BELTON, Texas — The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team is again ranked #1 and #2 in the two major NCAA Division III Top 25 Polls this week. The Cru (8-0, 7-0 American Southwest Conference) is coming off an 82-0 win at Louisiana College last Saturday to run its winning streak to 23 straight games.
The Cru holds down the #1 spot for the seventh consecutive week in this week’s American Football Coaches Association Top 25 Poll. The Cru totaled 35 first-place votes and 1,280 total points from the AFCA. Mount Union is again ranked second with 17 first-place votes and 1,265 total points. Wisconsin-Whitewater is ranked third, Wheaton (Ill.) is fourth and Muhlenberg (PA) comes in at #5 this week. UMHB’s ASC rival Hardin-Simmons is ranked 14th by the AFCA with 536 total points. Upcoming Cru opponent Texas Lutheran received votes worth 80 points and sits just outside of the Top 25 to give the ASC three programs receiving mention in that poll this week.
“I was a little worried that we might have a letdown coming off such a big win over Hardin-Simmons,” Cru Head Coach Pete Fredenburg said. “But we really came out and played well and got into a good rhythm offensively and defensively on Saturday. That was good to see and will give us a lot of confidence going into this week.”
UMHB held on to the #2 spot for the second straight week in this week’s D3football.com Top 25 Poll. The Cru took 10 first-place votes and 602 total points. Mount Union is #1 with 15 first-place votes and 614 total points. Wisconsin-Whitewater is #3, Wheaton is ranked fourth and Muhlenberg rounds out the top five. Hardin-Simmons moved up one spot to #16 and Texas Lutheran broke into the D3football.com poll at #25 this week.
The Cru will host the Bulldogs for a 1 pm kickoff at Crusader Stadium this Saturday. The winner of that game will clinch the ASC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championships and at least a share of the conference title.
