CARROLLTON, Ga. – It's always been said "Throw the records out when these teams play" every time two rivals square off, but it's not that simple on Saturday when the #3 West Georgia Wolves travel to take on the #2 Valdosta State Blazers at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
 
It's a battle of two top-five teams as West Georgia (7-1, 5-1 GSC) takes on the top team in Super Region 2, Valdosta State (7-0, 4-0 GSC), with a whole lot more than just Peach State bragging rights on the line.
 
"Big week, to put it bluntly. This is kind of what you play for," said head coach David Dean this week. "To be in the ninth week and playing for playoff position is where you want to be. To our players credit, they've put themselves in that position."
 
When the initial Super Region 2 Rankings came out earlier this week, the Wolves came in fourth while the Blazers occupied the top spot, meaning the playoff seeding implications are massive this weekend. Not only that, with a win, West Georgia would clinch at least a share of the Gulf South Conference Championship, something that hasn't been done at UWG since 2015.
 
But it will be a big test for Dean and the Wolves as they're going up against a Blazers team that hasn't lost but once since 2018.
 
"We've got to go down there and play well. I know it's going to be a heck of an atmosphere," added Dean. "They've got a great football team, and are obviously playing with a lot of confidence."
 
That confidence comes from their 28-game regular season winning streak. The Blazers are 31-1 since kicking off the 2018 season, a year in which culminated with the Division II National Championship.
 
"They're loaded," Dean said matter-of-factly. "They've got two great running backs that played on their national championship team. They've got great receivers, the Gallimore kid, the Saunds kid, they've got playmakers through and through."
 
The running back tandem of Seth McGill and Jamar Thompkins has combined for 14 touchdowns on the ground this season, with McGill leading the GSC in rushing with 717 yards on 94 carries.
 
On the outside, Lio'undre Gallimore is a threat as he is the fifth leading receiver in the GSC in terms of yardage but leads the league in receiving touchdowns. The Blazer offense, however, all starts with one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country in Ivory Durham.
 
"He's very hard to contain," Dean said of the VSU signal caller. "He throws the ball well, he runs the ball very well and they do a lot of zone read and bring him outside and use him kind of as an extra running back, which is a smart thing to do."
 
Durham is third on the team in rushing with 424 yards and six touchdowns while also passing for 1,403 yards and 14 touchdowns.
 
But the Blazer offense isn't the only high-powered offensive unit on display in South Georgia this week.
 
West Georgia's potent passing attack, led by quarterback Harrison Frost, is the top passing attack in all of Division II. Frost has thrown for 2,540 passing yards which ranks him fourth in the country and his 16 touchdowns is good for second in the GSC.
One strength for both teams this year has been the play of their respective offensive lines. Between the two rivals, they have allowed four sacks on the year with UWG ranking third in the country in sacks allowed per game while VSU is second in that category.
 
So, there's a lot to digest in what is sure to be a classic football game in the 40^th edition of the Battle for the Peach Basket, a rivalry that dates back to 1983. And no one knows the history and passion of this rivalry more than David Dean, who has been involved in 33 of the previous 39 meetings in one way or the other.
 
"There's a lot of animosity between the two schools and I've obviously been at both of them, so I understand the dislike on both sides," said Dean. "There's a lot of respect obviously because both programs have been successful in their own ways at different times. It's a lot of fun and I think there's a lot of respect on both sides of the field."
 
UWG's last win in this series came in 2017 in Carrollton, with Valdosta State taking the win in 2018 and 2019. The last victory in Valdosta came in the NCAA Playoffs back in 2014.
 
Kickoff for Saturday's game is set for 7 p.m. from Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia. Fans can follow the action via the above links.