Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team tightened its grip on the highest national ranking in program history in this week’s American Football Coaches Association’s Top 25 Poll. UMHB picked up one first-place vote and totaled 942 points in this week’s poll and the Cru picked up 43 total points more than last week’s total. UMHB is 3-0 overall and 2-0 in American Southwest Conference play following a 48-0 victory over Texas Lutheran University last Saturday in Seguin. Two-time defending national champion Mount Union received 39 of the 40 first-place votes and 995 total points to hold down the #1 spot. St. John’s is third with 916 total points. Wisconsin-Whitewater, the team UMHB will visit on October 27th is ranked 8th in the nation with 693 total points. Trinity University is the only other Texas school ranked in the top 25 this week. The Tigers picked up 415 points and are 14th in the nation. Hardin-Simmons University and Mississippi College join UMHB as American Southwest Conference school receiving votes. The Cowboys picked up 17 total points for the 34th highest vote total this week while the Choctaws picked up three total points.

“The expectations for this program are high and that’s a really cool thing for our players,” Cru head coach Pete Fredenburg said. “But the thing we have to keep reminding our players is that we have to get ready to play McMurry this Saturday. They will be ready to play and our kids have to focus on making themselves better each week.”

UMHB is also ranked #2 in the nation in the other two national polls this week. D3football.com and Football Gazette both have the Cru at #2 in the country in their polls.

UMHB will return to action with a return home to Tiger Field this Saturday. The Cru will play host to McMurry University (1-3, 0-2 ASC) in a 2:00 PM kickoff in Belton

AFCA Division III Poll
By The Associated Press
Through Sept. 23
Record Pts Pvs
1. Mount Union, Ohio (39) 3-0 995 1
2. Mary Hardin-Baylor, Texas (1) 3-0 942 2
3. St. John's, Minn. 4-0 916 3
4. Wisconsin-La Crosse 2-0 849 4
5. St. John Fisher, N.Y. 4-0 790 5
6. Wheaton, Ill. 3-0 767 6
7. Capital, Ohio 3-0 759 8
8. Wisconsin-Whitewater 2-1 693 9
9. Central, Iowa 4-0 622 10
10. Baldwin-Wallace, Ohio 3-0 617 11
11. Ohio Northern 3-0 554 12
12. Washington & Jefferson, Pa. 3-0 522 13
13. Linfield, Ore. 1-1 436 14
14. Trinity, Texas 3-0 415 15
15. Bridgewater, Va. 4-0 400 16
16. Wartburg, Iowa 3-0 391 17
17. Montclair State, N.J. 3-0 368 24
18. Salisbury, Md. 4-0 349 18
19. St. Olaf, Minn. 4-0 261 21
20. Wabash, Ind. 3-0 228 20
21. Wesley, Del. 3-1 213 7
22. Rowan, N.J. 2-1 207 22
23. Occidental, Calif. 2-0 168 23
24. Mount St. Joseph, Ohio 3-0 105 25
25. Wisconsin-Oshkosh 2-0 79 -