PORTLAND, Ore.  –  GNAC champion Azusa Pacific still has hope to advance to the opening round of next Saturday’s NCAA football championships.  But they will likely need some help.

Two weeks – and two wins - after earning a No. 5 regional rank, the Cougars  (9-1) are now ranked eighth in Super Regional III and will need to move ahead of two teams after Saturday’s games to qualify.

The final announcement will come Sunday at 2 p.m. (PST) when the NCAA announces the 24-team playoff field with a web cast on ncaa.com.

There are two games matching Top 10 teams Saturday – No. 2 Ouachita Baptist (9-0) plays at No. 9 Henderson State (9-1) and No. 4 Pittsburg State (9-1) visits No. 10 Central Oklahoma (8-2).

Azusa Pacific, which finished its conference season with a perfect 6-0 record to earn its second straight GNAC title, concludes its regular-season Saturday against NAIA Menlo.

Central Washington (6-4, 4-2), which plays at Simon Fraser in a non-conference contest Saturday, will finish no worse than a tie for second.  CWU will finish in the Top 2 in the GNAC for the 10th time in 11 years.

Both Humboldt State (7-2, 3-2) and Western Oregon (5-5, 3-2) can earn a share of second with wins against Dixie State (1-9, 0-5) and South Dakota Mines (2-8, 1-4), respectively.

The Lumberjacks are at home to conclude their season; the Wolves visit Rapid City, S.D.

GAMES TO WATCH IN THE REGION SATURDAY: Upper Iowa (6-4) at #1 Minn. St. Mankato (10-0); #2 Ouachita Baptist (9-0) at #9 Henderson State (9-1); #3 Minnesota Duluth (10-0) at Minot State (1-9); #4 Pittsburg State (9-1) at #10 Central Oklahoma (8-2); #5 Northwest Missouri (9-1) at Washburn (4-6); Arkansas Tech (3-7) at #6 Harding (8-1); Wayne State (5-5) at #7 Sioux Falls (9-1).

Defense and Special Teams

Central Washington’s defense and special teams have accounted for eight touchdowns this season, two more than the rest of the GNAC’s six teams combined.

The Wildcats have five of the GNAC’s seven interception return touchdowns and rank fourth nationally in defensive TDs.   They lead the GNAC in interceptions with 19 for 452 yards

CWU’s Jesse Zalk returned a kickoff 90 yards last Saturday at Dixie State for the first and only GNAC kickoff return TD of the season so far.   Zalk ranks 11th nationally in kickoff returns averaging 29.9.

The Wildcats have also produced two of six punt return touchdowns in the conference.

Milestones and Records

In his first two seasons, Zalk has established himself as the GNAC all-time leader in kickoff return average (30.4).  CWU’s Isaiah Davis ranks second with a 25.3 average.

Simon Fraser’s Earl Anderson had three kickoff returns for 45 yards against Azusa Pacific establish himself as the first player in GNAC history to record 100 returns and 2,000 career yards.  He has 100 for 2,018.

Chris Campbell’s next punt will be his 200^th.  The Humboldt State punter ranks fifth in GNAC history with a 40.5 average.  This year he’s second in the conference with a 40.8 average.

CWU defensive back Cedrique Chaney is the conference career leader in career pass break ups with 30; Davis ranks fifth with 25.  Davis ranks third in passes defended (breakups plus interceptions) with 37; Chaney is fifth with 36.

Nationally Speaking

Azusa Pacific running back Terrell Watson is the GNAC all-time leader in all-purpose yards (5,168), rushing (4,721) and scoring (354) among a multitude of other records.

For the first time this season he isn’t ranked first nationally in rushing.  Anthony Bilal of Lake Erie leads with a 182.1 yards per game, 0.7 more than Watson.

In addition to ranking second in rushing, Watson ranks third nationally in scoring (14.4) and fourth in all-purpose running (199.3). 

Watson has a narrow lead in the GNAC in the latter category as Western Oregon wide receiver Paul Revis is sixth with a 189.4 average.  Both are on pace to smash the GNAC single-season record of 167.2 by Lyndon Rowells of Humboldt State (2011).

Revis also ranks ninth in receiving yards averaging 107.4 yards per game.

Two GNAC quarterbacks are ranked in the Top 10.  Ryan Bergman of Western  Oregon is fifth in passing yards (339.8).  South Dakota Mines’ Trent McKinney  is seventh in total offense (337.4).

On defense, Jordan Herdman of Simon Fraser ranks second in tackles, averaging a GNAC-record 14.8 tackles per game.  Alex Markarian of Humboldt State is fifth in sacks (1.28) and fumble recoveries (3).

