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West Alabama keeps pulling out victories by the
narrowest of margins.
The Tigers blocked two field goals and Albany
State missed a field goal with just 16 seconds remaining to keep their season
alive by winning 24-22.
It is a newfound season that head coach Bobby
Wallace is all too familiar with in Division II.
He guided North Alabama to a 41-1 mark in three
straight national championship seasons spanning from 1993 to 1995.
This is the season West Alabama fans have
envisioned since the announcement of Wallace returning to Division II and the
Gulf South Conference after leaving the Temple Owls.
The Tigers battled through adversity during the
middle grind of the 2009 schedule. Wallace saw his team drop three straight,
including a 58-40 defeat at home to NAIA Lambuth.
West Alabama fell to Southern Arkansas by a
score of 38-30 and Valdosta State 35-6.
Perhaps the most devastating defeat was to West
Georgia 10-9. It was a game where UWA had three interceptions and a fumble.
Round Two of the NCAA Division II Playoffs
#6 West Alabama (8-4) at #2 Carson-Newman
(9-2), 1:00 PM ET
Forecast at Kickoff: 60 degrees, cloudy, 2 MPH wind, and 20% chance of
precipitation.
Point Spread: Carson-Newman (-10.5)
For the first time since 2003 when it hosted
Fayetteville State in the first round, Carson-Newman will be hosting a playoff
game.
This team is unlike many the Eagles have had as
of late.
Star senior quarterback. Star senior running
back. And the team has shined like a star these past nine games.
Quarterback Alex Good understands the pressure
of playoff games and the history of Carson-Newman football.
The Eagles got off to a fast start against
Valdosta State last season on the road in the opening round of the playoffs but
mental mistakes were their undoing.
Has Carson-Newman matured enough in one year to
be a serious threat at a deep playoff run?
Absolutely.
It is unfortunate that North Alabama more than
likely awaits them next week?
Of course.
However, West Alabama is on the docket and they
bring enough challenges of their own to worry about. The Tigers depend on
quarterback Deon Williams, a 5'11 211 pound junior. He originally signed with
Valdosta State coming out of high school but transferred to East Central
Community College. ECCC is not an uncommon route to take if you are at West
Alabama. Coach Wallace has five ECCC players on the roster along with 28 total
transfers, mostly of Junior College variety.
The names that you must know heading into this
one from UWA are 5'9 211 pound Jacksonville State transfer running back
Roosevelt Ross, hard-nosed 5'10 206 pound running back Dameon Baylor, and 6'2
250 pound Ole Miss transfer tight end Jason Hawkins.
West Alabama likes to operate out of the spread
option attack with elusive quarterback Deon Williams. He will test the perimeter
of Carson-Newman's defense.
It is absolutely imperative that the Eagles
begin to score early because it might take a possession or two for coach Sparks'
coaching staff to adjust defensively.
Worst case scenario is that Carson-Newman would
be down by two scores early. With running back Buck Wakefield waiting in the
wings, two scores so early in the game is not a problem.
West Alabama has not seen the split back veer
this season and the scout team cannot replicate what a top ten Division II can
do.
One of the most unheralded players in Division
II may be West Alabama's 6'3 senior defensive back J.D. Douglas. Prior to his
arrival for the Tigers, Douglas was a member of the 2007 Junior College national
championship team - Butler Community College. They went 12-0 that season and he
was named an All-American and went to the Junior All-Star bowl.
This year Douglas has six pass deflections, a
forced fumble, 102.5 total tackles, and 3.5 tackles for loss.
The player that D2Football.com concentrated on
in the preseason for West Alabama was senior linebacker DeAntuan Matthews, a 5'9
220 force. He has been in on 77.5 total tackles, ten tackles for loss, a sack,
and two interceptions.
It will come down to West Alabama having the
size and speed to take on Carson-Newman, but the difficulty in stopping an
offense rarely seen will prove to be the difference. Backbreaking passes to C-N
wideouts Charles Dobson and Reggie Hubbard will keep the defense honest. An
honest defense is a defense that will be gashed by Wakefield and Good. UWA does
not have the particular speed to contain those two, although across the board
their speed is very good.
Never pick against Carson-Newman at the Creek
after a week of rest. West Alabama has been walking a tightrope these past three
weeks.
Time for the act to become a season finale for
the Tigers.
Carson-Newman 33 West Alabama: 17
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