SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University had an open date this weekend, but that didn't prevent the Bearcats from improving their status in the D3Football.com Top 25. Willamette, 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the Northwest Conference, moved up one spot this week to #10 in the NCAA Division III rankings. The D3Football.com voting panel includes coaches, sports information directors and media representatives.
Mount Union College (Ohio), 8-0, remained the #1 team in the Top 25 and received all 25 first place votes (625 points) for the second week in a row. North Central College (Ill.), 8-0, continued to hold the #2 spot in the poll with 583 points. Wabash College (Ohio) stayed at #3 with 558 points and Millsaps College (Miss.) advanced one position to #4 with 508 points.
Defending NCAA Division III national champion University of Wisconsin-Whitewater moved up one spot to #5 with 499 points. UW-Whitewater is 7-1 on the season.
Rounding out the Top 10 are Muhlenberg College (Pa.), 8-0, at #6 with 496 points; Cortland State (N.Y.), 8-0, at #7 with 467 points; the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 7-1, at #8 with 459 points; Wesley College (Del.), 6-1, at #9 with 418 points; and Willamette at #10 with 389 points.
Willamette is one of 13 undefeated teams in this week's poll. The Bearcats are averaging 43.2 points, 384.9 total yards and 264.5 rushing yards per game.
The Bearcats will host the University of Puget Sound at McCulloch Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8. Game time is set for 1 p.m. (PST). Willamette will conclude the regular season with another home game on Saturday, Nov. 15, against Menlo College. Kickoff versus Menlo is slated for 2 p.m. (PST).
Deon Horne is Willamette's leading rusher with 604 yards and eight TDs on 85 carries.
