SELINSGROVE, PA - The final numbers came in for the NCAA Division III football season and Susquehanna University once again finished the year ranked in the top 15. The River Hawks received a No. 13 ranking in D3football.com's year-end polling, while earning the 15th spot from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). 

Susquehanna overcame plenty of adversity to make its second straight NCAA Quarterfinals appearance. Entering the year ranked fourth and fifth by D3football.com and AFCA, respectively, the River Hawks opened the year 2-0 after wins over Union and Bridgewater, but broke even at 2-2 following defeats to Johns Hopkins and Christopher Newport, teams that also finished the year nationally ranked and who reached the NCAA Tournament. These consecutive losses put Susquehanna out of the top 25 for the first time in two years, though they looked to answer right back following the bye week as they entered Landmark competition. As expected, the River Hawks went 6-0 through their conference slate, all decided by three or more possessions, including a pair of 69-point explosions versus Lycoming and Catholic. In all they outscored their Landmark competition by a combined score of 302-37, pitching one shutout against Western Connecticut State, 34-0. 

The River Hawks picked up their third straight Landmark Conference championship and fourth straight NCAA playoff appearance, earning hosting rights for the fourth straight year as they took on Washington & Jefferson in the opening round. In a back and forth affair, Susquehanna pried out an opening up 38-24 in the fourth quarter, while the defense offered up two key interceptions to hold down a 38-32 win. The biggest play, perhaps, came at the end of the first half. With W&J up 17-14 the Presidents lined up for a 37-yard field goal in hopes of having a six-point halftime lead. The River Hawks had other plans as cornerback Xavier Maple came clean off the line and blocked the field goal, which was scooped up by Romero Lavalais Jr. as he took the ball back 70 yards to give SU a shocking 21-17 halftime advantage, a lead they would not relinquish. Maple added to his day with an interception, while fellow defensive back Kayvon Waters came up with the game-clinching interception on the Presidents' final drive. 

The win set Susquehanna up with a rematch against Christopher Newport back down in Newport News, Va. Looking to avenge a 41-27 defeat to the Captains back in a rain-drenched Week 4 matchup, the River Hawks had nothing but clear skies to carry out their attack in a 42-28 win. Quarterback Josh Ehrlich had a career game with five total touchdowns, including a career-high three rushing touchdowns while throwing for two more as he completed 20-of-28 for 250 yards. Susquehanna scored the first 14 points of the contest and held a 21-point lead on three occasions. The defense again doled out the discipline, sacking CNU quarterback Connor Barry five times and forcing three interceptions. For the second straight game defensive lineman Galen Limantour had three sacks as he finished the year second all-time with 13.5 sacks, while defensive back Berkeley Wagner had two interceptions and Waters the one remaining pick. 

Susquehanna's third-round game saw them return to Pennsylvania to meet a new opponent in Eastern. The Eagles made the NCAA Tournament as the MAC champions and defeated Franklin & Marshall in their previous round matchup in just their third year as a varsity football program. The River Hawks, in their 126th football season, pulled rank and delivered a 29-0 shutout win, marking their first season since 2022 with two shutout victories. Though SU's offense failed to produce a touchdown in the opening half, the special teams offered a lift as kicker Dominic Bourgeois bolstered his consensus All-American season with two field goals, including a career-long 45 yarder for the first three points of the game. The Associated Press NCAA Div. III Special Teams Player of the Year finished the year a perfect 20-for-20 on field goals (69-of-70 on extra points), including 5-for-5 on field goals of 40 or more yards. Another two first-half points came courtesy of an Eagles safety as a high snap on an Eastern punt dribbled through the back of the endzone. Both the offense and defense paid their special teams back with interest by combining for three second-half touchdowns. Ehrlich found Hunter Morgenroth and Aaron Angelo for passing touchdowns, while on defense Maple secured another solid playoff performance with an endzone interception to ward off an Eagles scoring chance, then pried the ball out of a receiver's hands to take one back 74 yards for the game's final touchdown. 

The River Hawks set up another rematch with their NCAA Elite Eight meeting against Johns Hopkins. Though it would be the Blue Jays advancing to their second straight semifinals, the afternoon offered an opportunity for Bourgeois to nail his 20th field goal of the season, the only NCAA Division III kicker to do so in 2025, while running back Rahshan La Mons scored a 23-yard touchdown for his 12th of the year, while netting 905 yards on the year on 185 carries, despite missing two games. Senior defensive lineman Brian Layton had one sack for his third of the season and 28th for the defense all year. Ehrlich topped off his Gagliardi Trophy Semifinalist campaign completing 241-of-352 passes for 2,826 yards, second all-time to his 3,092 yards in 2024, while throwing for 32 touchdowns against just two interceptions, finishing one touchdown throw away from his school-record 33 set last season. 

SU once again flooded the All-Landmark board with 21 selections and sweeping the major awards in Ehrlich as Offensive Player of the Year, Limantour Defensive Player of the Year, receiver Daniel Growney Rookie of the Year, and head coach Tom Perkovich and Staff Coaching Staff of the Year. Ehrlich and Limantour went on to receive D3football.com All-Region 2 accords, with Limantour again chosen as its Defensive Player of the Year. Joining them on the list were La Mons, Bourgeois, Maple, and senior linebacker Jesse Ruisch. Bourgeois and Limantour went on to receive All-American adulation from both D3football.com and the Associated Press, while Bourgeois made it a consensus All-American season after receiving such honors by the AFCA and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Ruisch, La Mons, and long snapper PJ Pollock were also chosen as All-Americans by the AP. Bourgeois was a six-time Landmark Specialist of the Week selection, as well as twice being named to D3football.com's Team of the Week at kicker. Ehrlich was twice chosen the Landmark's Offensive Player of the Week, while linebacker Brennen Miller received Landmark Specialist of the Week as part of the River Hawks' return coverage.