Well, the run for the Warriors continues. Despite not winning the turnover margin for the first time during the playoffs, Wayne managed to out-physical another opponent on its way to a 21-14 win at Winston-Salem. As we discussed last week, WSSU was a solid opponent but it's hard to know for sure just how much so given SR1's lack of success when getting to this stage of the post-season. Kudos so the Rams on a great season, but an even bigger congrats to Wayne for becoming the second GLIAC team to earn the trip to Florence.

Wayne State (12-3) vs. Pittsburg State (13-1)

Wayne's first trip to the title game will see them face a program that is no stranger to The Shoals. Pitt State has been there four times in the last twenty years, most recently in 2004. After consecutive lackluster seasons, the Gorillas got back on track in a big way in 2011 by dethroning Northwest Missouri in the MIAA and running roughshod through their side of the bracket.

Pitt State actually looks scarily similar to Wayne (statistically, anyway), including being run-first on offense. PSU doesn't sport a pair of 1,300-yard RB's like Wayne does, however, as they are instead led by their quarterback Zac Dickey. Dickey's passing numbers are somewhat similar to those of Mickey Mohner in terms of completion percentage and yardage, but he throws it far less as he only puts it up about 17 times per game. When he does go to the air, he usually looks for John Brown who is averaging just short of 20 yards per grab and has hauled in 12 scores. With all of that in mind, Dickey's legs are his most potent weapons as he leads the Gorillas with nearly 1,100 yards on the ground. Briceton Wilson shoulders the bulk of the remaining rushing load, but make no mistake...as Zac Dickey goes, so go the Gorillas.

The PSU D will present an interesting challenge as they are holding opposing rushing attacks to 109 yards per game. Having come through the MIAA, that's saying something. Nate Dreiling leads this unit with 124 tackles and 17.5 tackles-for-loss. He's also picked-off seven passes this year, so the guy is darn near everywhere. How the Warriors will go to working on not letting him make play after play should prove interesting.

The Warrior formula in the playoffs has been pretty simple: Run the ball, contain the run, avoid mistakes on special teams, win the turnover battle. They've done each of those for four weeks straight, with the exception of not coming out ahead on turnovers last week. Pitt State should prove to be far and away the most difficult of their five playoff opponents, so being successful in these four key areas is a must. Wayne has shown they can slow down clubs with running QB's during this run, and they've also done well with turnovers and on special teams. Where the big question lies for us is whether their offense will be able to move the ball. The PSU D will likely be the most physical that Wayne has seen this year, and the status of Toney Davis is still uncertain after he got dinged last week. It's tough enough to run the ball against Pitt State, and it's even tougher if you have to do it without the most physical of your backs.

While this should prove to be the most formidable opponent Wayne has seen this year, the Warriors have overcome just about every obstacle imagineable. Over the last month and a half. They limped down the stretch, but still found their way into the bracket. They had to go on the road for four straight weeks, but they managed to perform well each week and win anyway. Now, they'll become the first D2 club to play sixteen games in a season. Why the heck can't they overcome this too and win? Based on what we've seen from them the last month, it's hard to bet against them. Wayne 22, Pitt State 20.

Best of luck to both teams for a competitve game with no injuries and terrific sportmanship. The GLIAC faithful are behind the Warriors, and we're looking forward to this year's edition of the Florence experience.