Shorter Game Notes
West Alabama Game Notes
Watch the Game on ESPN3
Listen to the Game on 99.5 The Jock
 
By Jim O'Hara
 
ROME, Ga. – They will be going up against a team that has had their number – and rolled up the points – in the previous four meetings between the two programs.

The Shorter Hawks, however, appear poised to be on the verge of ending that trait as they head to Livingston, Ala., on Saturday to face West Alabama in a Gulf South Conference showdown knowing that in order to remain in a championship hunt, they must break back into the win column by not only besting the Tigers in a Homecoming game but by eliminating an issue that overshadowed a week earlier what was one of the best offensive outputs the Shorter program has ever had.

"Based on last week, the top priority this week is holding on to the ball," Shorter head coach Phil Jones said as the Hawks (2-3 overall and 1-1 in the GSC) return to action after suffering a 38-17 conference setback a week ago to Delta State, which recovered five of eight Shorter fumbles and blocked a punt that resulted in 24 points. "That was the difference last week. We've got to take care of that.

"But the players are prepared for this this game," he added. "They want to do well and I think they've refocused themselves."

The game, this week's Florida Space Coast GSC-TV on ESPN Game of the Week that kicks off at 2 p.m. (Central), will see Shorter and UWA – the Tigers are 4-2 overall but have lost their last two straight conference tests – in a classic matchup between the conference's top rushing team against the top run defense team.

Shorter enters the game averaging a league-best 239 yards a game, its biggest output coming against Delta State when the Hawks rushed for nearly 400 yards, with two Hawks running for more than 100 yards as senior fullback B.J. McCoy – he's the  second-best ground gainer in the GSC averaging 124 yards – gaining a season-high 183 yards – while red-shirt freshman Kartez Carr had a career-best 110 yards on just seven totes, two of them resulting in touchdown runs of 37 and 30 yards.

What the Hawks will be going up against is a West Alabama defense that leads the GSC and is third in the nation against the run, allowing just an average of 64.3 yards per game.

Jones immediately points to what makes the Tigers so strong – their size.

"They're very big and physical on both sides of the ball, especially up front," the Hawks' coach said. "They do a good job with their lines. They are very well coaches, there's no question about that."

This will, however, be the first time in three years that the Hawks will not have to face a West Alabama offense led by Kyle Caldwell, a GSC Offensive Player of the Year who has now graduated. Last year, the elusive quarterback – he helped the Tigers average 56 points in their three wins over Shorter – completed 21 of 25 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns as UWA ended the night rolling up 585 yards on offense.

"He was a great player for them," Jones said of Caldwell, "but now they have really got three quarterbacks they can use, and the one who is starting now is a good player and makes things happen."

Redshirt freshman quarterback Harry Satterwhite has taken over the position behind center and in the Tigers' last two games has completed 26-of-55 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns over the last two games.

Thanks to an offensive line that averages nearly 300 pounds, the Tigers have also found room to run and will no doubt be determined to open some holes, especially for senior Javae Swindle, who needs just 21 rushing yards to become UWA's all-time leading rusher.

Shorter, which comes into the game ranked sixth in NCAA Division II against pass by allowing just 125.6 passing yards per game, will be tasked to finally put a lid of the Tigers' history of putting points on the board against the Hawks.

Senior linebacker Zach Butts heads up the Hawks on the defensive side of the ball leading the conference by averaging 10.6 stops a game, while senior All-American defensive back Jordan Shaw is right behind his teammate on the GSC tackle list averaging 8.2 tackles.

Up front, the Shorter defensive line stepped up its game last week with the Hawks recording a season-high five sacks and 10 tackles for losses with junior defensive end Trevaris Horton leading the charge with two sacks and a pair of tackles for losses.

GAME NOTES: Following their game at West Alabama, the Hawks will have a short week to prepare for their next GSC challenge as Shorter hosts conference power Valdosta State on Thursday, Oct. 22 in a GSC-TV Game of the Week clash that begins at 7:30 p.m. at Barron Stadium… In addition to watching the game on ESPN3, fans can also listen to the game on the Home of the Hawks, 99.5 The Jock.