AFCA Polls

Mount Union Tops First AFCA Division III Coaches' Poll of 2002


WACO, TEX.-- Defending national champion Mount Union holds down the top spot in the American Football Coaches Association Division III Coaches’ Poll released September 17.

The Purple Raiders, who picked up 48 of a possible 49 first place votes, began defense of their record sixth NCAA Division III championship with a 44-21 win over Wisconsin-Whitewater on Sept. 7. Mount Union totaled 1,200 points in this week’s poll to outdistance No. 2 Bridgewater (Va.). The Eagles moved to 2-0 on the year with a 48-6 win over Shenandoah on Saturday. No. 3 Rowan also moved to 2-0 under new coach Jay Accorsi with a 22-20 win over Wesley. No. 4 Wittenberg is also 2-0 after a 37-0 win over Urbana. Widener rounds out the top five this week following the Pioneers’ season opening win over Wilkes.

Spots 6-10 are held by Trinity (Texas), Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Hardin-Simmons, Lycoming and Ithaca. Trinity moved to 2-0 after downing Texas Lutheran, 42-14, on Saturday. No. 7 Stevens Point already has a pair of impressive victories over Augustana (Ill.) and Ohio Northern. No. 8 Hardin-Simmons continues its streak of having been ranked in every AFCA Division III Coaches Poll since the first one was released in 1999. No. 9 Lycoming is 2-0 on the season after beating Lebanon Valley last week while Ithaca opened its season with a 33-11 win over Alfred.

No. 11 St. John’s (Minn.) rebounded from a season-opening loss to No. 13 Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a 56-0 win over Hamline Saturday. No. 12 Mary Hardin-Baylor opened its season with a 42-26 win over Willamette. Eau Claire moved to 2-0 with a 37-13 win over Augsburg. No. 14 St. Norbert began Midwest Conference play with a 51-32 win over Beloit while No. 15 Augustana (Ill.) topped Central (Iowa), 34-14.

Ohio Wesleyan and Western Connecticut are 16 and 17 after opening their seasons with wins on Saturday. The College of New Jersey comes in at No. 18 after moving to 2-0 with a win over Cortland State. Pacific Lutheran lost an overtime heartbreaker to NAIA Azusa Pacific in the Lutes’ season opener but still earned the No. 19 ranking this week. Washington & Jefferson comes in at No. 20 after falling to Allegheny on Saturday.

The final five are in this week’s poll are John Carroll, Hanover, Illinois Wesleyan, Rensselaer and Whitworth. Hanover and Whitworth are both 2-0 following victories on Saturday.

Conference Breakdown: Eight conferences placed two teams in this week’s AFCA Division III Coaches’ Poll: America Southwest (Hardin-Simmons, Mary Hardin-Baylor), Illinois-Wisconsin (Augustana, Illinois Wesleyan), Middle Atlantic (Lycoming, Widener), New Jersey (Rowan, College of New Jersey), North Coast (Wittenberg, Ohio Wesleyan),Northwest (Pacific Lutheran, Whitworth), Ohio (Mount Union, John Carroll) and Wisconsin (Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Wisconsin-Eau Claire). Other conferences represented are: Freedom (Western Connecticut), Empire 8 (Ithaca), Heartland (Hanover), Midwest (St. Norbert), Minnesota (St. John’s), Old Dominion (Bridgewater) Presidents (Washington & Jefferson), Southern Collegiate (Trinity), Upstate (Rensselaer).

The Poll: The AFCA Division III Coaches’ Poll returns for its fourth season in 2002. A Board of Coaches made up of 49 AFCA-member head coaches from NCAA Division III schools around the country votes each Sunday for the top 25 teams in Division III.

All Division III football-playing conferences are represented on the voting board, as well as independent schools. The poll will be released on Tuesdays during the regular season.

Poll Points: Mount Union has been ranked No. 1 in 20 consecutive AFCA Coaches’ Polls dating back to the October 3, 2000 ... Central (Iowa) and McDaniel (formerly Western Maryland) are unranked in the AFCA Division III Coaches’ Poll for the first time since the poll’s inception in 1999 ... Rowan’s Tony Raccioppi was 19 for 32 for 218 yards in the Profs’ 22-20 win over Wesley ... Wittenberg’s Daniel Grove extended his string of consecutive 100-yard rushing games to nine with 166 yards against Urbana ... Trinity’s Roy Hampton threw for 397 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more scores in the Tigers’ 42-14 win over Texas Lutheran ... Wisconsin-Stevens Point erased a 17-6 halftime deficit by outscoring Ohio Northern in the second half en route to a 31-17 victory ... Hardin-Simmons quarterback Dustin Proctor threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns in the Cowboys’ 42-34 win over Menlo ... Lycoming receiver Ricky Lannetti caught seven passes for 173 yards and a touchdown in the Warriors’ 24-6 win over Lebanon Valley.