Kearney, Neb. - The 8th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney football team (10-1) will host the 22nd-ranked Saginaw Valley State University (Mich.) Cardinals (9-2) in a first round Division II playoff game this Saturday at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field.

The game will start at 12:00 p.m. Central. Ticket prices will be $ 8.00 (adults), $ 5.00 (seniors & children) and $ 3.00 (college students valid with ID) and will be available for purchase at www.pickmytickets.com later in the week.

UNK is in the fourth seed in "Super Regional Three" while SVSU is the 5th seed. The Loper/Cardinal winner will play defending national champion and the region's No. 1 seed, Minnesota-Duluth (10-1), in a 2nd round game on November 21st in Minnesota.

The complete 24-team bracket can be found HERE.

The Lopers are in the Division II playoffs for the third time in school history. In 2002, UNK lost to Texas A & M-Kingsville, 58-40, while the 2005 Loper team lost to Pittsburg State, 49-20. Both games were played at Cope Stadium.

Saginaw's last playoff appearance came in 2005 when they won two games, including a 24-21 decision at Nebraska-Omaha. They are 4-5 in five previous D2 playoff appearances.

Overall, UNK is 2-6 all-time in postseason games, including an 0-4 mark at home. The Lopers last postseason win came in 1980 when then-Kearney State won an NAIA 1st round game at Mars Hill (N.C.), 9-6, in OT

Members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), Saginaw is located in University Center, Mich., around 950 miles from Kearney. By comparison, RMAC-member Western New Mexico is 1,040 miles from UNK.

In 2009, SVSU tied for 2nd place in the GLIAC with an 8-2 record. They have won five in a row and own a season-opening win over playoff participant California (Pa.), 23-17.

A balanced attack is led by QB Charles Dowdell, who throws for 177 ypg and runs for another 54 ypg. A transfer from I-AA Indiana State, he has thrown 11 TD's and rushed for eight more scores.

Other threats include running back Xavier Walker (67.0 ypg, 12 TD's), tight tend Galen Stone (44 recep., 55 ypg, 5 TD's) and WR's Andrew Beaver (23 recep., 26 ypg, 2 TD's) and Nick Gallina (22 recep., 38 ypg, 4 TD's).

Defensively, SVSU gives up just 19.7 ppg and allows only 88.1 ypg on the ground. UNK is among the nation's top rushing teams at 259 ypg.

Senior linebackers John Jacobs (135 tackles, 4 INT's) and Mike LeVand (115tackles, 9 sacks) lead the way.

While SVSU-UNK haven't met in football, there is one recent connection between the two schools. Michigan native Avery Stephenson was a key member of the Lopers 2006 & 2007 NCAA Tournament basketball teams. He is now in his third year playing basketball for the Cardinals.