Posted: Sep 19, 2017

National Attention

MOORHEAD, Minn. (9/18/17)---a 3-0 record, a win over a nationally-ranked team and a victory in the conference opener over a traditional league power all added up to Concordia making a splash in both Division III national rankings.

The Cobbers were rewarded for their fourth 3-0 start in the past five seasons by moving up in the D3football.com rankings and appearing in the Top 20 of the very first American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) poll.

Concordia was ranked 23rd in last week's D3football.com national poll and moved up two spots to No.21 after posting a 31-7 win over Bethel in the MIAC opener on Saturday. The Cobbers enter the very first AFCA poll with the No.18 ranking.

The national rankings mark the first time since the 2015 season that the Cobbers have been placed in the Top 25 of the nation. That year they moved all the way up to No.17 in the D3football.com poll and No.14 in the AFCA rankings.

Concordia has bolted to a 3-0 record behind the rushing of senior Chad Johnson and an opportunistic defense that has allowed only 24 points in the last two games. Johnson leads the MIAC in rushing with his 157.0 yards per game average. That total is also the eighth best in all of Division III. Johnson also has seven touchdowns on the year which is tops in the league and tied for seventh in the nation.

The Cobber Black Shirt defense leads the MIAC in total turnovers, interceptions and Red Zone defense. Concordia has forced 10 turnovers and has picked off seven passes in the first three games of the year. They are tied for sixth in Division III in turnovers and interceptions and they have only allowed opponents to score three times in their 10 trips inside the CC 20-yard line which is third best in the nation.

Concordia won't drop in the polls this week as they have their "bye" week on Saturday. The Cobbers will return to action when they host Gustavus in the annual Homecoming game on Sept. 30 at 1 p.m.

D3football.com Top 25 (Week 3)
1. Mary Hardin-Baylor (19)
2. Mount Union (5)
3. UW-Oshkosh (1)
4. Wheaton (Ill.)
5. North Central (Ill.)
6. St. John's
7. Hardin-Simmons
8. Linfield
9. John Carroll
10. St. Thomas
11. Frostburg State
12. Delaware Valley
13. UW-Platteville
14. Johns Hopkins
15. Whitworth
16. Wittenberg
17. Washington and Jefferson
18. Case Western Reserve
19. Brockport
20. Illinois Wesleyan
21. Concordia-Moorhead
22. Wesley
23. Alfred
24. UW-Stout
25. Wabash

Others receiving votes: Coe 59; Berry 31; Albright 29; Wartburg 22; Springfield 19; UW-Whitewater 13; RPI 11; Stevenson 9; George Fox 7; Redlands 7; UW-La Crosse 6; Framingham State 6; Hobart 6; Dubuque 4; Heidelberg 3; Sul Ross State 3; Bridgewater 2; Centre 2.

AFCA Top 25 (Sept. 18)

1. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) (45)
2. Mount Union (Ohio) (7)
3. Wisconsin-Oshkosh
4. Wheaton (Ill.)
5. North Central (Ill.)
6. St. John's (Minn.)
7. Hardin-Simmons (Tex.)
8. Johns Hopkins (Md.)
9. Delaware Valley (Pa.)
10. Wisconsin-Platteville
11. St. Thomas (Minn.)
12. Frostburg St. (Md.)
13. John Carroll (Ohio)
14. Wittenberg (Ohio)
15. Linfield (Ore.)
16. Washington & Jefferson (Pa.)
17. Alfred (N.Y.)
18. Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.)
19. Brockport (N.Y.)
20. Whitworth (Wash.)
21. Case Western Reserve (Ohio)
22. Wabash (Ind.)
23t. Illinois Wesleyan
23t. Wesley (Del.)
25. Dubuque (Iowa)

Others Receiving Votes: Coe (Iowa), 139; Wisconsin-Stout, 133; Albright (Pa.), 115; Berry (Ga.), 97; Hobart (N.Y.), 82; Wisconsin-Whitewater, 67; Heidelberg (Ohio), 62; Wartburg (Iowa), 59; Centre (Ky.), 54; Springeld (Mass.), 48; Framingham St. (Mass.), 35; East Texas Baptist, 26; California Lutheran, 24; Stevenson (Md.), 17; Trinity (Conn.), 16; Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 15; Husson (Maine), 13; Wisconsin-La Crosse, 12; Carthage (Wis.), 11; Guilford (N.C.), 10; Huntingdon (Ala.), 10; Rensselaer (N.Y.), 9; Carnegie Mellon (Pa.), 8; Denison (Ohio), 8; George Fox (Ore.), 6; Amherst (Mass.), 5; Franklin & Marshall (Pa.), 5; Redlands (Calif.), 5; Franklin (Ind.), 3; Randolph-Macon (Va.), 3; Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 2; Bridgewater (Va.), 2; Olivet (Mich.), 2; Salve Regina (R.I.), 2; Cortland (N.Y.), 1; Monmouth (Ill.), 1; SulRoss St. (Tex.), 1.