(Calvin Harrell photo)
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And the main game promises to be a crackerjack with #2 Arkansas State travelling to Baton Rouge, LA, to take on #7 LSU.
Technically it’s a clash of the leading powerhouses in the South, although the reality is that because of the way USA Rugby has aligned the collegiate conferences it’s a contest between the best from the South and the top team in the Texas Conference.
That’s how they finished last season and early though it may be, we reckon that’s probably how they’ll finish again this season.
Each team won its respective conference, both got to the Round of 16 where they won handily and both fell in the quarterfinals to teams that went on to qualify for the Big Four.
They met once last year during the preseason in Jonesboro, AR, when the Red Wolves won 29-8.
ASU goes into the game sporting a 2-0 record, while LSU takes a 1-0 mark into the contest.
Granted, it doesn’t have the same implications as the Florida v LSU college football game did, but it’ll be an important litmus test just the same as both teams have aspirations of going deep into the playoffs.
It’s a hard one to pick - Arkansas State seems to be even better than it was a year ago, yet the Tigers are playing at home, a place where they haven’t lost for some time.
Look for some wide open attack going both ways with the team committing the fewest unforced errors to emerge victorious.
Other interesting games on tap this weekend:
St Bonaventure v Brockport (New York State Premier Division)
#10 Kutztown v #5 Navy (Mid-Atlantic Premier League)
Oregon v Oregon State (Pacific Northwest)
Ohio State v Purdue (Midwest)
Kansas State v Truman State (Central Division)
Last week’s postponed match between Air Force and #16 Colorado, which had been reset for Friday afternoon due to severe weather, has been put off yet again because the AFA cadets can’t get out of a drill so it has been tentatively rescheduled for October 28.
