By Adam MacDonald

The Valdosta Daily Times

VALDOSTA — The Division II college football season is still young, but the Valdosta State Blazers and West Alabama Tigers face each other in a must-win game for each team tonight at 7 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

The Blazers are 1-2 and in danger of missing the playoffs with one more loss. The Tigers are 3-1 but can’t afford to go 3-2 with games against Delta State, Ouachita Baptist and North Alabama remaining on their schedule.

“Every week is going to be a one-game playoff, there’s no doubt about it,” VSU head coach David Dean said. “We are in a deal kind of like we were after the Delta State loss in 2007. It’s a one-game playoff from here on out. The only positive thing about us losing two ballgames is it was two of our first three. It’s early and we have the chance to redeem ourselves.”

Dean and the Blazers have seen a good bit of West Alabama. For the last three weeks, the Tigers have been featured on the Gulf South Conference TV Game of the Week, which is aired around the Southeast on CSS. The Tigers went 2-1 in those games with wins over Arkansas Tech and Harding and a five overtime loss at Southern Arkansas. With a 3-1 record, the Tigers seem to be a GSC team on the rise.

“There’s a lot of parody now in the Gulf South Conference. We talk about that every week,” Dean said. “They’re a good football team. (Head coach) Bobby Wallace has done a great job of recruiting. He has good athletes who are well coached. They’re one of those teams that may not have won a lot of games in the past, but they were right there on the brink of winning. I think they’ve taken their game to a different level. They’re playing at a different level than they used to play.”

The Blazers lead the all-time series with the Tigers 26-1, but with the exception of VSU’s 37-0 win in 2007, recent games have been competitive.

The last time West Alabama came to VSU, the Blazers only won by two.

That narrow 16-14 victory for VSU came in 2006. Deon Williams was a freshman running back for the Blazers that year. Now Williams is the starting quarterback for West Alabama. He transferred from VSU to a community college in 2007 and transferred to West Alabama in 2008.

A knee injury cut Williams first season with the Tigers short, but he is off to a great start in 2009.

He’s completed 59 percent of his passes for an average of 248 yards per game. He has eight touchdowns against three interceptions. He’s also rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

“I think Deon’s a heck of a player,” Dean said. “He’s the one that makes that whole operation go. He’s obviously playing well right now, and that’s why they’re winning a lot of ballgames and putting up so many points.”

Current VSU cornerback Carlos Anderson shares a close connection with Williams. The two are next door neighbors in Birmingham, Ala., and roomed together at VSU.

“We’re still good friends to this day,” Anderson said. “It’s going to be a lot of competition and a lot of talking back and forth. Deon called me two weeks ago and told me they were getting ready and it’s going to be exciting. We look forward to playing each other.”

When asked if he’s begged defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen to call a corner blitz, Anderson said the Blazers have cooked something up but he won’t say what it is.

Offensively, Dean wants to play with a sense of urgency and eliminate mistakes. VSU’s offense was hampered by penalties and protection breakdowns against Ouachita Baptist last week. Quarterback Kellen Lewis said a lot of the offense’s problems are because of a lack of concentration. He feels like the problems are easily correctable.

“We’re always able to get a successful drive going and able to move the ball down field, and then some how we find a way to shoot ourselves in the foot,” Lewis said. “Whether it’s me missing my read or taking a sack or missing an assignment up front or a drop, we’ve had various thing that have held us back on drives. We’ve been concentrating this week on playing fast and mistake free.”

On the defensive side of the ball, the Blazers will have to do without All-GSC defensive tackle Demario Jones.

Jones injured his right knee on the extra point of Ouachita Baptist’s final touchdown, and he is in a brace. His prognosis for the rest of the season is not good. Dean said the Blazers might try to get Jones a medical redshirt, but he’s probably played too far into the season to be granted one.

“He’s probably done,” Dean said. “It doesn’t look very good. He’s not going to play this week, and I’d be surprised if it wasn’t a torn ligament.”

The Blazers have already lost linebackers Brett Sudduth and Japree Miles to season-ending injuries.