SELINSGROVE, Pa. - After opening the 2000 season with five straight victories, Susquehanna University has entered the Top 25 of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III, released Tuesday morning.
In addition, the Crusaders are ranked seventh in voting for the Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy, which is presented annually to the top football teams in the Northeast in each of the four NCAA football classifications.
The Crusaders (5-0) are ranked 23rd by the AFCA - one of three Middle Atlantic Conference schools in the top 25, joining Widener (15) and Lycoming (21) - and 23rd by Don Hansen's Football Gazette. Meanwhile, Susquehanna is 18th in the Columbus Multimedia Team Efficiency Ratings for the second straight week.
In the Lambert-Meadowlands poll, the Crusaders earned 20 points in the voting to rank seventh in the survey. Unbeaten Brockport (N.Y.) State is ranked first, followed by Widener, Lycoming, and Washington & Jefferson. Rowan and Western Maryland are tied for fifth with 25 points apiece.
On Saturday, the Crusaders will put their perfect record to the test as the team travels to Widener (5-0) for a 1 p.m. kickoff in a game with conference and national implications. The winner will have the inside track to the Commonwealth League title and a possible berth in the NCAA playoffs.
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