NCAA DIVISION II PLAYOFFS

Minn. Duluth (12-0) at Ouachita Baptist (10-0), noon, Saturday: Minn. Duluth, the No. 4 seed in Super Region 3, scored 19 unanswered points in the final 10 minutes to rally for a 25-21 victory over defending Div. II national champion NW Missouri State last Saturday in Duluth. The Bulldogs (13-0) had 183 of their 313 offensive yards in the fourth quarter to earn the trip to Arkadelphia, Ark. Ouachita Baptist, which enjoyed its first 10-0 regular season in school history, is making its first appearance in the Div. II playoffs. The top-seeded Tigers, who had a first-round bye, averaged 37 points and 412.4 yards per game during the regular season. This is the first meeting between the two teams.

Pittsburg State (11-1) at MSU Mankato (12-0), 1 p.m., Saturday: Fifth-seeded Pittsburg State, the MIAA co-champions, rallied from an early 21-0 deficit for a 59-42 victory over Harding last Saturday. Gorillas QB Anthony Abenoja, one of 36 candidates for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the Div. II National Player of the Year, has passed for 3,623 yards and 30 TDs. Despite being ranked No. 1 in the Div. II Top 25, the host Mavericks were the No. 2 seed in Super Region 3 behind Ouachita Baptist. The Mavericks, who had shutouts in two of their final three regular-season games, have allowed just 11.7 points per game. On offense, the Mavericks have averaged 44 points per game. This is the first meeting between the two teams.

NCAA DIVISION III PLAYOFFS

St. John's (10-1) at Wartburg (11-0), noon, Saturday: St. John's used a strong defensive effort last Saturday to earn its first playoff victory since 2007. The Johnnies intercepted a school-record eight passes in a 35-7 victory over St. Scholastica. Junior Sam Sura rushed for 147 yards and three TDs to highlight the victory. On the season, Sura has rushed for a school-record 1,752 yards. Wartburg, which has tied a school record for victories, held on for a 37-31 victory over St. Thomas last Saturday. The Knights, ranked No. 5 in the d3football.com poll, are led by junior QB Logan Schrader. Schrader, one of the semifinalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, has passed for 2,742 yards and 28 TDs. It is the first meeting between the two since 1994, when the Johnnies defeated Wartburg in the second round of the playoffs.

JOEL RIPPEL