Tuskegee, Albany State gear up for face-off in Phenix City

To understand the importance of the White Water Classic rivalry between No. 20 Albany State and No. 22 Tuskegee, look no further than Golden Rams linebacker Zane Fields.

Fields is one game into his senior season at Albany State and fresh off a 29-12 victory over No. 10 Valdosta State. Fields and his fellow seniors are dead set on going out with a bang this season, and he has outlined a one-game-at-a-time mentality to make that happen.

Beating a rival that owns a five-game winning streak over Albany State, however, is the next task Fields and the Golden Rams must accomplish. On Saturday, he and his teammates will get the chance to do just that.

“Being a senior, we haven’t beat those guys up there yet,” Fields said. “It’s kind of personal. We’re writing our legacy.”

Saturday’s showdown between the two SIAC teams at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City shapes up to be the biggest yet. For the first time, both squads enter the game ranked in the top 25 of the Division II AFCA Coaches Poll. The game will be streamed via ESPN3, making it available online to about 78 million people, per Albany State athletic director Sherie Gordon.

The series, which will reach its 44th game come kickoff at 5 p.m. EST, has been contentious before, but this time there is a national spotlight and potentially national implications.

Tuskegee head coach Willie Slater hasn’t lost to the Golden Rams since 2011, but Slater made it evident in Tuesday’s press conference that his Golden Tigers know how dangerous Saturday’s opponent is.

“We’re looking forward to — I think we’re looking forward to the game Saturday,” Slater said. “I’ve already seen the film on Albany State, and I’m not sure if we’re looking forward to it or not. We’re just going to try and do the best we can.”

While the veteran Slater knows what to expect as far as the game’s atmosphere, this meeting will be the first for his counterpart at Albany State. First-year head coach Gabe Giardina got his Golden Rams off on the right foot last weekend, but to keep it rolling, the former Crimson Tide player must turn the tide on this rivalry.

Through the buildup to the game, Giardina has gotten a good feel for just how important the White Water Classic is to both sides.

“I get educated almost weekly about how important this rivalry is from our alumni,” Giardina said. “It’s a game I think folks really earmark on their calendars. It’s not hard to figure out who the big rivalry games are on our schedule.”

Both head coaches stressed the turnover battle, saying the team which took care of the football would likely claim the upperhand in the matchup. The outcome is ultimately up to guys like Fields, who aim to claim those bragging rights and eventually deliver something even bigger to their school.

“We’re not just looking at it as beat Valdosta State or beat Tuskegee. We want to win a national championship,” Fields said. “(These games) are just steps toward getting to that goal.”

This story was originally published September 6, 2017 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Tuskegee, Albany State gear up for face-off in Phenix City."