FLORENCE
-- What was once a nine-game schedule for
the University of North Alabama football
team in 2008 has grown to an 11-game slate
that will be one of the most challenging in
recent years for the Lions.
UNA, coming off
a 10-2 season that saw the Lions advance to
the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II
playoffs, will play eight Gulf South
Conference games, a non-conference game
against GSC member Southern Arkansas, and
non-conference road games at North
Greeneville and Carson-Newman.
"I think this
is probably the toughest schedule we've
played here at UNA in the last 10 years,"
said UNA Head Coach Mark Hudspeth. "We've
added a Carson-Newman program that was 10-1
last year and is a perennial Division II Top
Ten team, we're playing six games on the
road, four games on Thursday nights and we
have Valdosta State (defending Division II
National Champion) coming in for
Homecoming."
Hudspeth has
revitalized the Lion program since his
arrival in 2002, leading UNA to three
straight seasons with 10 or more wins and
four playoff appearances in the last five
years. UNA's 50-12 record since 2003 is also
the best record of any collegiate football
team in the state of Alabama over that
five-year period.
UNA will open
the 2008 season at home on a Thursday night
(Aug. 28) against Southern Arkansas in a
non-GSC game. "We're excited to be opening
the season at home, and opening it on a
night when we'll be the only game in the
state," said Hudspeth.
UNA will then
travel to Carson-Newman on Sept. 6 and will
open GSC play at home on Sept. 13 against
Henderson State. The Reddies were 7-3 last
season and were in contention for a playoff
spot. The Lions will then travel to West
Georgia on Sept. 20 and will then have a
short week as they host Harding ay home on
Sept. 25 in a game that will e televised by
Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast. After that
home contest, the Lions hit the road for a
string of three straight road games in a
13-day span. UNA plays at Arkansas Tech on
Oct. 4, and just five days later the Lions
will be playing in Greeneville, S.C.,
against North Greeneville on a Thursday
night. The good news for UNA is that the
Thursday game in Greeneville will give the
Lions a full week of preparation for a
Thursday, Oct. 16 date with Delta State in
Cleveland, Miss.
Defending
Division II National Champion Valdosta State
will come to Florence as the Lions
Homecoming opponent on Oct. 25. UNA will
also host Arkansas-Monticello the following
week before closing out the regular-season
on the road at West Alabama.
"The four
Thursday games will make preparation and
planning a challenge to say the least,"
Hudspeth said. "It gets you off your
routine, and with four of them it will
really challenge our guys to be ready to
play every time out."
Hudspeth said
he also expects the GSC race to be even
tougher than a year ago. "On our schedule we
replaced a Ouachita Baptist team that went
4-6 with a veteran Henderson team that was
7-3 last season. We also still play Delta
State and Valdosta State that are always
playoff contenders, and other teams like
West Georgia should be greatly improved."
2008 UNIVERSITY
OF NORTH ALABAMA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
DATE
DAY OPPONENT SITE TIME
August 28
Thu SOUTHERN ARKANSAS HOME 7:00
September 6
Sat Carson-Newman Away
September
13 Sat *HENDERSON STATE HOME 6:00
September
20 Sat *West Georgia Away
September
25 Thu *HARDING HOME 7:00
October 4
Sat *Arkansas Tech Away
October 9
Thu North Greeneville Away 6:00
October 16
Thu *Delta State Away 7:00
October 25
Sat *VALDOSTA STATE HOME 6:00
Homecoming
November 1
Sat *ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO HOME 6:00
November 8
Sat *West Alabama Away
November 15
Sat Playoff First Round
November 22
Sat Playoff Second Round
November 29
Sat Playoff Quarterfinal
December 6
Sat Playoff Semifinal
December 13
Sat Natonal Championship
All Times Are
Central Standard
* Gulf South
Conference Games (Southern Arkansas is a
non-conference game)
