GAME DAY / A Look at Today’s Key Matchups

NCAA DIVISION I-AA

* CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE (5-3, 4-2) vs. PORTLAND STATE (7-2, 5-1)

At Portland Civic Stadium, 6:05 p.m.

Northridge needs victories over Portland State and Northern Arizona on Nov. 20 to have a chance at the Division I-AA playoffs. With several players injured, the Matadors will play for the second time this season on artificial turf and in a stadium where they are winless in eight games. What’s more, rain is expected. Portland State, ranked No. 15 in I-AA, is not lacking motivation. The Vikings need a victory to keep pace with Montana for first and an automatic playoff berth. Portland State entered the Big Sky with Northridge in 1996 and has had three losing seasons. If that isn’t enough, Charles Dunn, a junior from Muir High, needs 135 yards to break the Vikings’ career rushing record. Dunn rushed for a career-high 250 yards in a school-record 41 carries against Northridge in 1997, the last time the Matadors visited Portland. Dunn has averaged 24 carries a game in three seasons and has not missed a game because of injury. Several Northridge players are nursing injuries and many watched practice from the sidelines this week. The news is encouraging regarding the lingering ankle injury of quarterback Marcus Brady. Brady practiced with intensity Thursday and is expected to start.

NCAA DIVISION III

* CAL LUTHERAN (3-4) vs. MENLO (3-4)

At Menlo, 1 p.m.

After suffering a 35-32 double-overtime loss at La Verne last week, Cal Lutheran departs from conference play for its final road game of the season. Dorian Stitt caught a 32-yard touchdown pass with 34 seconds left in regulation to tie La Verne, but a penalty for excessive celebration led to a missed 35-yard extra point. Ryan Geisler, who kicked four field goals against La Verne, has made 11 of 13 field-goal attempts this season and ranks first in the nation among Division III kickers in field goals per game (1.57). Menlo won at Occidental last week, 42-27. Cal Lutheran won, 23-16, at Occidental two weeks ago. Menlo averages 275 yards passing per game, a concern for a Kingsmen defense that allowed La Verne to pass for 394 yards. Cal Lutheran has won four of five games against Menlo but the Kingsmen are 1-3 on the road this season. Win or lose today, the Kingsmen play for a share of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title next week when they host Redlands in a regular-season finale.

JUNIOR COLLEGE

* VALLEY (4-3, 2-2) vs. MOORPARK (4-3, 3-1)

At Moorpark College, 7 p.m.

Moorpark is at home for the first time since Oct. 2, and not a moment too soon. The Raiders last week lost at Canyons, 37-29, dropping into a three-way tie with Ventura and Hancock for first place in the Western State Conference Northern Division. Moorpark, traditionally strong on defense, is on pace to allow 303 points, the most given up by the Raiders since yielding 332 points in 1984. Valley last week came close to upsetting Ventura before losing, 24-21. Valley’s only victory in three road games came in the opener at Harbor on Sept. 11. The Monarchs have lost the last two games against Moorpark. The game features receivers Jerome Riley of Valley, tied for third in the state with 61 receptions, and Shayne Sobel of Moorpark, fifth with 44.

* CANYONS (5-2, 2-2) vs. SANTA BARBARA (3-4, 2-2)

At Santa Barbara College, 1 p.m.

Canyons, ranked No. 20 in the state, is riding a three-game winning streak after defeating Moorpark, 37-29, last week in a WSC Northern Division matchup. The Cougars are back in position to get a bowl invitation, but they face first-place Ventura and Valley in the next two weeks. They are beating opponents thanks to an offense that ranks 12th in the state at 416.9 yards per game and that bails out a porous defense that gives up 393.1 yards per outing. Chris Kobe’s 61.1% completion rate is tops in the WSC. Santa Barbara snapped a two-game skid with a 42-35 victory over Glendale last week. Brett Van Pelt of Santa Barbara, son of former NFL linebacker Brad Van Pelt, is sixth in the conference with 588 yards rushing.

* OTHER GAMES

WSC Northern Division: 1 p.m., Hancock (6-1, 3-1) at Glendale (3-4, 1-3); 7 p.m., Pierce (1-6, 0-4) at Ventura (6-1, 3-1). Foothill Conference: 1 p.m., Antelope Valley (3-5, 2-4) at Victor Valley (0-7, 0-5).