Tovar Sanchez of Central Washington is fourth in tackles for loss (2.30) and eighth in sacks (1.20) and Mitch Haldane of Central Washington is tied with Markarian for fifth in fumble recoveries (3).

In team categories, Humboldt State is ranked first in both team sacks (4.44) and fourth down defense (.143).  Three teams are ranked third in a category – Central Washington in kickoff returns (26.35), Azusa Pacific in sacks (3.70) and South Dakota Mines in red zone offense (.919).

By The Numbers

100 Yard Rushing Games (200): 9– Terrell Watson, APU (5).  4 - Nick Ricciardulli, HSU.  3 – Kevin Thompson, SDM; Ja’Quan Gardner, HSU.  2 – Trent McKinney, SDM (1); Jordan Todd, CWU; Stephen Spagnuolo, SFU.  1 – Myles Burton, DSU; Colton Peterson, DSU; Nathaniel Penaranda, WOU; Colton Peterson, DSU; Ishmael Stinson, CWU; Cole Tudor, SFU.

300 Yard Passing Performances (400): 6 – Ryan Bergman, WOU (3). 4 - Trent McKinney, SDM (1). 2 - Jake Nelson, CWU; Ben Longshore, DSU (1); Ryan Stanford, SFU.  1 – Hayden Gavett, DSU; Trey Shimabukuro, WOU; Robert Webber, HSU.

100 Yard Receiving Performances:  6 – Paul Revis, WOU. 5 - Tyrell Williams, WOU.  4 - Marcus Sanchez, SDM.  3 - Nate Stephens, DSU; Kent McKinney, CWU.  2 – Lemar Durant, SFU; Greg Logan, CWU; Chase Krivashei, HSU; Cass White, HSU; Bobby Pospischil, SFU.  1 – Daniel Ziegler, SDM; Tanner Henry, APU; Kamakana Apelu, WOU; Jesse Zalk, CWU; Justin Buren, SFU; Rashad Ridley, SDM.

Game Recaps For Nov. 8:

Azusa Pacific 21, Simon Fraser  6 (at Burnaby): Azusa Pacific won its second consecutive GNAC title with a 15-point victory at Swangard Stadium as Terrell Watson rushed 128 yards and two touchdowns (5 and 55) and quarterback Chad Jeffries tossed a 28-yard TD pass to Ethan Zeidler.  The latter six-pointer gave the Cougars’ a 14-0 halftime lead ... Simon Fraser got on the board in the third quarter on a nine-yard pass from Ryan Stanford to Philippe D’Entremont ... Azusa Pacific outgained the Clan 402-285 in total offense.  Both quarterbacks had 224 passing yards as Jeffries completed 18 of 25 passes and Stanford completed 26 of 45. APU outrushed SFU 178-61 as Watson earned his ninth 100-yard rushing game of the season and the 24^th of his GNAC career. He set a GNAC record last season with 10 100-yard games. His 24 career 100-yard games is 10 more than anyone else in GNAC history ... Stephen Spagnuolo was SFU’s leading rusher (12-70) and receiver (8-76).  Blake Robertson led Azusa Pacific with six catches for 62 yards ... Kicker Jamie Cacciatore converted on three extra points to set a Cougar school record for points by a kicker.  He ranks ninth in career scoring in the GNAC with 208 points ... Linebacker Jordan Herdman followed up on his GNAC-record 27 tackle performance a week ago getting 19 more, including eight solos.  Linebacker Mitchell Barnett added nine.  Linebacker Steven Fanua paced APU with seven tackles.  C.J. Broussard and Jonathan Thropay each had interceptions; Broussard’s came in the end zone in the first quarter as the Cougars prevented their opponents from scoring for the 12th time in 33 red zone opportunities.  That .636 percentage ranks 14th in NCAA Division II.

Western Oregon 33, Humboldt State 31 (at Monmouth): A 72-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Bergman to Tyrell Williams late in the third quarter gave Western Oregon a 26-10 lead and the Wolves held on to beat the Lumberjacks, ending Humboldt State’s post-season hopes ... Bergman has three pass completions of 72 or more yards this season, all to Williams who has five catches of 62 or longer ... Williams finished the game with four catches for 94 yards.  James DePew (67 yards) and Daniel Thomas (56 yards) each had five including touchdowns of 15 and 21 yards, respectively. ...  Bergman recorded a GNAC-record tying sixth 300-yard passing game of the season, including a GNAC-record five in a row, completing 28 of 54 passes for 335 yards ...Humboldt State freshman Robert Webber had his first career 300-yard game, completing 29 of 42 for 371 yards and three touchdowns as Chase Krivashei had 13 receptions (tying a GNAC season-high) and 106 yards.  He scored in the second quarter on a 25-yard pass from his former high school classmate ...  Cass White had six catches for 108 yards as both HSU receivers had their second 100-yard games of the season ... Top tacklers in the contest were defensive back Trebriel Larry and linebacker Jonathan Breland for Western Oregon with 11 each.  Larry had four for losses of eight as the Wolves had 15 TFLs for losses of 82 ... Linebacker Taylor Mitchell and defensive tackle Silas Sarvinski each had seven stops for the ‘Jacks.  Sarvinski had two sacks for losses of 21 yards and shared another TFL.

