| | CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Georgia Southern running back Adrian
Peterson spent most of this week on crutches, nursing a knee injury
and a case of turf toe.
But that won't be enough to keep him on the bench Saturday when the Eagles (12-2) play Youngstown State (12-2) for the NCAA
Division I-AA national championship. Too much is at stake.
The Eagles and the Penguins each boast four national titles and
are among the most successful programs in I-AA history.
"Somebody Saturday is going to have five national
championships, and hopefully, it will be us," Georgia Southern
coach Paul Johnson said Thursday.
Georgia Southern has 29 playoff victories, the most in its
division. Youngstown State is second with 23. The Eagles have
played in three title games in the decade compared to the Penguins'
five.
And the winner of Saturday's game will become the first
five-time I-AA champion.
Youngstown State, which won in 1997, is looking for its second
championship in three years. Georgia Southern wants to avenge a
title game loss last year, when the then-undefeated Eagles were
beaten by Massachusetts 55-43.
"We didn't play the way we would have liked a year ago,"
Johnson said. "It's so hard to get here. When you do get here,
hopefully you try to make the most of it."
Though Peterson may not practice much leading up to the game,
Johnson said, "He's going to play. He'll know where to go because
we're pretty simple (offensively)."
Simple, but effective. The Eagles' option offense is led by
senior quarterback Greg Hill, who has rushed for 1,418 yards and 21
touchdowns and passed for 1,444 yards and 11 TDs.
Add to that Peterson's production -- 2,457 yards and 37
touchdowns -- and Georgia Southern boasts one of the country's most
potent offenses.
Slowing them won't be easy, Youngstown State coach Jim Tressel
said.
"There's a heck of a lot of speed in the South. That's the
thing that scares you the most, the quickness and the speed,"
Tressel said.
"Don't lose sight of the linemen on both sides -- the quickness
that the Georgia Southern line has. (They have) quickness all over
the field."
Youngstown State has its own weapons, including sophomore
quarterback Jeff Ryan.
Last weekend, Ryan rallied his team from an 11-point,
fourth-quarter deficit against Florida A&M, throwing two touchdown
passes in the final eight minutes. The winning pass came with 44
seconds remaining as Ryan scrambled to hit senior wide receiver
Damion Matthews with a 10-yard touchdown pass.
"The number one receiver wasn't open, so I just broke
containment," Ryan said. "We wanted to be here. We want to be
national champions."
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ALSO SEE
Georgia Southern, Youngstown State vie for I-AA title
Peterson powers Georgia Southern to I-AA title game
Youngstown State beats FAMU for berth in I-AA final
1999 football championships
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