NCAA Division III

USAFOOTBALL.COM Division III Rankings as of September 24, 2000

1	Mount Union Purple Raiders (68)	3-0	3422	1
2	Pacific Lutheran Lutes (49)	3-0	3251	2
3	St. John's (MN) Johnnies (9)	3-0	3017	3
4	Hardin-Simmons Cowboys (6)	3-0	2769	4
5	Trinity (TX) Tigers	4-0	2483	5
6	Millikin Big Blue (2)	3-0	2452	6
7	Rowan Profs (7)	3-0	2297	7
8	Central (IA) Flying Dutchmen	3-0	1786	8
9	Ohio Northern Polar Bears	2-1	1640	9
10	Wartburg Knights	4-0	1379	10
11	Wittenberg Tigers	3-0	1301	13
12	Buffalo State Bengals (1)	3-1	1228	14
13	Augustana (IL) Vikings	3-0	938	15
14	Western Connecticut Colonials	4-0	814	17
15	Ithaca Bombers	3-0	737	19
16	Wisconsin-Stout Blue Devils	3-0	721	22
17	Wooster Scots	3-0	604	20
18	St. Norbert Green Knights	3-0	552	21
19	Brockport State Golden Eagles	3-0	478	23
20	Illinois Wesleyan Titans	3-0	293	25
21	Washington & Jefferson Presidents	3-0	281	26
22	John Carroll Blue Streaks	3-1	254	11
23	Muhlenberg Mules	3-0	222	28
24	Widener Pioneers	3-0	196	20
25	Rhodes Lynx	3-0	189	27
26	Bethany (WV) Bison	3-0	143	30
27	Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders	3-0	141	NR
28	Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens	3-0	129	NR
29	Western Maryland Green Terror	3-1	112	NR
30	Coe Kohawks	4-0	98	NR

Others receiving more than five (5) points: Albion Britons, Alma Scots, Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets, Bethel (MN) Royals, Bridgewater (VA) Eagles, Capital Crusaders, Concordia (WI) Falcons, Cortland State Red Dragons, Defiance Yellow Jackets, Emory & Henry Wasps, Ferrum Panthers, Greenville Panthers, Gustavus Adolphus Gusties, Hanover Panthers, Hartwick Hawks, Linfield Wildcats, Lycoming Warriors, Massachusetts Maritime Buccaneers, Methodist Monarchs, Montclair State Red Hawks, Moravian Greyhounds, Nichols Bison, Norwich Cadets, Plymouth State Panthers, Redlands Bulldogs, Rochester Yellow Jackets, Simpson Storm, Springfield Chiefs, Susquehanna Crusaders, Union (NY) Dutchmen, Ursinus Bear, Wabash Little Giants, Washington & Lee Generals, Wilkes Colonels, Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks

Previous Rankings

Week of 9/10

Week of 9/17

Week of 9/24

USAFOOTBALL.COM™ Pre-Season Top 30

1 Mount Union Raiders Mount Union, college football's winningest team in the '90s (120-7-1/.941), has three players named to the usafootball.com D-III preseason All American squad.The Purple Raiders are expected to return 39 letterwinners in '00, including eight offensive and seven defensive starters from last year's team that set a new collegiate mark for consecutive wins (54). The Purple & White offense, which led all of Division III in points per game (53.4 ppg) and yards per game (559.5) in '99, will again be triggered by senior All-American quarterback Gary Smeck (172-of-268/64.2/37 TDs/4 INTs/2,878 yds in '99). Smeck led the nation in passing efficiency (208.6) a year ago. Four of his favorite receiving targets are back, including All-American senior/wideout Adam Marino (88 rec/1,724 yds/20 TDs), who led the Ohio Athletic Conference in receptions, touchdown catches and receiving yards. Junior running back Chuck Moore (245 att/1,514 yds/6.2 ypr/29 total TDs), who finished fourth in the nation in scoring during the regular season (22 TDs) last fall, has been chosen a usafootball.com 4th team running back. Three of last year's five starting offensive linemen return, including senior tackle Jason Gerber (6-4/290), another preseason All-American and junior guard William Rychel (6-4/296) . a 3rd team choice. "We have a good veteran nucleus returning on offense," noted Raider head coach Larry Kehres (150-17-3/.891) who enters his 15th season at the helm of the Raider football fortunes. "Hopefully, we can stay healthy and be productive on that side of the ball again this coming fall." "We graduated a number of key players from our defensive unit, especially along our defensive front," said Kehres. "There will be opportunities for some of our younger players to step up and earn starting assignments next fall." Overall, the Raiders are hoping to continue a tradition that has included four National Championships ('93, '96-'98) and eight consecutive OAC titles ('92-'99). Mount Union will also try to extend a Division III best 54 consecutive game regular season winning streak. 2 Rowan Profs K.C. Keeler Head Coach   Idle 3 Pacific Lutheran Lutes Frosty Westering Head Coach   Idle 4 Trinity (TX) Tigers Steve Mohr Head Coach   Defeated Texas Lutheran 40-21 5 St. John's (MN) Johnnies John Gagliardi Head Coach   Defeated Wisconsin-Eau Claire 49-14 6 Ohio Northern Polar Bears Tom Kaczkowski Head Coach   Idle 7 Hardin-Simmons Cowboys Jimmie Keeling Head Coach   Idle 8 Millikin Big Blue Doug Neibuhr Head Coach   Idle 9 Central (IA) Flying Dutchmen Rich Kacmarynski Head Coach   Defeated Upper Iowa 13-9 10 Wartburg Knights Rick Willis Head Coach   Defeated Dubuque 67-0 11 mmWisconsin - m La Crosse Eagles Larry Terry Head Coach   Lost to D-II Washburn 26-6 12 Western Maryland Green Terror Tim Keating Head Coach   Lost to Bridgewater (VA) 19-7 13 Ursinus Bears Paul Guenther Head Coach   Idle 14 John Carroll Blue Streaks Regis Scafe Head Coach   Defeated #26 Catholic 37-3 15 Montclair State Red Hawks Rich Giancola Head Coach   Idle 16 Lycoming Warriors Frank Girardi Head Coach   Idle 17 Willamette Bearcats Mark Speckman Head Coach   Idle 18 Augustana/IL Vikings Tom Schmulbach Head Coach   Idle 19 Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers John Miech Head Coach   Idle 20 Buffalo State Bengals Jerry Boyes Head Coach   Lost to D-IAA Robert Morris 30-20 21 Hanover Panthers Wayne Perry Head Coach   Idle 22 Western Connecticut Colonials Bob Surace Head Coach   Defeated D-IAA Marist 43-15 23 Allegheny Gators Blair Hrovat Head Coach   Lost to No. 1 Mount Union 48-21 24 Albion Britons Craig Rundle Head Coach   Defeated MacMurray 41-0 25 Grove City Wolverines Chris Smith Head Coach   Lost to Dickinson 13-9 26 Catholic Cardinals Tom Clark Head Coach   Lost to No. 14 John Carroll 37-3 27 St. Norbert Green Knights Jim Purtill Head Coach   Idle 28 Ithaca Bombers Mike Welch Head Coach   Idle 29 Alma Scots Jim Cole Head Coach   Idle 30 Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets Bob Packard Head Coach   Idle

