 John Carroll 6-1 664 12 D. Wooster, 69-23 Oct. 31 at No. 21 DePauw
13 Wartburg 5-2 575 13 D. Dubuque, 33-14 Oct. 31 vs. Simpson
14 Mary Hardin-Baylor 6-1 570 14 D. McMurry, 26-14 Oct. 31 vs. Schreiner
15 Trinity (Tex.) 6-1 539 15 D. Millsaps, 28-21 Oct. 31 vs. Sewanee
16 Baldwin Wallace 7-0 497 18 D. Otterbein, 63-16 Oct. 31 at Wilmington
17 Bethel (Minn.) 5-2 475 16 D. Macalester, 47-3 Oct. 31 vs. Concordia-Moorhead
18 UW-River Falls 5-2 443 17 D. UW-Eau Claire, 59-22 Oct. 31 vs. UW-Stout
19 Berry 6-1 394 19 D. Maryville, 27-7 Oct. 31 vs. Centre
20 Susquehanna 6-1 335 21 D. Wilkes, 36-15 Oct. 31 at Lycoming
21 DePauw 6-1 266 22 D. Wittenberg, 31-0 Oct. 31 vs. No. 12 John Carroll
22 Calvin 7-0 203 23 D. Albion, 52-20 Oct. 31 at Trine
23 Lake Forest 7-0 133 24 Idle Oct. 31 at Beloit
24 Rowan 6-1 92 NR D. TCNJ, 30-7 Oct. 31 at No. 8 Christopher Newport
25 Heidelberg 6-1 82 NR D. Ohio Northern, 34-3 Oct. 31 vs. Marietta
Dropped Out: Salisbury (20), Ursinus (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Springfield, 75; Utica, 46; Linfield, 42; Chapman, 41; Mount Union, 36; Concordia-Moorhead, 22; Trinity (Conn.), 22; Hampden-Sydney, 20; Franklin & Marshall, 19; Benedictine (Ill.), 18; Concordia (Wis.), 18; Washington & Jefferson, 14; Illinois Wesleyan, 7; Ursinus, 4; Salisbury, 3; LaGrange, 2; U.S. Merchant Marine, 2; Amherst, 1; Brockport, 1; Montclair St., 1; UW-La Crosse, 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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Clinging to a 9-7 halftime lead over The College of New Jersey, Rowan exploded with three touchdowns in the third quarter to run away with the win, 30-7. It was the Profs sixth straight victory and puts them in a tie for the top spot in the New Jersey Athletic Conference with No. 8 Christopher Newport, who they will face this coming Saturday. The win put Rowan back into the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, at No. 24. The Profs first entered the top 25 two weeks ago, which was their first appearance in the AFCA poll since October 19, 2015.
Wheaton was idle but remains No. 1 with 37 first-place votes, followed by No. 2 UW-Platteville, who beat UW-Oshkosh, 38-6, and received 15 first place votes this week. St. John’s (Minn.) is third with UW-Whitewater at No. 4. The Warhawks blanked UW-Stevens Point, 63-0, and received the final first-place vote. North Central rounds out the top five.
The only other top 25 matchup besides Christopher Newport and Rowan is No. 12 John Carroll traveling to No. 21 DePauw. Both teams sit in a tie for second in the North Coast Athletic Conference behind league leader, No. 7 WashU.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 8 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wheaton (37) | 7-0 | 1306 | 1 | Idle | Oct. 31 at Augustana (Ill.) | |
| 2 | UW-Platteville (15) | 7-0 | 1277 | 2 | D. UW-Oshkosh, 38-6 | Oct. 31 at UW-Stevens Point | |
| 3 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 7-0 | 1205 | 3 | D. Carleton, 49-10 | Oct. 31 vs. Gustavus Adolphus | |
| 4 | UW-Whitewater (1) | 7-0 | 1176 | 4 | D. UW-Stevens Point, 63-0 | Oct. 31 vs. UW-Oshkosh | |
| 5 | North Central | 6-1 | 1107 | 5 | D. Carroll (Wis.), 62-7 | Oct. 31 vs. Carthage | |
| 6 | Hardin-Simmons | 6-0 | 1057 | 6 | D. Nelson, 52-0 | Oct. 31 at Howard Payne | |
| 7 | WashU | 7-0 | 986 | 7 | D. Wabash, 27-17 | Oct. 31 vs. Denison | |
| 8 | Christopher Newport | 7-0 | 931 | 8 | D. Castleton, 63-6 | Oct. 31 vs. No. 24 Rowan | |
| 9 | Hope | 7-0 | 884 | 9 | D. Alma, 38-3 | Oct. 31 vs. Kalamazoo | |
| 10 | Endicott | 7-0 | 840 | 10 | D. Nichols, 86-0 | Oct. 31 at Maine Maritime | |
| 11 | Cortland | 7-0 | 793 | 11 | D. St. John Fisher, 28-20 | Oct. 31 vs. Alfred St. | |
| 12 | John Carroll | 6-1 | 664 | 12 | D. Wooster, 69-23 | Oct. 31 at No. 21 DePauw | |
| 13 | Wartburg | 5-2 | 575 | 13 | D. Dubuque, 33-14 | Oct. 31 vs. Simpson | |
| 14 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 6-1 | 570 | 14 | D. McMurry, 26-14 | Oct. 31 vs. Schreiner | |
| 15 | Trinity (Tex.) | 6-1 | 539 | 15 | D. Millsaps, 28-21 | Oct. 31 vs. Sewanee | |
| 16 | Baldwin Wallace | 7-0 | 497 | 18 | D. Otterbein, 63-16 | Oct. 31 at Wilmington | |
| 17 | Bethel (Minn.) | 5-2 | 475 | 16 | D. Macalester, 47-3 | Oct. 31 vs. Concordia-Moorhead | |
| 18 | UW-River Falls | 5-2 | 443 | 17 | D. UW-Eau Claire, 59-22 | Oct. 31 vs. UW-Stout | |
| 19 | Berry | 6-1 | 394 | 19 | D. Maryville, 27-7 | Oct. 31 vs. Centre | |
| 20 | Susquehanna | 6-1 | 335 | 21 | D. Wilkes, 36-15 | Oct. 31 at Lycoming | |
| 21 | DePauw | 6-1 | 266 | 22 | D. Wittenberg, 31-0 | Oct. 31 vs. No. 12 John Carroll | |
| 22 | Calvin | 7-0 | 203 | 23 | D. Albion, 52-20 | Oct. 31 at Trine | |
| 23 | Lake Forest | 7-0 | 133 | 24 | Idle | Oct. 31 at Beloit | |
| 24 | Rowan | 6-1 | 92 | NR | D. TCNJ, 30-7 | Oct. 31 at No. 8 Christopher Newport | |
| 25 | Heidelberg | 6-1 | 82 | NR | D. Ohio Northern, 34-3 | Oct. 31 vs. Marietta | |
Dropped Out: Salisbury (20), Ursinus (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Springfield, 75; Utica, 46; Linfield, 42; Chapman, 41; Mount Union, 36; Concordia-Moorhead, 22; Trinity (Conn.), 22; Hampden-Sydney, 20; Franklin & Marshall, 19; Benedictine (Ill.), 18; Concordia (Wis.), 18; Washington & Jefferson, 14; Illinois Wesleyan, 7; Ursinus, 4; Salisbury, 3; LaGrange, 2; U.S. Merchant Marine, 2; Amherst, 1; Brockport, 1; Montclair St., 1; UW-La Crosse, 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.
