UW-Platteville Blanks Defending Champs
October 19, 2026
UW-Platteville used a dominant defensive performance to shutout defending national champion, UW-River Falls, 42-0. The Pioneer defense held the Falcons to just 21 yards of total offense, which is the second time this season they held an opponent under 25 yards of offense. The win moved UW-Platteville up to No. 2 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, while UW-River Falls dropped to No. 17.
Wheaton continues at the No. 1 spot after beating Carroll (Wis.), 41-3, while St. John’s (Minn.) drops a place to No. 3 after a close win over Concordia-Moorhead, 33-23. UW-Whitewater earned a first-place vote and flips positions with North Central as the Warhawks take over the No. 4 spot while the Cardinals drop to No. 5.
Trinity (Tex.) lost in a surprising upset to Maryville, 16-12, and dropped nine spots to No. 15. Rowan beat Kean, 17-14, but fell out of the poll and was replaced by Ursinus at No. 25. The Bears moved their record to 6-0 after handing Johns Hopkins a 35-14 loss.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 7 Next Game
1 Wheaton (41) 7-0 1311 1 D. Carroll (Wis.), 41-3 Oct. 31 at Augustana (Ill.)
2 UW-Platteville (11) 6-0 1258 3 D. No. 8 UW-River Falls, 42-0 Oct. 24 at UW-Oshkosh
3 St. John’s (Minn.) 6-0 1222 2 D. Concordia-Moorhead, 33-23 Oct. 24 at Carleton
4 UW-Whitewater (1) 6-0 1143 5 D. UW-Stout, 37-31 Oct. 24 vs. UW-Stevens Point
5 North Central 5-1 1140 4 D. Elmhurst, 74-2 Oct. 24 at Carroll (Wis.)
6 Hardin-Simmons 5-0 1055 7 D. East Texas Baptist, 63-27 Oct. 24 at Nelson
7 WashU 6-0 985 9 D. Kenyon, 65-0 Oct. 24 at Wabash
8 Christopher Newport 6-0 927 10 D. Montclair St., 21-14 Oct. 24 vs. Castleton
9 Hope 6-0 864 11 D. Adrian, 24-22 Oct. 24 at Alma
10 Endicott 6-0 844 12 D. Western New England, 35-10 Oct. 24 vs. Nichols
11 Cortland 6-0 803 13 D. Alfred, 45-7 Oct. 24 vs. St. John Fisher
12 John Carroll 5-1 658 14 D. Wabash, 24-17 Oct. 24 vs. Wooster
13 Wartburg 4-2 567 15 D. Loras, 68-7 Oct. 24 at Dubuque
14 Mary Hardin-Baylor 5-1 533 16 D. Texas Wesleyan, 38-22 Oct. 24 at McMurry
15 Trinity (Tex.) 5-1 504 6 Lost to Maryville, 16-12 Oct. 24 at Millsaps
16 Bethel (Minn.) 4-2 484 17 D. St. Olaf, 82-7 Oct. 24 at Macalester
17 UW-River Falls 4-2 429 8 Lost to No. 3 UW-Platteville, 42-0 Oct. 24 vs. UW-Eau Claire
18 Baldwin Wallace 6-0 424 20 D. Marietta, 31-7 Oct. 24 vs. Otterbein
19 Berry 5-1 419 18 D. Southwestern (Tex.), 34-6 Oct. 24 at Maryville
20 Salisbury 5-1 366 19 D. Castleton, 49-0 Oct. 24 vs. Montclair St.
21 Susquehanna 5-1 307 21 D. Moravian, 70-10 Oct. 24 at Wilkes
22 DePauw 5-1 211 22 D. Denison, 62-14 Oct. 24 at Wittenberg
23 Calvin 6-0 170 23 D. Kalamazoo, 54-9 Oct. 24 vs. Albion
24 Lake Forest 7-0 107 24 D. Luther, 57-3 Oct. 31 at Beloit
25 Ursinus 6-0 79 NR D. Johns Hopkins, 35-14 Oct. 24 at Franklin & Marshall
Dropped Out: Rowan (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Rowan, 72; Heidelberg, 41; Springfield, 40; Utica, 34; Mount Union, 28; Linfield, 27; Chapman, 26; Concordia-Moorhead, 21; UW-La Crosse, 18; Hampden-Sydney, 15; U.S. Merchant Marine, 15; Concordia (Wis.), 14; Trinity (Conn.), 14; Benedictine (Ill.), 9; Washington & Jefferson, 9; Massachusetts Maritime, 8; Franklin & Marshall, 7; LaGrange, 5; Wesleyan, 5; Hanover, 4; UW-Eau Claire, 3.
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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UW-Platteville used a dominant defensive performance to shutout defending national champion, UW-River Falls, 42-0. The Pioneer defense held the Falcons to just 21 yards of total offense, which is the second time this season they held an opponent under 25 yards of offense. The win moved UW-Platteville up to No. 2 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, while UW-River Falls dropped to No. 17.
