Northwestern College holds down the third spot in this week’s NAIA Football Coaches’ poll released Monday by the national office.
The Red Raiders totaled 339 points and are ranked third in back-to-back polls, trailing only Morningside (366pts) and Marian (Ind.) with 351 points. They are one of three teams from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) in the Oct. 15 poll, joining the top-ranked Mustangs and Midland (RV).
Northwestern is one of six unbeaten teams left in the NAIA and owns a 6-0 record, 5-0 in conference play. They will host Morningside in a top five match-up this weekend. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and Reinhardt (Ga.) round out the top five teams.
2018 NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – Poll Six (Oct. 15)
| RANK | LAST WEEK | SCHOOL | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Morningside (Iowa) [15] | 7-0 | 366 |
| 2 | 2 | Marian (Ind.) [1] | 6-0 | 351 |
| 3 | 3 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 6-0 | 339 |
| 4 | 4 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 5-1 | 314 |
| 5 | 4 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 6-1 | 311 |
| 6 | 6 | Evangel (Mo.) | 8-0 | 302 |
| 7 | 8 | Grand View (Iowa) | 5-1 | 275 |
| 8 | 9 | Bethel (Tenn.) | 7-0 | 255 |
| 9 | 10 | Kansas Wesleyan | 7-0 | 243 |
| 10 | 11 | Concordia (Mich.) | 6-1 | 233 |
| 11 | 12 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 6-1 | 220 |
| 12 | 13 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 5-2 | 210 |
| 13 | 14 | Langston (Okla.) | 5-1 | 193 |
| 14 | 7 | Southern Oregon | 4-2 | 176 |
| 15 | 16 | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 5-2 | 171 |
| 16 | 17 | Baker (Kan.) | 5-2 | 165 |
| 17 | 18 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 7-1 | 156 |
| 18 | 19 | Montana Western | 5-1 | 135 |
| 19 | 24 | Eastern Oregon | 4-2 | 117 |
| 20 | 21 | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 5-2 | 93 |
| 21 | 15 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 4-3 | 85 |
| 22 | 22 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 6-1 | 78 |
| 23 | 20 | Siena Heights (Mich.) | 5-1 | 52 |
| 24 | NR | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 5-3 | 41 |
| 25 | NR | Avila (Mo.) | 5-1 | 31 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Montana Tech, Webber International (Fla.)
Others Receiving Votes: Keiser (Fla.) 11, Midland (Neb.) 7, Montana Tech 3
