Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Getting to know Winston-Salem State

VALDOSTA, Georgia  — The Valdosta State football team will face the Winston-Salem State Rams in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala.

The meeting will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The Blazers advanced to the national championship game after going 8-2 in regular season play, finishing second in the Gulf South Conference and earning the region’s top seed. In the playoffs, VSU beat West Alabama (49-21), Carson-Newman (48-26) and Minnesota State-Mankato (35-19).

Winston-Salem State advanced to its first-ever national championship with a perfect 14-0 record. The Rams won the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this season, earning the school’s seventh playoff appearance.


After playing a weaker conference schedule — their CIAA opponents combined for a 38-44 record — the Rams defeated Shippensburg (37-14), Indiana (Pa.) (21-17) and West Texas A&M (41-18) in the playoffs.

Winston-Salem State is just the second Historically Black College and University (HBCU) school to advance to the national championship game, joining Central State of Ohio, which made the title game in 1983.

If the Rams are victorious Saturday over the Blazers, they would become just the fifth team to win a championship with a perfect, undefeated 15-0 record. Minnesota-Duluth was the last team to accomplish the 15-0 championship season in 2008 and 2010.

READ MORE

No comments: