WISCONSIN-LA CROSSE ENDS LOSING STREAK TO WHITEWATER
October 9, 2023
A game-winning field goal as time expired propelled Wisconsin-La Crosse to a 37-34 upset victory over then-No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater, vaulting the Eagles to No. 9 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The win snapped a 19-game losing streak to Whitewater which dated back to 2004 and dropped the Warhawks to No. 11. The game was played in front of 20,113 fans, the largest crowd to ever see an NCAA Division III football game on campus.
Only one other ranked team fell this week as the No. 19 Cortland (N.Y.) Red Dragons used 552 yards of total offense to take down then-No. 22 Utica, 56-3, dropping the Pioneers from the Top 25.
The Red Dragons were not the only team to post impressive offensive numbers this week, as nine Top 25 teams scored 50 points or more. This group was headlined by No. 12 Aurora (Ill.), who set the school’s single-game scoring record with a 91-0 domination of Concordia (Ill.). After they turned the ball over on downs on their first possession, the Spartans scored on 10 straight drives, which included two punt returns for touchdowns.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Last Week Next Game
1 North Central (Ill.) (48) 5-0 1224 1 D. Carroll (Wis.), 69-24 Oct. 14 at Millikin (Ill.)
2 Mount Union (Ohio) (1) 5-0 1175 2 D. Heidelberg (Ohio), 41-3 Oct. 14 vs. Capital (Ohio)
3 Wartburg (Iowa) 6-0 1118 4 D. Luther (Iowa), 54-0 Oct. 14 vs. Dubuque (Iowa)
4 Wisconsin-River Falls 5-0 1071 5 D. Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 49-7 Oct. 14 vs. No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater
5 Linfield (Ore.) 4-0 983 6 D. Lewis & Clark (Ore.), 57-15 Oct. 14 vs. George Fox (Ore.)
6 Trinity (Tex.) 5-1 934 7 D. Centre (Ky.), 31-3 Oct. 21 at Southwestern (Tex.)
7 Johns Hopkins (Md.) 5-0 882 8 D. Gettysburg (Pa.), 49-28 Oct. 14 at Franklin & Marshall (Pa.)
8 St. John’s (Minn.) 4-1 823 9 D. Concordia (Minn.), 42-23 Oct. 14 vs. Carleton (Minn.)
9 Wisconsin-La Crosse 4-1 809 14 D. No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 37-34 Oct. 14 at Wisconsin-Platteville
10 Randolph-Macon (Va.) 5-0 790 10 D. Averett (Va.), 59-7 Oct. 14 at Bridgewater (Va.)
11 Wisconsin-Whitewater 4-1 746 3 Lost to No. 14 Wisconsin-La Crosse, 37-34 Oct. 14 at No. 4 Wisconsin-River Falls
12 Aurora (Ill.) 5-0 704 11 D. Concordia (Ill.), 91-0 Oct. 14 at St. Norbert (Wis.)
13 Susquehanna (Pa.) 6-0 671 12 D. Keystone (Pa.), 69-0 Oct. 14 at Juniata (Pa.)
14 Wheaton (Ill.) 4-1 570 13 D. Elmhurst (Ill.), 61-6 Oct. 14 vs. Carthage (Wis.)
15 Alma (Mich.) 5-0 516 15 Idle Oct. 14 at Hope (Mich.)
16 John Carroll (Ohio) 4-1 444 16 D. Marietta (Ohio), 31-28 Oct. 14 vs. Ohio Northern
17 Muhlenberg (Pa.) 5-0 417 17 D. McDaniel (Md.), 50-6 Oct. 14 at Gettysburg (Pa.)
18 Ithaca (N.Y.) 4-1 384 18 D. Rensselaer (N.Y.), 20-17 OT Oct. 14 vs. Union (N.Y.)
19 Cortland (N.Y.) 4-1 346 19 D. No. 22 Utica (N.Y.), 56-3 Oct. 14 vs. Alfred (N.Y.)
20 Endicott (Mass.) 4-1 270 21 Idle Oct. 14 vs. Western New England (Mass.)
21 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) 4-1 230 20 D. McMurry (Tex.), 19-16 OT Oct. 14 vs. Texas Lutheran
22 DePauw (Ind.) 6-0 180 23 D. Denison (Ohio), 17-6 Oct. 14 at Wooster (Ohio)
23 Grove City (Pa.) 6-0 149 25 D. Geneva (Pa.), 48-21 Oct. 14 at Allegheny (Pa.)
24 Delaware Valley (Pa.) 4-1 122 24 D. Alvernia (Pa.), 28-12 Oct. 14 at FDU-Florham (N.J.)
25 Washington (Mo.) 5-0 54 NR D. Illinois Wesleyan, 38-10 Oct. 14 vs. Augustana (Ill.)
Dropped Out: Utica (N.Y.) (22)
Others Receiving Votes: Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 52; Berry (Ga.), 35; Lake Forest (Ill.), 35; Whitworth (Wash.), 34; Coe (Iowa), 30; Union (N.Y.), 28; Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 21; Belhaven (Miss.), 20; Carnegie Mellon (Pa.), 14; Rensselaer (N.Y.), 9; Wisconsin-Platteville, 9; Augustana (Ill.), 8; Utica (N.Y.), 8; Howard Payne (Tex.), 6; Trinity (Conn.), 2; Wabash (Ind.), 2.
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A game-winning field goal as time expired propelled Wisconsin-La Crosse to a 37-34 upset victory over then-No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater, vaulting the Eagles to No. 9 in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The win snapped a 19-game losing streak to Whitewater which dated back to 2004 and dropped the Warhawks to No. 11. The game was played in front of 20,113 fans, the largest crowd to ever see an NCAA Division III football game on campus.
