SALEM, ORE. -- Following a successful season, the Willamette University football team, 8-2 overall, remained #20 in the final regular season NCAA Division III Coaches Poll released by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The Bearcats averaged 402.8 total yards per game during the season, while allowing just 279.2 yards per contest.
Mount Union College (Ohio) stayed at #1 with 39 of 40 first place votes, a 10-0 overall record, and 999 points in the poll. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 10-0, received the remaining first place vote and was ranked #2 with 960 points. Wesley College (Del.), 10-0, followed at #3 with 906 points. St. John's University (Minn.), 10-0, was #4 with 881 points and Central College (Iowa), 10-0, was #5 with 807 points.
Linfield College, 9-0, was ranked #6 in the poll with 796 points, while Case Western Reserve University (Ohio), 10-0, was listed at #7 with 708 points. Rounding out the Top 10 were Monmouth University (Illinois), 10-0, at #8 with 697 points, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas), 9-1, at #9 with 680 points, and Thomas More College (Ky.), 10-0, at #10 with 640 points.
Willamette was two positions in front of California Lutheran University, which finished the regular season with a 9-1 record and won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title. The Kingsmen were ranked #22 in this week's poll after holding the #25 spot a week ago. Willamette defeated California Lutheran, 20-13, at McCulloch Stadium on Sept. 12.
Defensive end Cory Lowe earned 32 total tackles during the year, including 8.0 tackles for losses and 5.5 sacks.
