Bearcats Remain #13 in D3football.com Top 25

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University football team remained #13 in the nation in this week's D3football.com Top 25. Willamette didn't suffer in the poll after losing on the road to last week's 14th-ranked team, Hardin-Simmons University, 31-22. The win, however, vaulted Hardin-Simmons up to #9 this week.

The #1 team stayed the same, as defending NCAA Division III national champion University of Wisconsin-Whitewater received 22 of 25 first place votes and 622 points in the poll. Mount Union College (Ohio), 1-0, remained #2 and received three first place votes to go with 602 points. Wesley College (Del.), 2-0, continued to hold the #3 spot and was listed at 567 points.

University of St. Thomas (Minn.), 2-0, moved up one spot to #4 with 553 points. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas), 1-0, also advance a position to #5 with 511 points. Wittenberg University (Ohio), 2-0, jumped two positions to #6 and received 499 points. Central College (Iowa), 2-0, stayed at #7 with 476 points.

Completing the Top 10 were Delaware Valley College (Pa.), Hardin-Simmons and Coe College (Iowa). Delaware Valley, 2-0, was ranked eighth with 415 points, while Hardin-Simmons, 2-0, was ninth with 399 points and Coe, 2-0, was 10th with 373 points.

Linfield College, which was ranked #4 last week, fell to #16 in this week's poll. The Wildcats lost to California Lutheran University, 47-42, on Sept. 11. California Lutheran jumped from #25 last week to #15 this week.

Willamette will play its first home game of the season on Saturday, Sept. 18, when the Bearcats host Southern Oregon University. Game time at McCulloch Stadium is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. (PDT).