Sports

VSU has a huge task

• Valdosta State and Delta State will battle for Division II Southeast Region supremacy tonight at Bazemore-Hyder.

Bryan Fazio
The Valdosta Daily Times

VALDOSTA — The game with more up for grabs than a going-out-of-business sale puts the focus of Division II football in Valdosta today.

The marquee matchup pitting No. 5 Valdosta State against No. 8 Delta State at 8 p.m. in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, carries with it national, regional and conference championship ramifications.

Both the Blazers and the Statesman come into the contest undefeated with title aspirations, having won five games a piece.

The Blazers possess one of the country’s best offenses, while Delta State’s defense is the  scariest around.

“They’re everything they’re advertised to be,” VSU coach David Dean said. “They don’t have a weakness in their defense, they’re great in coverage, and tremendous in pass rush.”

 The Statesmen top the Gulf South Conference in scoring defense (allowing 9.8 points per game), rushing defense (57.2 yards per game) and pass efficiency defense (70.4 yards). The 70.4 yards allowed through the air is also the tops in the nation.

The leader off the vaunted Statesmen defense is also among the best around.

Senior Michael Eubanks is technically listed as a linebacker, but lines up at whatever position allows him to wreak the most havoc.

Eubanks was the GSC defensive player of the year in 2006, and is currently the team’s leader 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

“I don’t know if there’s a better defensive player in the conference,” Dean said.

Opposing teams throughout the year have tried everything to stop Eubanks, including leaving their running backs to protect the quarterbacks, sacrificing a receiver.

The Blazers, who are known for their spread offense, won’t be using one of their bevy of backs to drop back, but will instead rely on a much-improved offensive line.

“What we’re going to do is bow our necks, and go one-on-one with him and hopefully we can contain him,” Dean said. “Our offensive line has to play very well, just because of how good their pass rush is.”

VSU will stack four seniors on the offensive line, against four seniors on the Statesmen’s defensive line in a battle of experience. Also adding to the experience around the offensive line is second-year VSU quarterback Willie Copeland. Copeland comes off his first full year of knowing the offense, showing a better ability to throw the ball away or scramble from the pocket.

“We’re ready for that challenge,” VSU center Davis Russell said. “Last year they were number one in the country in defensive stats going into it, and we came out and played a pretty good game offensively. We believe we can do that again, and do even better. We have four seniors starting on the offensive line, and I believe we’re more experienced, and more big game ready for a game of this caliber.”

VSU will challenge the Statesmen defense with a potent offense, ranking first in the GSC in scoring offense (40.4 points per game, second in total offense (445.4 yards per game) and third in passing offense (260.4 yards per game).

A year ago, the Statesmen ranked No. 16 handed the then-No. 5 Blazers a 35-28 loss in Cleveland, Miss. The loss helped keep VSU out of the playoffs, behind Delta and North Alabama in the conference standings.

In a shortened week of practice, the Blazers have kept last year’s game mum, but none the less have kept a focused look.

“I thought they would mention it a little more, but they know (Delta State is) a good team, and know they have to play well,” Dean said.

The loss seems to have caused the Blazers to treat each game a little differently this season, knowing that the only guaranteed way into the playoffs is an undefeated season.

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