Cobbers Climb In Both National Rankings
MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/07/13)—Concordia moved up in both NCAA Division III national polls this week. After enjoying their "bye" weekend, the Cobbers moved up to 18th in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll and 22nd in the D3football.com rankings.
The Cobbers are currently 4-0 in all games this season and 2-0 in conference play. Last week Concordia was ranked 23rd in both the AFCA and D3football.com polls.
Concordia is one of four MIAC teams currently ranked in the top 25 of the two major polls. Bethel is the top ranked conference school in the polls. The Royals are eighth in the AFCA poll and fifth in the D3football.com rankings. Defending MIAC champion St. Thomas is 12th and sixth respectively and St. John's just entered the AFCA poll and is currently ranked 25th.
The Cobbers are coming off a win at No.25-ranked St. John's on Sept. 28 and will now face No.8-ranked Bethel on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. at Jake Christiansen Stadium in Moorhead. The Cobbers also have wins over Jamestown (N.D.), Buena Vista (Iowa) and St. Olaf this season.
The 4-0 start marks the second straight season that Concordia has begun the season with four straight victories. Last year CC was 4-0 before falling 15-14 in a last-minute heartbreaker at Bethel. Before last season, it had been seven years since the Cobbers had started a campaign with a 4-0 record.
Concordia has yet to trail in a game this season. The Cobbers have used quick starts in each of the first four games to get the win. CC is outscoring its opponents 56-14 in the first quarter and 93-31 in the first half of play. The Cobbers have also dominated the rushing game this season. Concordia has outgained its four opponents 806-384 in total rushing yardage.
Complete AFCA national rankings
AFCA Division III Top 25 Poll
Rk School (1st votes)
1. Mount Union (Ohio) (40)
2. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) (2)
3. Linfield (Ore.)
4. North Central (Ill.)
5. Hobart (N.Y.)
6. Wis.-Platteville
7. Wis.-Whitewater
8. Bethel Minn.)
9. Wis.-Oshkosh
10. Heidelberg (Ohio)
11. Wesley (Del.)
12. St. Thomas (Minn.)
13. Wheaton (Ill.)
14. Johns Hopkins (Del.)
15. Wabash (Ind.)
16. Coe (Iowa)
17. St. John Fisher (N.Y.)
18. Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.)
19. Wittenberg (Ohio)
20. Thomas More (Ky.)
21. John Carroll (Ohio)
22. Franklin (Ind.)
23. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.)
24. Illinois Wesleyan
25. St. John's (Minn.)
Others Receiving Votes: Lycoming (Pa.), 40; Ursinus (Pa.), 39; Willamette (Ore.), 38; Huntingdon (Ala.), 35; Delaware Valley (Pa.), 32; Millsaps (Miss.), 20; Texas Lutheran, 17; Juniata (Pa.), 12; Lake Forest (Ill.), 12; Pacific (Ore.), 12; Wis.-Stevens Point, 8; Hampden-Sydney (Va.), 7; Louisiana College, 7; Augsburg (Minn.), 6; Randolph-Macon (Va.), 5; St. Norbert (Wis.), 5; Rowan (N.J.), 4; Wesleyan (Conn.), 4; Gallaudet (D.C.), 3; Cal Lutheran, 2; Hartwick (N.Y.), 2; Trinity (Conn.), 2; Chapman (Calif.), 1; Illinois College, 1; Wartburg (Iowa), 1.
Complete D3football.com national rankings
D3football.com Top 25 (Week 5)
Rk School (1st votes)
1. Mount Union (16)
2. Linfield (6)
3. Mary Hardin-Baylor (3)
4. North Central (Ill.)
5. Bethel
6. St. Thomas
7. Hobart
8. UW-Platteville
9. UW-Oshkosh
10. UW-Whitewater
11. Wesley
12. Heidelberg
13. Wheaton (Ill.)
14. Franklin
15. Pacific Lutheran
16. Johns Hopkins
17. Wabash
18. Wittenberg
19. Coe
20. St. John Fisher
21. John Carroll
22. Concordia-Moorhead
23. Thomas More
24. Lycoming
25. Willamette
Others receiving votes: Illinois Wesleyan 29; Cal Lutheran 29; Augsburg 22; Illinois College 14; Trinity (Conn.) 13; St. John's 12; Salisbury 10; Huntingdon 7; Delaware Valley 6; Millsaps 6; Hampden-Sydney 4; Framingham State 2; Hartwick 2; Pacific 2; Louisiana College 2; Texas Lutheran 2; Adrian 1; Christopher Newport 1; Ursinus 1, UW-Stevens Point 1.