Valdosta faces Central Arkansas in crucial conference battle

Posted 2:55PM on Friday 18th October 2002 ( 22 years ago )

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The game is advertised as an offensive clash of the titans. Truth be told, these things usually end up with another story line: defense or special teams. So when No. 2 Valdosta State (6-0 overall, 4-0 Gulf South Conference) meets No. 11 Central Arkansas (5-1, 3 (1)- Saturday in Conway, Ark., this one could be decided by something other than the teams' headline-grabbing offenses. Add to that the weather. Saturday's game conditions could be cool and wet. Temperatures are predicted in the mid 60s with a 70 percent chance of rain. "There will be 10 or 12 plays that will make a difference in the game," said Valdosta State defensive coordinator Kevin Shirley. "The other 70 plays will be ones you have to go through to get to those 10. "Whoever makes the most out of those 10 plays is probably going to win the game." Both offenses can make the plays. One yard separates Central Arkansas' total offense 2,748) from Valdosta's (2,747). Both offenses have 30 touchdowns in six games. Central Arkansas leads the nation in passing offense (336.5 yards), while Valdosta is fourth (326.5). Central Arkansas is fifth nationally in total offense, Valdosta sixth. "Our defense is playing well but it will be challenged this week," Valdosta head coach Chris Hatcher said. "They're a lot bigger team than we are. And they run as fast as we do. Very rarely do we see a team like that." The challenge is to slow Central Arkansas' junior quarterback Zak Clark, a transfer from Arkansas who now ranks third nationally in total offense (309.2) in Division II. Central Arkansas quarterbacks have been sacked just four times this season - better than Clark's last game for the Razorbacks when he was sacked five times in a loss to Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. "They've got the best offensive line I've seen," Shirley said. "They're huge, and you can tell they're well coached. And they've handled everything people have thrown at them. Central Arkansas put itself in a hole last week with a 38-21 loss at Southern Arkansas. It needs a win Saturday to stay in the chase for a Gulf South title and a national playoff berth. "We treat all games big," Hatcher said. "We've built our program and tradition on playing it one game at a time." A Valdosta win would be its 23rd straight regular-season victory and 19th straight Gulf South win. It would knock out another Gulf South contender and probably help it to keep pace with Harding (also 6-0, 4 (0)-, which plays at Henderson State on Saturday.

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