Wheaton continues at the No. 1 spot after beating Carroll (Wis.), 41-3, while St. John’s (Minn.) drops a place to No. 3 after a close win over Concordia-Moorhead, 33-23. UW-Whitewater earned a first-place vote and flips positions with North Central as the Warhawks take over the No. 4 spot while the Cardinals drop to No. 5.
Trinity (Tex.) lost in a surprising upset to Maryville, 16-12, and dropped nine spots to No. 15. Rowan beat Kean, 17-14, but fell out of the poll and was replaced by Ursinus at No. 25. The Bears moved their record to 6-0 after handing Johns Hopkins a 35-14 loss.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 7 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wheaton (41) | 7-0 | 1311 | 1 | D. Carroll (Wis.), 41-3 | Oct. 31 at Augustana (Ill.) | |
| 2 | UW-Platteville (11) | 6-0 | 1258 | 3 | D. No. 8 UW-River Falls, 42-0 | Oct. 24 at UW-Oshkosh | |
| 3 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 6-0 | 1222 | 2 | D. Concordia-Moorhead, 33-23 | Oct. 24 at Carleton | |
| 4 | UW-Whitewater (1) | 6-0 | 1143 | 5 | D. UW-Stout, 37-31 | Oct. 24 vs. UW-Stevens Point | |
| 5 | North Central | 5-1 | 1140 | 4 | D. Elmhurst, 74-2 | Oct. 24 at Carroll (Wis.) | |
| 6 | Hardin-Simmons | 5-0 | 1055 | 7 | D. East Texas Baptist, 63-27 | Oct. 24 at Nelson | |
| 7 | WashU | 6-0 | 985 | 9 | D. Kenyon, 65-0 | Oct. 24 at Wabash | |
| 8 | Christopher Newport | 6-0 | 927 | 10 | D. Montclair St., 21-14 | Oct. 24 vs. Castleton | |
| 9 | Hope | 6-0 | 864 | 11 | D. Adrian, 24-22 | Oct. 24 at Alma | |
| 10 | Endicott | 6-0 | 844 | 12 | D. Western New England, 35-10 | Oct. 24 vs. Nichols | |
| 11 | Cortland | 6-0 | 803 | 13 | D. Alfred, 45-7 | Oct. 24 vs. St. John Fisher | |
| 12 | John Carroll | 5-1 | 658 | 14 | D. Wabash, 24-17 | Oct. 24 vs. Wooster | |
| 13 | Wartburg | 4-2 | 567 | 15 | D. Loras, 68-7 | Oct. 24 at Dubuque | |
| 14 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 5-1 | 533 | 16 | D. Texas Wesleyan, 38-22 | Oct. 24 at McMurry | |
| 15 | Trinity (Tex.) | 5-1 | 504 | 6 | Lost to Maryville, 16-12 | Oct. 24 at Millsaps | |
| 16 | Bethel (Minn.) | 4-2 | 484 | 17 | D. St. Olaf, 82-7 | Oct. 24 at Macalester | |
| 17 | UW-River Falls | 4-2 | 429 | 8 | Lost to No. 3 UW-Platteville, 42-0 | Oct. 24 vs. UW-Eau Claire | |
| 18 | Baldwin Wallace | 6-0 | 424 | 20 | D. Marietta, 31-7 | Oct. 24 vs. Otterbein | |
| 19 | Berry | 5-1 | 419 | 18 | D. Southwestern (Tex.), 34-6 | Oct. 24 at Maryville | |
| 20 | Salisbury | 5-1 | 366 | 19 | D. Castleton, 49-0 | Oct. 24 vs. Montclair St. | |
| 21 | Susquehanna | 5-1 | 307 | 21 | D. Moravian, 70-10 | Oct. 24 at Wilkes | |
| 22 | DePauw | 5-1 | 211 | 22 | D. Denison, 62-14 | Oct. 24 at Wittenberg | |
| 23 | Calvin | 6-0 | 170 | 23 | D. Kalamazoo, 54-9 | Oct. 24 vs. Albion | |
| 24 | Lake Forest | 7-0 | 107 | 24 | D. Luther, 57-3 | Oct. 31 at Beloit | |
| 25 | Ursinus | 6-0 | 79 | NR | D. Johns Hopkins, 35-14 | Oct. 24 at Franklin & Marshall | |
Dropped Out: Rowan (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Rowan, 72; Heidelberg, 41; Springfield, 40; Utica, 34; Mount Union, 28; Linfield, 27; Chapman, 26; Concordia-Moorhead, 21; UW-La Crosse, 18; Hampden-Sydney, 15; U.S. Merchant Marine, 15; Concordia (Wis.), 14; Trinity (Conn.), 14; Benedictine (Ill.), 9; Washington & Jefferson, 9; Massachusetts Maritime, 8; Franklin & Marshall, 7; LaGrange, 5; Wesleyan, 5; Hanover, 4; UW-Eau Claire, 3.
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.
