MINNEAPOLIS - The Capital University football team saw its national ranking rise for the fifth week in a row as the Crusaders were lifted to No. 14 in the latest D3Football.com Top 25 Poll, which was released Sunday. CU (5-1, 4-1 OAC) is the third of four Ohio Athletic Conference teams to be ranked in the Top 25.
CU, which is one of only 10 teams nationally to be ranked in seven consecutive seasons, will travel to face another nationally-ranked team from the Ohio Athletic Conference as it heads to Westerville on Saturday to take on Otterbein, which is ranked No. 10 this week. The last time Capital won at Otterbein was the 2003 season (31-13). Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and fans can follow the action with FREE Live Audio at http://www.capitalcrusaders.net/ beginning with the Nationwide Children's Hospital Sports Medicine Pregame show at 1:30 p.m.
The Crusaders first entered the national rankings at No. 25 on Sept. 20 and then jumped up to the No. 22 spot before moving to No. 21 on Oct.4. Capital then jumped up five spots to No.16 on Oct. 11 after a 28-21 loss to #1 Mount Union, which is voted upon by a panel of 25 coaches, sports information directors and media members from across the country.
CU has a season-high 252 votes this week and is joined in the Top 25 by #1 Mount Union (6-0, 19 first place votes), #10 Otterbein (6-0, 378 pts) and #20 Ohio Northern (4-2, 135 pts). The Crusaders have now received votes in all eight polls this season.
Capital began its 2009 campaign with a 31-21 road victory over Adrian on Sept. 5. The Crusaders then posted a 46-32 win over Heidelberg and a 37-21 decision over Wilmington to open Ohio Athletic Conference play. CU followed with a 37-13 win at Marietta before holding a fourth-quarter lead against defending NCAA Division III and OAC Champion Mount Union in a 28-21 loss. Last week, Capital defeated John Carroll, 28-20.
CU is averaging 433.8 yards per game of total offense and for the first time in its 86-year recorded history posted a pair of 100-yard rushers in the same game, a feat it accomplished in back-to-back wins over Heidelberg and Wilmington. The Crusaders have out rushed the competition 191.2 to 63.8 yards per game while the CU defense has tallied 17 sacks.