DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College football team received a vote in this week's New England Division III Football Poll, which is presented by the Jack Grinold Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation.

Off to their best start since 2001, the Bison moved to 5-2 on the season (3-1 Commonwealth Coast Conference Football) with a come-from-behind 51-48 win in four overtimes at the University of New England this past Saturday in Biddeford, Maine. Senior Michael Pina threw for a career-high 329 yards and three scores while junior back Joshua Pierre-Charles ran for three touchdowns and sophomore wide receiver Hunter Ferreira recorded 12 receptions for 148 yards. Earlier this season, the Bison snapped a nine-game losing skid to CCC rival Salve Regina with a 25-15 win on Homecoming Weekend.

The Nichols defense is currently No. 1 in the CCC in touchdowns (three), and second in points allowed (23.7 ppg), rush yards allowed (120.9/game) and interceptions (10). Offensively, the Bison are No. 3 in passing yards (282.3 yards/game).

WPI (7-0) received 12 of 15 first-place votes and topped the poll, followed by Middlebury (7-0), which received two first-place votes, and Endicott (6-1), which grabbed the remaining first-place vote. Fellow CCC Football member Western New England (6-1) sits fourth.

The New England Division III Football Poll is presented by the Jack Grinold Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation, which also serves as the title sponsor of the weekly Gold Helmet Awards presented by the New England Football Writers Association throughout the season.

A panel representing all five New England Division III playing conferences will serve as voters in this year's poll, and rankings will be released each Monday afternoon through November 18.  Members of this year's voting panel are Skip Bandini (Curry), Katie Boldvich (Eastern Collegiate Football Conference), Brian Bubna (MIT), Jeremy Cameron (Massachusetts Maritime), Jay Civetti (Tufts), Jack Cosgrove (Colby), Jeff Devanney (Trinity), Bill George (Coast Guard), Kevin Gilmartin (Salve Regina), Tom Kelley (Framingham State), Paul McGonagle (Endicott), Nat Clark (Husson), Chris Robertson (WPI), Mark Robichaud (UMass Dartmouth) and Tony Volpone (Castleton). For more information on the Grinold Chapter of the National Football Foundation, please visit www.grinoldchapter.com.

The Bison take on Husson University for the first time in program history on Saturday, November 2 at noon at Vendetti Field.

Contributions from Grinold Chapter of the National Football Foundation