A host of Blazer defenders make a tackle in the Blazers’ victory over Southern Arkansas earlier this season. VSU welcomes rival North Alabama to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium today.

Whenever the Valdosta State Blazers and North Alabama Lions meet on the football field, there is usually a lot of the line.

That is no different today as the two teams set to meet for a 2 p.m. kickoff in a game where the winner will likely earn a post season berth and the loser will be sent packing without post season life.

Add to it, the two schools flat out hate each other and today’s game will surely be entertaining.

“There is a strong hate between these two schools,” Valdosta State head coach David Dean said. “It doesn’t matter what you’re doing. Our fan base would rather beat UNA than anybody else in the country, and that is what makes this game fun.”

The Blazers (6-3) enter today’s contest riding a two-game losing streak, after falling to No. 1 ranked Delta State and West Georgia. North Alabama (7-2) knows the feeling, as the Lions entered last week riding a two-game losing streak; a skid they ended with a 28-3 victory over West Georgia.Valdosta State was able to enjoy a bye week last weekend, marking the second straight year the Blazers have had a bye week the prior to their meeting with UNA. Last season, the Blazers upset the Lions 5-0 following their bye week. North Alabama got the final laugh, though, as the Lions defeated the Blazers in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Like in the first two seasons of the Terry Bowden era at North Alabama, the Lions roster is stacked with Division I talent. This season, 28 former D-I players fill the roster, including former Florida Gator Janoris Jenkins. Jenkins would have been a first round draft pick, somewhere in the top 10, according to ESPN’s Todd McShay, if he would have chose to enter the draft following his junior season. Instead, Jenkins returned to Florida, where he was then kicked off the team for violating team rules.

“A lot of them were backups, but a lot of them, like (Jenkins) he was a great SEC corner,” Dean said. “But, there are different reasons of why those guys are there. You look and say ‘that guy is from a Division I’, but it is like Coach Bowden said, it doesn’t mean he was a great player at Division I.”

Jenkins is third on the UNA team in tackles, racking up 42 on the season to go along with an interception and two fumble recovery’s.

Former University of Georgia linebacker Marcus Dowtin leads the team in tackles with 85.

“You can stay away from Jenkins, because he is always on one side of the field,” Dean said. “But what they do, is they do a very good job at putting him in the middle of the action, and Dowtin, you can’t get away from him. He is there Mike linebacker.”

While the Lions’ talent is obvious, Valdosta State quarterback Cayden Cochran knows he has to play a near perfect game. Along with the playoffs being on the line, today’s game will mark senior day for the Blazer program.

“I have to play well. I have to go out there with confidence,” Cochran said. “Guys like Austen (Roberts) and these guys, if we lose it’s their last game.”

 Ball control will be the key for the Blazers, as Dean said the Blazers cannot get in a shoot-out with the Lions. Dean noted the Blazers would like to keep the UNA offense off the field, much like the 2010 regular season meeting.

“As long as we can keep their offense off the field, we have a chance,” Dean said. “We can’t get in a shoot-out with them. We are not good enough, offensively. We don’t want to get in a shoot-out with them. We want a low scoring game.”