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| Valdosta State faces Carson-Newman in the national quarterfinals Saturday at noon in Valdosta. |
On Saturday, the teams will once again meet in the playoffs to decide what team will advance to a national semifinal and what team will have its season come to an end two wins shy of an appearance in the Division II national championship game.
The Blazers (9-2) and Eagles (9-2) will meet in the third round of the NCAA Divison II playoffs — the national quarterfinals — Saturday. The game will be held in Valdosta's Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, according to NCAA.com. Valdosta State was in jeopardy of losing the game due to a low attendance at Saturday's second round game against West Alabama.
Currently, the Blazers and Eagles have split the six all-time games in the series, although the Blazers have won three of the last four games. The two teams last played in 2008, which the Blazers won 24-20.
The last four meetings between Valdosta State and Carson-Newman have come in the playoffs, along with the first-ever meeting in the series, which was a 24-19 loss for VSU in the national quarterfinals.
The teams met again in the 1997 regular season, a game played on a neutral field in Shorter, which the Eagles won 28-7.
Valdosta State secured its first win in the series in 2002, beating the Eagles 31-28 in the national quarterfinals in Valdosta. The Blazers later went on to play for the national championship, but lost to Grand Valley State, 31-24.
The following year in 2003, the Blazers lost to Carson-Newman 35-29 in the first round of the Division II playoffs. Since then, the Blazers won the 2004 meeting 38-12 and later won the national championship.
In the most previous meeting, in Valdosta in 2008, the Blazers won 24-20 in the first round of the playoffs, but lost the following week in the second round to North Alabama.
Kickoff for Saturday's game is set for noon Eastern in Valdosta.
— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.
