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© St. Petersburg Times, published November 30, 2002
B-CC AT GA. SOUTHERN
WHEN/WHERE: 1 p.m.; Allen E. Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, Ga.
RECORDS: B-CC 11-1, GSU 9-2.
COACHES: B-CC -- Alvin Wyatt (45-21, sixth season), GSU -- Mike Sewak (first season).
NOTES: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion Bethune-Cookman needs quarterback Allen Suber to return, because without the double-threat Tampa Catholic alum the Wildcats' chances of upsetting the Eagles and staying alive in their first trip to the Division I-AA playoffs are slim. ... B-CC's defense, ranked No. 1 in the MEAC, will be tested like never before by the nation's top Division I rushing offense. Georgia Southern's prolific triple-option offense averages 398.6 yards on the ground, leading even Air Force. The Eagles gain 6.2 yards a carry on first down, run the ball 88 percent of the time and have outrushed 80 of their past 83 opponents. ... Forcing GSU to throw the ball (the Eagles have attempted 93 passes this season) would play directly to the Wildcats' strength: the defensive secondary, which intercepted Florida A&M four times in a Florida Classic win. ... All-America free safety Rashean Mathis, who set a Division I-AA season record with 14 interceptions, needs to force more turnovers. ... GSU leads the series 5-0 and is 20-2 against MEAC teams, and B-CC is 0-6 against the Southern Conference, which the Eagles have won for six consecutive seasons. ... Today's winner advances to a Dec. 7 quarterfinal against the winner of Maine-Appalachian State.
WHEN/WHERE: 1 p.m.; Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando.
RECORDS: OU 4-7, 4-3 MAC; UCF 6-5, 5-2.
COACHES: OU -- Brian Knorr (5-17, second season), UCF -- Mike Kruczek (32-23, fifth season).
NOTES: UCF has its ground game moving after a spate of early injuries and offensive woes. In the past month the Golden Knights have averaged 148.7 yards thanks to now-healthy tailback Alex Haynes, who has rushed for 887 yards and seven touchdowns this season. UCF needs him to become the fifth in school history to rush for 1,000 yards to win today. ... UCF's defense must contain Ohio's spread option and halfback Chad Brinker, who has rushed for 1,042 yards and 10 touchdowns.