In the most important regular season football game since a matchup with 14th-ranked Trinity University for Homecoming in 2006, Millsaps College (4-3, 3-1 SCAC) will welcome the 25th-ranked Centre College Colonels (6-0, 3-0 SCAC) to Harper Davis Field with championship implications on the line.

Centre controls its own destiny, having run through the season undefeated thus far and winning 10-straight games overall dating back to last year – the third longest current win streak in NCAA Division III football. The task won't come easy though, with Centre still having remaining games at Millsaps and at Trinity University on Nov. 7.

Last Year's Meeting (Millsaps 46, Centre 26):
Millsaps College made good on seven of its eight red zone possessions on the day and opened up a 33-7 lead midway through the third quarter before Centre rallied late to make the final 46-26 in favor of the Majors.

Senior All-American QB Juan Joseph was 27 of 42 for 274 yards and three TDs, hitting Eric McCarty with his second 100-yard receiving game of the season and Andrew Langston five times for 59 yards and score. Centre outscored Millsaps 19-13 in an offensive filled fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. For the Colonels, freshman Tyler Osterman was 28 of 43 for 263 yards passing with two TDs and two picks.

Scouting the Colonels:
Centre is without its standout sophomore QB Tyler Osterman, who was lost for the season with an injury against Sewanee three weeks ago. Osterman had completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,072 yards and 11 touchdowns before his injury, making way for senior QB Grant Conliffe who's thrown for just 372 yards in three games.

Coming off a two touchdown performance at Birmingham-Southern with 28 carries for 139 yards, sophomore running back Jonathan Pinque will be the difference maker for the Colonels. Pinque leads the league with 598 yards rushing and eight touchdowns in five games, averaging 119.6 ypg (18th nationally).

Defensively, Centre is holding opponents to a conference-best 16.8 ppg and has given up just 13 points in its last two games overall. The Colonels also rank third in the SCAC in total defense, surrendering just 277.7 ypg, led by senior linebacker Brian Sneed with a team-high 39 tackles.

The Colonels have yet to be tested since the loss of Osterman on Oct. 3, winning at Sewanee (0-6) and Birmingham-Southern (3-3). In order to keep its perfect season alive, Centre must rally behind its defense and the arm of Conliffe. 

Scouting the Majors:
Kevin Peters' 84-yard interception return for a score sparked a 38-22 win against Rhodes last weekend, and the Millsaps defense must get in the backfield to stop the running game of Centre which ranks third in the SCAC. The Majors are second with 17 sacks, just four behind Rhodes, and boast the league's top tackler in junior linebacker Will Hawkins who's gone for double digit tackles in three straight.

Millsaps senior QB Chris Graves has quietly put together a breakout season. Graves has thrown for a conference-best 1,693 yards and 23 touchdowns – 3rd in Millsaps single-season history – against just five interceptions. Since Sept. 19 at Austin College, Graves has thrown for 14 TDs and a career-long streak of 129-straight passes without an interception.

Field position and turnovers will be key, with Millsaps ranking 12th nationally in kick returns and owning a +11 turnover margin. In the Majors' four wins this year, they've forced 17 turnovers. In their three losses, they've forced just five.

Millsaps can still win a fourth-straight SCAC Championship, but will need some help from Trinity University to do so. A Millsaps win, coupled with a TU win at DePauw, would give the Majors the opportunity to play Sewanee for a win and you're in scenario next weekend. A DePauw win and Millsaps loss will close the books on the Majors' postseason hopes. 

Where They Rank in the SCAC:
Scoring Offense - Millsaps 2nd, Centre 6th
Scoring Defense - Centre 1st, Millsaps 6th
Total Offense - Centre 2nd, Millsaps 4th
Total Defense - Centre 3rd, Millsaps 7th
Rushing Offense - Centre 3rd, Millsaps 7th
Rushing Defense - Centre 2nd (15th nationally), Millsaps 5th
Turnover Margin - Millsaps 2nd, Centre T5th
Red Zone Offense - Millsaps 1st, Centre 7th
Red Zone Defense - Millsaps 5th, Centre 6th

Series History:
The Colonels lead the all-time series 11-9 but have dropped three consecutive to Millsaps overall and haven't won in Jackson since a 29-17 victory in 2000 – a streak of four losses in-a-row. Centre won the first ever meeting between the two teams in 1989, 16-15, and Millsaps won last year's meeting, 46-26.

The Head Coaches:
Andy Frye (Muskingum `81) is in his 12th season as the head coach at Centre. Frye owns a 71-45 (.612) career record, including a share of the SCAC Championship in 2003. Millsaps is led by fourth-year head coach Mike DuBose (Alabama `74), who brings a 54-33 (.621) career record into Saturday's game against the Colonels and 30-10 mark at Millsaps. DuBose owns the head-to-head matchup with a 3-0 record over Frye.

What to Watch For:
With the two teams ranking No. 1 and No. 2 in the SCAC in kick returns, watching Centre returnman Jordan Albright and Millsaps returnman Michael Galatas should be a treat. Albright's 30.6 average ranks 8th nationally, while Galatas' 24.2 average ranks 48th.

Both teams also are tied for the league lead with 11 interceptions, led by Millsaps' Kevin Peters with a conference best five interceptions (8th nationally). 

How to follow the action:
Millsaps Webcast: http://www.sportsnation360.com/schools/webcast/Millsaps-College