NAIA SEMIFINALS

Georgetown of Kentucky (12-0)

vs. Azusa Pacific (9-2)

* Kickoff: 6 p.m. Saturday, Cougar Stadium in Azusa.

* Story line: The Cougars, the defending National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics champions, are seeking their second consecutive trip to the championship game. Azusa Pacific will be playing the team that took over the NAIA’s top ranking from the Cougars in September and has remained there since. The burden will be on the Cougar defense, which has the assignment of trying to contain an offense that averages more than 51 points a game.

* Azusa Pacific update: The Cougar offense has turned it on in recent weeks, scoring at least 31 points for six consecutive games. Much of that has to do with the play of Jack Williams, the reigning NAIA player of the year has run for 614 yards in the four games he has been the primary running back. He needs only 86 yards to become the second Cougar to have consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Christian Okoye was the first. Williams’ presence has also opened the passing game. Quarterback Neo Aoga has 11 touchdown passes in the last three games, including two last week in a record-setting performance against Hastings of Nebraska. Aoga threw for a school-record 426 yards in a 38-35 upset of the third-ranked team. Williams ran for 198.

* Georgetown update: The Tigers have the most productive offense in NAIA history, standing only 432 yards short of the NAIA record for yards in a season. Georgetown’s 1991 team set that record in 14 games, and these Tigers are playing their 13th game. Sophomore quarterback Eddie Eviston leads the run-and-shoot attack with 3,322 yards and 30 touchdowns passing, and a team-high 659 yards with a team-record-tying 16 touchdowns rushing. He has had a hand in 46 of the 88 touchdowns scored by a team whose lowest point total was 30 and has scored at least 55 seven times. Last week, Eviston led the Tigers to the end zone on each of their first five possessions as they destroyed fifth-ranked Taylor of Indiana, 55-3, at Georgetown. On the injury front, All-Mid-South Conference cornerback Frank Parks’ season ended two weeks ago because of a torn knee ligament, and punter Kyle Ruscher sprained his ankle playing ultimate Frisbee in physical education class and is questionable.

* Edge to Azusa Pacific: Georgetown has the offensive numbers, but Azusa Pacific has experience and the home-field advantage. The Cougars have played one Division I-AA team, a Division II team, four Division III teams and five NAIA teams. The Tigers have played only one Division III team and the other opponents were in the NAIA.