The Albany State Golden Rams have history on their mind as their Division II Football Playoff run continues this Saturday, hosting Super Region II three-seed Newberry in the Regional Final.
This matchup marks the second straight season an HBCU has advanced to the Regional final of the Division II Playoffs.
Albany State is also the first SIAC team to make it this far in the postseason since 2015, when Tuskegee made it to the Regional Finals.
The Golden Rams’ road to get here began with a dominant regular season in which they finished with a 9-0 record against Division II opponents (9-1 overall).
They then went on to claim a 22-16 win over Benedict in the SIAC championship game, clinching Super Region II’s number-one overall seed in the Division II Playoffs.
After gutting out a 35-30 win over Valdosta State in the first round, ASU punched its ticket to the Regional Final with a 14-12 win over Benedict.
A win for the Golden Rams would mark the first time an HBCU has advanced to the National Semifinal since 2012 (Winston-Salem State).
In their way is a Newberry team that is currently riding a nine-game win streak and has a history of playing against HBCUs in the postseason.
The last two times Newberry made it to the Division II Playoffs, they were eliminated by HBCUs (Tuskegee, 2016; Bowie State, 2021).
Newberry’s road to the Regional Final included finishing the regular season with a 9-1 overall record, claiming its third South Atlantic Conference (SAC) championship in five seasons.
They got through the first round in a 45-24 win over Kentucky State, then advanced to this matchup with a 24-17 second-round win against West Florida.
Keys to Victory for Albany State
Particularly over their last three games, the Golden Rams have shown that they can win through adversity, doing so in different ways.
In their last two encounters with Benedict, the defense played a starring role in the face of offensive struggles, making key plays in each contest to come away with the win.
Albany State defensive back Tyrell Gainey was the MVP for the team in the SIAC championship game, forcing a pair of turnovers and returning a blocked extra point for two points.
The defense once again stepped up for ASU in their DII playoff matchup with Benedict, getting the team out of a jam multiple times when facing a short field.
Of the four Benedict offensive drives that began on Albany State’s side of the field, the Golden Rams limited them to 24 yards, only surrendered two field goals in the process.
Also, in their win over Valdosta State, the Golden Rams’ defense forced two key turnovers in the second half, the latter of which led to a touchdown that brought the game within a score, giving the team momentum to get the go-ahead score to win the game.
This kind of defensive effort will be key for the Golden Rams, going up against a Newberry offense with a prolific passing attack.
Starring Harlon Hill trophy finalist Reed Charpia at quarterback, Newberry has one of the most efficient pass offenses in Division II football.
Charpia is one of only two Division II quarterbacks to average at least 280 passing yards while completing 69% of his passes. He is also one of four players with over 25 touchdowns and fewer than five interceptions.
In its last four games, Newberry is averaging 324 passing yards and has scored 10 touchdowns. However, three of the team’s five interceptions have come in the team’s first two playoff games.
In addition to Albany State’s ability to put a stop to Newberry’s passing attack on defense, they should also be focused on getting the run game going on offense.
The run game was a key factor in their win against Valdosta State, using it to sit on the ball in the final seven minutes to preserve the lead.
This was highlighted by Tiant Wyche and Isaiah Knowles rushing for a combined 226 yards and two touchdowns.
However, the run game was a struggle for ASU in their Regional Semifinal contest against Benedict, only managing 2.0 yards per carry on 45 attempts.
They will be going against a Newberry team that has struggled defending the run, allowing 217.3 rushing yards per game in their last three.
If Albany State can get the run game started, it will be open season for the offense all afternoon.
Last but not least, the Golden Rams’ chances of winning will hinge on their ability to take care of the ball.
They have committed three turnovers in their two playoff games so far, two of which resulted in the opposing offense getting a short field in the ensuing possession.
The Newberry defense (specifically the secondary) has been stingy in its last six outings, forcing an interception in each game, including five combined in their two playoff games thus far.
Albany State’s best chances of winning this game will be forcing the Newberry offense to go the length of the field.
For that to happen, taking care of the ball will have to be a priority, not to mention it will also be important to move the chains and dominate time of possession.
