One more title to be decided
D2 playoffs begin for two teams
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor
Coming into the last couple of weeks of the regular season, there's just one more conference or division title to be determined.
That's in the SWAC East Division where Jackson State (6-4, 6-2) hosts Alcorn State (2-7, 2-6) needing a win or a loss by Alabama A&M (8-2, 6-2) at Prairie View (6-3, 5-3) to earn a date vs. West Division champ Grambling State in the Dec. 15 conference title game in Birmingham. A JSU loss and A&M win will send the Bulldogs back to the title game for the third straight year.
Delaware State (9-1, 7-0), who won the MEAC title and automatic NCAA FCS playoff berth with its 28-21 overtime win over Norfolk State Saturday, finishes off its regular season hosting Howard (4-6, 2-5) Saturday (1 p.m.). The Hornets will be looking to finish their MEAC schedule with an unblemished mark and get a high seed when the playoff pairings are announced Sunday.
Norfolk State (7-3) has a long shot at claiming an at-large FCS playoff berth. The Spartans finish their regular season hosting (1 p.m.) dangerous Winston-Salem State (6-4).
Two NCAA Div. II teams, CIAA champion
Shaw (8-3) and SIAC runner-up Albany State
(8-2), head into first round playoff games this
weekend against tough opponents.
Shaw vaulted into the playoff picture with its stirring come-from-behind win Saturday in the conference title game over Virginia Union (see story below). Second-year head coach Darrell Asberry and the Bears received the sixth and last seed in the region and will take on third-seed Delta State (9-1) in a first round game in Cleveland, Ms.
Delta State knocked both 2006 CIAA runner-up Elizabeth City State and league champion North Carolina Central out of the playoffs on successive Saturdays last year en route to the D2 semifinals. The Statesmen's only loss this season is to the region's top seed, North Alabama. DSU is led by junior QB Dedrick Wilson who has run for 762 yards and 12 TDs and passed for 1,128 yards and 6 TDs. Wilson has thrown 12 interceptions.
Shaw will counter with the top defense in all of Div. II football giving up just 182.8 yards per game. Delta State has the fourth best defense nationally surrendering just 224.8 yards per game.
SIAC runner-up Albany State, under head coach James "Mike" White, received its fourth straight playoff bid and will be the region's fifth seed. The Golden Rams will travel to Salisbury, N.C., to take on fourth-seeded Catawba (10-1).
Catawba has one of the most prolific offenses in the nation averaging 468 yards and 43.8 points per game and is led by QB Brad Roach who has thrown for 2,704 yards and 24 TDs. Kory Fisher (907 yards, 10 TDs) and George Bell (599 yards, 16 TDs) lead the ground attack. Roach has thrown touchdown passes to ten different receivers.
Albany State's hopes rest on an opportunistic defense and an offense led by QB Kisan Flakes that features RBs Lironne Davis (590 yds., 7 TDs) and Brian Porter (460 yds., 6 TDs).
© 2007 Azeez Communications, Inc.