VALDOSTA — After four straight games of passing offenses, the Valdosta State football team will see a change of pace today when it travels to Southern Arkansas for a 2 p.m. showdown in Magnolia, Ark.

Unlike most teams in football today, the Muleriders (2-3, 1-2 in the Gulf South Conference) generally stray away from the spread offense and shotgun formations, and mostly keep the ball on the ground.

The Muleriders run a wishbone offense, requiring defenses to play assignment football against the option running attack.

In the 2007 SAU is averaging a little more than 45 carries a game, compared to 22 passes, and its 179 rushing yards per game is the fourth best in the country.

Leading the Muleriders is quarterback Josh SanFillippo, with 238 rushing yards, followed by Tony McDonald with 126 and Steven Ashley with 111.

“They run the option, so anything can happen on any play if you don’t stay with your assignments,” VSU linebacker Michael Cullen said.

The Blazers (4-0, 2-0) have been working on assignment defense all week during practice, requiring each player to match up with a running back, quarterback or receiver and stick with them.

“We’ve got a certain back or tailback we have to stay on, so everyone has to do their own job,” Cullen said.

The Blazers have been tough against the run so far this season, holding teams to 97.8 rushing yards per game, good for No. 2 in the GSC.

However, the running attack of SAU differs from that of most other teams because of the formation and plays run out of it.

“It’s totally different facing a wishbone team,” Dean said. “It’s something you don’t see much. It’s difficult for our defense to have to adjust. In assignment football, somebody has to take the dive, someone has to take the quarterback and someone has to take the pitch. It’s a lot different for our defense.”

The Muleriders also focus on the run on defense, playing man coverage and blitzing often to try to stop the run.

“Just about every snap, you’re going to have, if not three linebackers coming at you, then at least two,” Dean said. “They try to load up the box on you, and make it difficult for you to run.”

While their spread offense is best known for the pass, the Blazers have been a balanced offensive team this season, running for 224 yards a game, while passing for 254. Today, VSU will look to free up on the outside to force the secondary back from the run.

VSU is hoping to gain the advantage on a tough team by keeping to assignments on defense, and using its strong passing game.