Central Washington 49, Dixie State 17 (at St. George):  The Wildcats recorded their seventh and eighth non-offensive touchdowns of the season in clinching no worse than a tie for second place in the GNAC with a 32-point road win at St. George... It’s the 10^th time in the last 11 GNAC football seasons in which CWU has finished first (7 times) or second (3 times).  That doesn’t include 2006 or 2007 when there was no GNAC football and CWU and Western Washington competed in the now defunct North Central Conference ... Jesse Zalk scored on a 90-yard kickoff return to start the second half and Isaiah Davis closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 66-yard interception return ... Zalk is the current GNAC leader in career kickoff returns with a 30.4 average.  This year he ranks 11^th in Division II with a 29.9 average.  Davis has 12 career interceptions and ranks sixth in GNAC career history in that category ...CWU’s offense did produce 391 yards compare to 290 for the Red Storm.  Dixie outpassed CWU 238-172 as Ben Longshore completed 15 of 35 for 177 yards.  The Wildcats outrushed DSU 219-52 as four players had 30 or more led by Jordan Todd, who netted 79 on 16 carries ... Dixie wide receiver Nate Stephens caught a GNAC-season high 13 passes (154 yards) for the second consecutive week.  He had 13 for 200 yards last week against South Dakota Mines.  RB Colton Peterson had 58 rushing yards on seven carries ... CWU’s defense had 10 tackles for losses, led by defensive end Tovar Sanchez with 2 ½ for losses of 11.  DB Blake Williams-Miller had 10 stops.  defensive end Jake Miller had 10 tackles for DSU.

Southwest Baptist 54, South Dakota Mines 50 (at Rapid City): Hardrocker quarterback Trent McKinney and Southwest Baptist’s Willie Tindal combined for 832 yards and 10 touchdowns as the visitors outlasted SD Mines 54-50 at Rapid City .. Tindal completed 23 of 33 for 408 yards and six touchdowns.  McKinney had 424 yards on 26 of 46 and four TDS ... Southwest’s Nathan Mourik had 10 catches for 195 yards and five touchdowns including a 65-yarder  that  gave Southwest a 54-44 lead with 6:58 left ... Marcus Sanchez had eight catches for 158 yards and three touchdowns and Rashad Ridley had seven for 119 for the Hardrockers.  Sanchez has four 100-yard games this fall; Ridley’s was his first.  Ridley also had 124 yards on five kickoff returns finishing with 243 all-purpose yards ... Running back Kevin Thompson netted 140 yards on 15 carries and scored two touchdowns as SDM finished with 616 yards in total offense.  SW Baptist had 23 more netting 639 ... On the defensive side,  linebacker Jake Hepp led the Hardrockers with nine tackles, including a sack.    DB John Tyler had an interception and linebacker James Carver had a fumble recovery. 

GNAC Football Players of the Week

Offense – Ryan Bergman, Western Oregon (QB, 6-2, 170, Sr., Issaquah, WA) completed 28 of 54 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns leading the Wolves to a 33-31 upset of regionally eighth-ranked Humboldt State. It was his league-leading sixth 300-yard game of the season, equaling a GNAC single-season record. Bergman, who set a GNAC record with his fifth consecutive 300-yard passing game, also leads the GNAC this season with 24 touchdown passes, increasing his career total to 56, four off the school record.

Defense – Trebriel Larry, Western Oregon (DB, 6-0, 185, Fr., Hillsboro, OR) had 11 tackles, including eight solos and four for losses in the Wolves’ two-point home win.   His four TFL resulted for losses of eight yards.  He also had two pass breakups.

Special Teams – Jesse Zalk, Central Washington (WR, 5-8, 160, So., Battle Ground, WA - Prairie) returned three kickoffs for 124 yards, including a 90-yarder for a touchdown to start the second half.  It was the first kickoff return for a TD this fall in the GNAC.