FLORENCE
– The University of North Alabama will
host Arkansas Tech for the second time
this season on Saturday, Nov. 21 in the
second round of the NCAA Division II
playoffs.
Arkansas
Tech throttled North Carolina-Pembroke
41-13 in the opening round of the
playoffs and will advance to meet UNA
in a rematch at Braly Stadium at noon.
UNA
defeated Arkansas Tech 42-17 in Florence
back on October 3 as North Alabama
quarterback Harrison Beck threw for 431
yards and five touchdowns.
The game
will feature two of Division II’s top
quarterbacks as Beck and ATU’s Nick
Grazziano are both Harlon Hill Trophy
candidates from Super Region 2.
The
playoff appearance will be the fifth
consecutive by UNA and the Lions’ 15th
time overall. The Lions are 10-1 overall
and won the 2009 Gulf South Conference
championship.
This will
be the fifth NCAA playoff appearance by
UNA head coach Terry Bowden, but his
first with the Lions. He led Salem
College to the NAIA playoffs in 1984 and
1985 and Samford University to the 1991
and 1992 I-AA playoffs.
UNA has
advanced to the Division II playoffs 14
times previously and the Lions have a
26-11 all-time record. The 26 wins are
the most by any current NCAA Division II
institution. UNA has competed in the
playoffs in 1980, 1983, 1985, 1990,
1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003,
2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, The Lions won
Division II championships in 1993, 1994
and 1995, advanced to the Championship
Game in 1985 and also reached the
semifinals in 1980, 1983, 2003, 2005 and
2008.
The
rematch with Arkansas Tech will be the
13th time that UNA has faced
an opponent in the regular season and
the post season in the same year. The
Lions are 8-4 in those rematch playoff
games. Eleven of the 12 rematches have
been against GSC teams. Only once in
school history has UNA defeated a team
in the regular season, then lost to that
team in the playoffs. That loss was to
Delta State in 2006.
Tickets
for UNA’s November 21 playoff game are
on sale at the UNA Ticket Office at the
front of Flowers Hall, or by calling
(256) 765-5466
2009 NCAA
DIVISION II SECOND ROUND PLAYOFF
PAIRINGS
SUPER
REGION 2
#1 North
Alabama (10-1) hosts # 4 Arkansas Tech
(9-2)
# 2
Carson-Newman (9-2) hosts # 6 West
Alabama (8-4)
