Saturday, November 23, 2013

Golden Tiger Buzz: Tuskegee at North Alabama


WHAT: No. 6 Tuskegee (8-2) at No. 3 North Alabama (8-2)

WHEN: Saturday, noon

WHERE: Braly Municipal Stadium, Florence, Ala.

THIS GAME DETERMINES: The first round Division II playoff matchup is win a win or go home contest for both team but it'll be a program-defining game for the Golden Tigers. That wondering is over.

For years, Tuskegee, which owns more than 20 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles. However, the Golden Tigers always opted to play in the annual Turkey Day Classic against Alabama St. instead of opening themselves up to an opportunity to play in the Division II playoffs until this past spring when they chose not to renew their contract in that game. Now, they'll get to see how they fare on the national level. 

THREE THINGS TO WATCH FOR

1. Stage fright. The game is played on the field. They put on their pants the same way we do. You don't start out with a 10-point lead because of what's written on the front of your jersey. Yeah, we know all that but when a team such as UNA, which is making its 18th appearance in the Division II playoffs, is matched up against one like Tuskegee, which is making its inaugural run in the postseason, the question of who handles the state best has to come up. The first few possessions of the first quarter could be as big as any in this one for Tuskegee.
 

No comments: