MOUNT UNION TOPS FIRST AFCA DIVISION III COACHES’ POLL OF 2007

WACO, TEX.— The Mount Union Purple Raiders begin the 2007 season where they ended the 2006 season — atop the AFCA Division III Coaches’ Poll. Mount Union received 39 of 40 first place votes to earn the top spot in the first poll of 2007. The Purple Raiders have been ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in every season-opening AFCA poll dating back to the inaugural poll in 1999.

Mary Hardin-Baylor checks in at No. 2. The Crusaders received the remaining first place vote and are 2-0 after a 55-14 win over Sul Ross State. St. John’s (Minn.) holds down the No. 3 spot after a 62-7 win over Augsburg. No. 4 Wisconsin-La Crosse defeated NAIA power Azusa Pacific, 27-20, on Saturday. No. 5 St. John Fisher defeated rival Rochester, 37-21.

Wheaton earns the No. 6 ranking in the first poll of the season. The Thunder are 2-0 after a 55-14 win over Washington (Mo.). Defending South Region champion Wesley is No. 7 after a 31-17 win over Widener. No. 8 Capital defeated Wilmington, 40-0 on Saturday. Two-time national runner-up Wisconsin-Whitewater comes in at No. 9 after falling to Division II St. Cloud State, 26-16. Central (Iowa) rounds out the Top 10 after a 44-36 barnburner with Luther.

No. 11 Baldwin-Wallace is 2-0 after a 24-6 win over Marietta. Ohio Northern is the fourth OAC school in the top 12. The Polar Bears defeated Muskingum, 27-9 on Saturday. Washington & Jefferson earns the No. 13 ranking this week after a 50-14 win over Hanover. No. 14 Linfield evened its record at 1-1 with a 52-42 win over Hardin-Simmons. Idle Trinity (Texas) checks in at No. 15.

No. 16 Bridgewater (Va.) improved to 3-0 with a 41-16 win over Ferrum. Wartburg is No. 17 after a 38-0 blanking of Buena Vista. Salisbury holds down the No. 18 spot after a 35-21 win over Christopher Newport. No. 19 North Central rolled past Benedictine (Ill.), 47-0. Wabash rounds out the Top 20. The Little Giants are 2-0 after a 28-6 win over Millikin.

No. 21 St. Olaf is 3-0 following a 56-7 win over Hamline in the MIAC opener for both schools. No. 22 Rowan evened its record at 1-1 with a 14-13 over Wilkes. Occidental is the lone Southern California school in the Top 25, checking in at No. 23 after a 38-0 win over Menlo. No. 24 Montclair State slipped past Springfield, 33-30 while No. 25 Mount St. Joseph improved to 3-0 with a 25-15 win over Illinois Wesleyan.