BLOOMSBURG — All or nothing.

Slippery Rock and Bloomsburg could be facing such consequences when they meet in the PSAC championship football game at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Redman Stadium.

Both teams are 9-1. The host Huskies are ranked No. 3 in Super Region One while The Rock is ranked fifth. The top six ranked teams at the conclusion of the weekend advance to the NCAA Division II playoffs.

“We’ve been in this situation twice before, where we’ve lost, finished sixth and gotten bumped by the earned access rule,” Bloomsburg interim head coach Paul Darragh said. “I could see it happening again.”

If the best team in another conference finishes seventh or eighth in the rankings, and has no other league team ranked higher, that team gets moved to sixth and the sixth-ranked team gets knocked out of the postseason picture.

“That (earned access) rule needs to be looked at,” Rock coach George Mihalik said. “And if the state game winds up costing a team with a legitimate record a national playoff berth, maybe that game needs to be re-examined and discontinued.”

Saturday’s game pits the PSAC’s No. 1 rushing offense — Bloomsburg at 313.4 yards per game — against the conference’s No. 1 passing attack — SRU at 375.5 yards per contest.

The Rock also leads the nation in total offense at 573.4 yards per game.

“You see a lot of fireworks when they have the ball,” Darragh allowed. “The best way to stop an offense like that is to keep it on the sidelines.

“We take pride in our running game. We need to generate first downs, be methodical, keep moving the clock.”

That all starts with senior running back Franklyn Quiteh and a stellar, experienced offensive line.

A four-year starter, Quiteh is second on the all-time NCAA Division II rushing list 7,084 yards. Only San Diego Charger running back Danny Woodhead (Chadron State, 7,962 yards) has rushed for more.

Quiteh is the PSAC’s all-time touchdown leader with 86. He has 210 carries for 1,756 yards and 24 touchdowns this season and has been playing with a shoulder injury he sustained in the fourth quarter against Shippensburg two weeks ago.

“He’s been a durable player, a tough player,” Darragh said.

SRU’s rush defense ranks 10th nationally and second in the PSAC, allowing just 93 yards on the ground per game. Bloomsburg is first, allowing just 81.

The Rock also allows only a 22.8 percent conversion rate on third down, third-best in the nation.

“It will be incumbent upon our defense to get off the field on third down so we can get our offense on,” Mihalik said. “You’re not going to stop Quiteh, but you have to control him.

“Arm tackles won’t get it done with this guy. We have to wrap him up and get him to the turf. He’s gonna get the ball 25 or 30 times, so he can wear you down.”

Senior right guard Brian Clarke, center Chris Steck and left tackle Matt Feiler have combined for 115 starts for the Huskies.

The Rock will not have senior linebacker Quindell Dean for this game as he sits out a game suspension for taking a “targeting” penalty last week at Seton Hill. Dean is second on the team with 71 tackles — one behind Mars graduate Austin Miele — and leads the squad with 12.5 tackles for loss.

He will be replaced in the lineup by Jake Myers, a transfer from Bloomsburg.

“Our unit stepped up its game with (linebacker) Gary Allen out against California and I anticipate them doing it again,” Mihalik said.

Huskies quarterback Tim Kelly has thrown for 1,659 yards and 13 touchdowns while throwing only five picks. The Bloomsburg defense has recorded 14 interceptions and 31 sacks. Larry Webster has 10.5 sacks and JP Patrick five interceptions.

Offensively, Rock running backs Shamar Greene and Teddy Blakeman return from injury this week, as does receiver LaQuinn Stephens-Howling.

Quarterback Nigel Barksdale needs seven completions and 11 pass attempts to break single-season school records in both categories. John Schademan needs 42 receiving yards to break Greg Hopkins’ single-season school mark.

“We’ve faced two dynamic offenses the past two weeks in Shippensburg and West Chester,” Darragh said. “This offense will be the most challenging we’ve faced.”

Bloomsburg may have an advantage in place-kicking as Danny Fisher is fifth all-time in Division II with 56 field goals. He is 10 of 14 this year and has missed only once from inside 40 yards.

Mike Wainauskis has hit five of eight field goals for The Rock, but has converted just once in four attempts from inside 29 yards. Brian Shaw will handle any longer field goal attempts.

“No mistake, they have the edge in the kicking game,” Mihalik said. “We may have to come up with a big kick in this game.

“We scored twice on special teams last week, which was nice to see. We definitely need to perorm well in that area this week.”

Notes: Bloomsburg holds a 10-3 lead in the series between the teams and has defeated The Rock nine straight times. Mihalik is 0-7 vs. Bloomsburg. ... SRU’s last win over the Huskies was 18-7 in the 1983 season opener. ... Quiteh rushed for 183 yards and four TDs, Kelly threw for 185 yards and two scores in Bloomsburg’s 49-41 win at SRU last year. ... Darragh served as defensive coordinator for 16 years under formerHuskies coach Danny Hale before assuming the reins this season. Hale won 213 games, second all-time in the PSAC. ... The Rock is playing in its second PSAC title game in three years, losing 21-14 at Kutztown in 2011. Bloomsburg is playing in its second league title game in four years, losing 56-37 at Mercyhurst in 2010.