Scouting Report: Carson-Newman vs. West Alabama
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — For the 12th time in the Ken Sparks era, the 10th-ranked Carson-Newman football team will be playing in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. The second-seeded Eagles (9-2) will host sixth-seeded West Alabama (8-4) on Saturday for a second round matchup at 1 p.m. in Burke-Tarr Stadium. The meeting is the second between the two schools.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. — For the 12th time in the Ken
Sparks era, the 10th-ranked Carson-Newman football team will be
playing in the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
The second-seeded Eagles (9-2) will host sixth-seeded West Alabama
(8-4) on Saturday for a second round matchup at 1 p.m. in
Burke-Tarr Stadium. The meeting is the second between the two
schools.
C-N vs. West Alabama
How they made it to the second round:
The Eagles struggled at the start of the 2009 campaign, losing its
first two games of the season at Winona State (17-12) and at
then-No. 4 North Alabama (31-14).
But a convincing 38-10 win over Campbellsville in its home opener
gave C-N momentum that it continued to build over the next eight
games.
The Eagles closed out the regular season on a nine-game winning
streak, including a 45-7 win at Wingate on Oct. 31 that gave C-N
its 21st South Atlantic Conference title.
C-N remained at No. 2 in the final Super Regional Two Poll to earn
the No. 2 seed in the Southeast Region and a first-round bye.
West Alabama opened the season with three-straight wins, including
a 35-30 victory over Arkansas Tech in its Gulf South Conference
opener in week three.
But the Tigers fell 38-30 in overtime at Southern Arkansas the
following week. The loss was the first of three straight for West
Alabama, as the Tigers dropped the next two games at Valdosta State
(35-6) and against Lambuth (58-40).
However, West Alabama bounced back to win four out of its final
five games, including a 31-28 victory in four overtimes at then-No.
1 North Alabama to finish regular season play at 7-4 overall and
5-3 in conference play.
The North Alabama win vaulted the Tigers to No. 6 in the final
Super Regional Two Poll, earning them a berth in the Division II
playoffs for the first time in 34 years.
The Tigers advanced to Saturday’s second round matchup with a
24-22 victory over third-seeded Albany State last Saturday. West
Alabama’s second-round appearance is just the second in
school history.
Offense
C-N enters the playoffs on a roll offensively. The Eagles have
amassed 2,117 yards of total offense in their last three games,
including a school-record 803 yards of total offense in a 70-35 win
over rival Tusculum in the regular season finale.
The Eagles rank fifth nationally in total offense with an average
of 489.6 yards per game and are first in rushing offense with an
average of 354 yards per contest. C-N also ranks ninth in scoring
offense, averaging more than 38 points per game.
Leading the way for C-N’s ground attack are senior running
back Buck Wakefield (Drummonds, Tenn.) and senior quarterback Alex
Good (Greensboro, N.C.), both first team All-SAC selections.
Wakefield rushed for 1,117 yards and 15 touchdowns in just eight
games. He set the school record for rushing in a single game
against Wingate with 303 yards only to break it a week later with
332 yards and a school-record five touchdowns against Tusculum.
Good, the SAC’s Co-Offensive Player of the Year, netted 1,020
yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground and added 1,452 yards and 16
touchdowns through the air. He moved into first place in school
history in career total offense in a win against Brevard as he
finished the day with 129 yards of offense (59 rushing, 70
passing).
The Eagles have a trio of receivers that can take it the distance
each time they touch the ball. First team All-SAC selection Reggie
Hubbard (Chattanooga, Tenn.), who is averaging 20.7 yards per
touch, leads the way with 643 yards and six touchdowns. Senior
Charles Dobson (Umatilla, Fla.) has 328 receiving yards and four
touchdowns and is averaging 29.8 yards per reception, while junior
Doug Belk (Valdosta, Ga.) has caught 13 passes for 233 yards and
four scores.
West Alabama ranks 26th nationally in total offense as the Tigers
are averaging 416.1 yards per game.
The Tigers are as balanced offensively as any team C-N has seen
this season. West Alabama is averaging 247 passing yards and 169
rushing yards per game.
Quarterback Deon Williams has had a successful junior campaign for
West Alabama. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native has thrown for 2,481
yards and 20 touchdowns. He has also proved to be dangerous on the
ground, rushing for 326 yards and six scores.
Williams spreads the ball out to a number of targets, as the Tigers
have six wide receivers with 300 or more receiving yards. Sophomore
Gerald Worsham leads the way with a team-high 43 receptions for 576
yards.
The running back tandem of junior Roosevelt Ross and senior Dameon
Baylor have carried the load for the Tigers’ ground game this
season. Ross leads the team in rushing with 729 yards and four
touchdowns, while Baylor has rushed for 553 yards and a team-high
eight scores.
Defense
The Eagles played their best defense during the last four weeks of
the regular season, giving up an average of 15.5 points per
game.
C-N finished the regular season ranked 27th nationally in scoring
defense (20.1) and 26th in run defense (104.8).
Six Eagles earned All-SAC honors on defense, led by first team
selection Mario Russell (Columbus, Ohio). The junior safety led the
team in tackles (84), pass breakups (15) and forced fumbles (six).
His six forced fumbles, which included a NCAA-record four against
Newberry, tied for the most in the nation.
Sophomore defensive end Zeke Andrews (Eastman, Ga.) was C-N’s
other first team selection. Andrews is the team leader in tackles
for loss (nine) and sacks (6.5).
The Eagles also had the SAC Freshman Defensive Player of the Year
in defensive tackle Qua Jackson (Chattanooga, Tenn.). Jackson
tallied 6.5 tackles for a loss and had one forced fumble.
West Alabama was one of the best in the nation at forcing turnovers
this season as it finished tied for 18th with 29 turnovers forced.
The Tigers forced four key turnovers in their upset win at North
Alabama on Nov. 7.
West Alabama’s defense has four All-Gulf South Conference
selections leading the way. Senior defensive back J.D. Douglas, a
first team selection, has a league-best 122 tackles.
Senior linebacker Tariq Ali also received first team All-GSC honors
as he was third on the team in tackles with 96 and had four
interceptions and two sacks.
Senior linebacker DeAntuan Matthews earned second team honors as he
recorded 108 tackles, including 10 for a loss, and two
interceptions.
The Tigers also had the conference’s Freshman Defensive
Player of the Year in defensive back Shontral Ford. The Jackson,
Miss., native recorded five interceptions and returned two for
touchdowns.
Sparks vs. Wallace
Sparks is in his 30th season at the helm of the C-N program. He is
the all-time winningest coach in Division II with a career record
of 285-69-2. He is also fourth in total wins among active coaches
in all divisions.
This season marks the 22nd time Sparks has led the Eagles into
postseason play. C-N boasts a 34-16-1 record in the playoffs under
Sparks and has won five national titles at the NAIA level. The
Eagles have also been national runner up at the Division II level
on three occasions.
West Alabama head coach Bobby Wallace is in his fourth season with
the Tigers. West Alabama has a record of 19-25 during
Wallace’s time in Livingston, Ala.
Wallace is no stranger to Sparks and the Eagle program. He was the
head coach at North Alabama from 1988-1997, where he led the Lions
to three consecutive Division II national titles from 1993-95.
Wallace guided North Alabama to wins over C-N during all three of
those postseason runs. He is 3-1 all-time against the Eagles.