Only one other ranked team fell this week as the No. 19 Cortland (N.Y.) Red Dragons used 552 yards of total offense to take down then-No. 22 Utica, 56-3, dropping the Pioneers from the Top 25.
The Red Dragons were not the only team to post impressive offensive numbers this week, as nine Top 25 teams scored 50 points or more. This group was headlined by No. 12 Aurora (Ill.), who set the school’s single-game scoring record with a 91-0 domination of Concordia (Ill.). After they turned the ball over on downs on their first possession, the Spartans scored on 10 straight drives, which included two punt returns for touchdowns.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Last Week | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (Ill.) (48) | 5-0 | 1224 | 1 | D. Carroll (Wis.), 69-24 | Oct. 14 at Millikin (Ill.) | |
| 2 | Mount Union (Ohio) (1) | 5-0 | 1175 | 2 | D. Heidelberg (Ohio), 41-3 | Oct. 14 vs. Capital (Ohio) | |
| 3 | Wartburg (Iowa) | 6-0 | 1118 | 4 | D. Luther (Iowa), 54-0 | Oct. 14 vs. Dubuque (Iowa) | |
| 4 | Wisconsin-River Falls | 5-0 | 1071 | 5 | D. Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 49-7 | Oct. 14 vs. No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater | |
| 5 | Linfield (Ore.) | 4-0 | 983 | 6 | D. Lewis & Clark (Ore.), 57-15 | Oct. 14 vs. George Fox (Ore.) | |
| 6 | Trinity (Tex.) | 5-1 | 934 | 7 | D. Centre (Ky.), 31-3 | Oct. 21 at Southwestern (Tex.) | |
| 7 | Johns Hopkins (Md.) | 5-0 | 882 | 8 | D. Gettysburg (Pa.), 49-28 | Oct. 14 at Franklin & Marshall (Pa.) | |
| 8 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 4-1 | 823 | 9 | D. Concordia (Minn.), 42-23 | Oct. 14 vs. Carleton (Minn.) | |
| 9 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 4-1 | 809 | 14 | D. No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 37-34 | Oct. 14 at Wisconsin-Platteville | |
| 10 | Randolph-Macon (Va.) | 5-0 | 790 | 10 | D. Averett (Va.), 59-7 | Oct. 14 at Bridgewater (Va.) | |
| 11 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 4-1 | 746 | 3 | Lost to No. 14 Wisconsin-La Crosse, 37-34 | Oct. 14 at No. 4 Wisconsin-River Falls | |
| 12 | Aurora (Ill.) | 5-0 | 704 | 11 | D. Concordia (Ill.), 91-0 | Oct. 14 at St. Norbert (Wis.) | |
| 13 | Susquehanna (Pa.) | 6-0 | 671 | 12 | D. Keystone (Pa.), 69-0 | Oct. 14 at Juniata (Pa.) | |
| 14 | Wheaton (Ill.) | 4-1 | 570 | 13 | D. Elmhurst (Ill.), 61-6 | Oct. 14 vs. Carthage (Wis.) | |
| 15 | Alma (Mich.) | 5-0 | 516 | 15 | Idle | Oct. 14 at Hope (Mich.) | |
| 16 | John Carroll (Ohio) | 4-1 | 444 | 16 | D. Marietta (Ohio), 31-28 | Oct. 14 vs. Ohio Northern | |
| 17 | Muhlenberg (Pa.) | 5-0 | 417 | 17 | D. McDaniel (Md.), 50-6 | Oct. 14 at Gettysburg (Pa.) | |
| 18 | Ithaca (N.Y.) | 4-1 | 384 | 18 | D. Rensselaer (N.Y.), 20-17 OT | Oct. 14 vs. Union (N.Y.) | |
| 19 | Cortland (N.Y.) | 4-1 | 346 | 19 | D. No. 22 Utica (N.Y.), 56-3 | Oct. 14 vs. Alfred (N.Y.) | |
| 20 | Endicott (Mass.) | 4-1 | 270 | 21 | Idle | Oct. 14 vs. Western New England (Mass.) | |
| 21 | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | 4-1 | 230 | 20 | D. McMurry (Tex.), 19-16 OT | Oct. 14 vs. Texas Lutheran | |
| 22 | DePauw (Ind.) | 6-0 | 180 | 23 | D. Denison (Ohio), 17-6 | Oct. 14 at Wooster (Ohio) | |
| 23 | Grove City (Pa.) | 6-0 | 149 | 25 | D. Geneva (Pa.), 48-21 | Oct. 14 at Allegheny (Pa.) | |
| 24 | Delaware Valley (Pa.) | 4-1 | 122 | 24 | D. Alvernia (Pa.), 28-12 | Oct. 14 at FDU-Florham (N.J.) | |
| 25 | Washington (Mo.) | 5-0 | 54 | NR | D. Illinois Wesleyan, 38-10 | Oct. 14 vs. Augustana (Ill.) | |
Dropped Out: Utica (N.Y.) (22)
Others Receiving Votes: Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 52; Berry (Ga.), 35; Lake Forest (Ill.), 35; Whitworth (Wash.), 34; Coe (Iowa), 30; Union (N.Y.), 28; Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 21; Belhaven (Miss.), 20; Carnegie Mellon (Pa.), 14; Rensselaer (N.Y.), 9; Wisconsin-Platteville, 9; Augustana (Ill.), 8; Utica (N.Y.), 8; Howard Payne (Tex.), 6; Trinity (Conn.), 2; Wabash (Ind.), 2.
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.
