A Look at Today’s Key matchups

NCAA DIVISION I-AA

* IDAHO STATE (2-6, 1-4) vs. CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE (4-5, 2-3)

At North Campus Stadium, 6:05 p.m.

Idaho State could tie Northridge in the Big Sky Conference standings with a victory. The Matadors haven’t lived up to expectations and Idaho State is showing signs of life. Northridge has a four-game winning streak at home but struggled in its last appearance at North Campus Stadium on Oct. 25, beating Big Sky bottom-feeder Cal State Sacramento, 45-38, in overtime. Senior Aaron Flowers, among the best quarterbacks in Division I-AA, no doubt is eager for redemption after having three passes intercepted in the first quarter last week in Northridge’s 21-13 loss at Montana. Flowers, who missed three games this season because of a broken right leg, has 2,222 yards passing and 18 touchdowns. The Bengals have free safety Trevor Bell, the Big Sky’s leader in interceptions with seven and Idaho State’s career leader with 16. He had one of five interceptions by the Bengals in a 41-24 upset of Northern Arizona last week. Freshman Kevin McCarthy, pressed into service because of injuries to two Bengal quarterbacks, passed for 191 yards and three touchdowns and will start tonight. James Ferrell has kicked two 49-yard field goals, fourth-longest in the Big Sky this season. Linebacker Brennen Swanson was in on 11 tackles against Montana and helped the Matadors hold the Grizzlies to 28 yards rushing, the first time Northridge held an opponent under 100 this season.

DIVISION III

* CAL LUTHERAN (4-3) vs. CHAPMAN (2-5)

At Chapman Field, Orange, 7 p.m.

Cal Lutheran goes into this nonconference game looking for its first four-game winning streak since 1991. Chapman, an NCAA Division III independent, lost at Western Washington, Hardin-Simmons and Howard Payne, and lost at home to Willamette of Oregon and St. Mary’s. Chapman defeated Menlo, which beat Cal Lutheran. Kingsmen quarterback Zack Hernandez has completed nearly 68% of his passes, 80 of 118, for 837 yards and nine touchdowns, and rushed for 315 yards and five touchdowns. Chapman’s Greg Hyland has completed 74 of 136 passes for 885 yards. Terry Noice has 27 catches for 343 yards and two touchdowns. Chapman’s Matt George leads Division III with a 45.1-yard punting average. Cal Lutheran’s Jeff Shea, who led the nation the past two seasons, is fourth at 43.9.

JUNIOR COLLEGE

* VALLEY (5-2, 1-1) vs. SOUTHWEST (5-2, 2-0)

At Southwest, 1 p.m.

Valley can pull even in the Western State Conference Southern Division with a victory. The Monarchs’ offense, behind the passing of Tom Racius, ranks second in the conference and will challenge Southwest’s top-ranked defense, which allows an average of only 150 yards passing a game. Randall Lane of Valley has 49 catches for 758 yards, and Leaford Hackett has 45 catches for 605 yards. Southwest’s offense is ranked last among 12 conference teams. The Cougars have rushed for only 692 yards. Marques Hannie has rushed for 539 yards and six touchdowns. Hassayn Bailey has passed for 670 yards and seven touchdowns.

*MOORPARK (3-4, 1-1) vs. SANTA MONICA (4-3, 1-1)

At Santa Monica, 7 p.m.

A stable of running backs has kept Moorpark in contention in the absence of a passing attack. Carl Richardson has rushed for 549 yards and four touchdowns. Emory Holmes, who rushed for 203 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown last week in a victory over West L.A., has logged most of the carries in recent weeks. Holmes has 385 yards and two touchdowns. Santa Monica’s Dylen Smith ranks second in the WSC with 1,719 yards passing and 15 touchdowns, but the Corsairs scored three points last week against Southwest. Santa Monica is last in the WSC with 556 yards rushing.

*PIERCE (0-7, 0-2) vs. SANTA BARBARA (3-4, 0-2)

At Santa Barbara, 1 p.m.

Pierce might again be without quarterback Dan McMullen for this WSC Northern Division game. McMullen is hobbled by a hip pointer suffered three weeks ago against Valley and did not play last week. Freshman Jeremy Coleman is the backup, but wide receiver Vaughn Corley, who took several snaps against Bakersfield, might take over. Pierce’s losing streak is 25 games. Coach Bill Norton is hoping the streak will end against his alma mater. Norton played quarterback at Santa Barbara in 1969. Santa Barbara’s offense revolves around quarterback Anthony Ramos, who ranks sixth among conference passers.

*GLENDALE (1-6, 1-1) vs. BAKERSFIELD (7-0, 2-0)

At Bakersfield, 7 p.m.

Glendale earned its first victory last week, 35-23, over Ventura. Darrell Durham was selected WSC and state player of the week after rushing for 278 yards and four touchdowns. He is tied with Bakersfield’s Armis Stokes for the WSC lead with 11 rushing touchdowns. Bakersfield’s running game is ranked first in the WSC. The Renegades, with a line averaging close to 300 pounds, average 279 yards rushing a game. Stokes has 664 yards rushing and J’Dron London has 945 yards and 10 touchdowns. Bakersfield, ranked second in the state and first in Southern California, has passed for only 656 yards.

*HANCOCK (5-2, 2-0) vs. VENTURA (1-6, 1-1)

At Ventura, 1 p.m.

Hancock is tied with Bakersfield in the WSC Northern Division, thanks largely to Delray Pointer, who has rushed for 601 yards and 10 touchdowns. Pointer was held to 77 yards last week in a 37-31 victory over Santa Barbara, but has been explosive and ranks second in scoring in the WSC. Jeff McCoy has passed for 1,040 yards and six touchdowns. Freshman Brandon Scott of Ventura leads the WSC with 982 yards rushing but has scored only five touchdowns. Scott has accounted for all but seven yards of the Pirates’ rushing output. Ventura quarterback Patrick Bartley was a midseason replacement for Rolando Garcia.

*GROSSMONT (3-4, 2-3) vs. ANTELOPE VALLEY (5-2, 4-1)

At Antelope Valley, 7 p.m.

Antelope Valley has won three consecutive games and is a game behind San Bernardino in the Foothill Conference standings. The Marauder offense has been efficient under a two-quarterback system. Brad Norris completed 13 of 13 passes for 211 yards in a 48-14 victory over Chaffey last week and Michael Gleich completed two of two. Lafayette Bailey has rushed for 608 yards and nine touchdowns. Grossmont is coming off a bye after defeating Mt. San Jacinto, 31-28. Mark McKown ranks third in the conference with 1,043 passing yards but has completed only 48% of his passes. Last season, Grossmont defeated Antelope Valley, 50-37.