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Preview Sports 2000 College Football

Preview Sports Top 10 1 Pacific Lutheran 2 Mount Union 3 Trinity (TX) 4 Rowan 5 Hardin-Simmons 6 St. John's (MN) 7 Ohio Northern 8 Wittenberg 9 Wartburg 10 Lycoming 11 Allegheny 12 Augustana 13 Lycoming 15 Buffalo State 16 Catholic 17 Western Maryland 18 Washington & Jefferson 19 Albion 20 Wartburg 21 Hardin-Simmons 22 Montclair State 23 Willamette 24 Hanover 25 Susquehanna Others to watch Alma, Baldwin-Wallace, Grove City, Illinois Wesleyan, Ithaca, John Carroll, Millikin, Muhlenberg, Rensselaer, St. Norbert, The College of New Jersey, Wilkes,Wilmington

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Preview Sports All Americans Offense QB Gary Smeck Sr. Mount Union RB R.J. Bowers Sr. Grove City RB Casey Donaldson Sr. Wittenberg WR Matt Eisenberg Sr. Juniata WR Adam Marino Sr. Mount Union TE Jeff Pederson Jr. Grinnell OL Jason Gerber Sr. Mount Union OL Adam Grossman Sr. Ithaca OL Mackenzie Hay Sr. Augustana OL Jason Matusik Sr. Wash. & Jeff. OL Dave Wonderlick Sr. Susquehann PK Chris Baughman Sr. Wheaton RS Joshua Carter Jr. Muhlenberg Defense DL Jeremy Benson Sr. Aurora DL Greg Boucher Jr. Western Connecticut DL Keith Fischer Jr. Dickinson DL Justin Harris Sr. Alma DL Jason Welty Sr. Hanover LB Luke Gearhard Sr. Pacific Lutheran LB Dustin Goldsbury Jr. Wittenberg LB John Visosky Sr. Trinity (TX) DB Dave Devine Sr. Wartburg DB Zak Gordon Sr. Coe DB Antonio Nash So. Susquehanna DB Clinton Tabb Jr. Rowan P James Barskl Sr. Muhlenberg

2000 Preseason Ratings (1999 Records & TER) 1 Mount Union 12-1 128.2 2 Pacific Lutheran 13-1 126.8 3 Rowan 12-2 126.0 4 Trinity (TX) 12-1 125.5 5 Wittenberg 11-1 122.4 6 Ohio Northern 11-2 122.1 7 Hardin-Simmons 12-1 122.0 8 Western Maryland 11-1 121.4 9 St. John's (MN) 11-2 121.3 10 Central (IA) 10-2 121.1 11 Lycoming 9-1 120.8 12 Rensselaer Poly 9-1 118.9 13 Montclair State 10-2 118.2 14 Wartburg 10-1 118.0 15 Wisconsin-Stevens Point 9-2 117.6 16 Hanover 10-1 117.4 17 Augustana 9-2 117.1 18 Catholic 9-2 117.0 19 Washington & Jefferson 9-3 116.4 20 Western Connecticut 10-1 116.2 21 John Carroll 7-3 116.1 22 Ursinus 10-2 115.9 23 Linfield 6-3 115.6 24 Union (NY) 9-2 115.4 25 Buffalo State 7-3 115.0 Others To Watch: Millikin, Bridgewater MA, Pomona-Pitzer, Williams, Wheaton IL, Carnegie Mellon, Grove City, Willamette, Baldwin-Wallace To visit the Columbus Multimedia site, click here......

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