ALAMOSA – Grizzlies have never been welcome in Nebraska. This is a trend that looks to change Saturday when Adams State University heads north to take on Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska at Elliott Field. The Grizzlies have never defeated the Eagles on the field's 89-year existence, and this is the last chance for the Grizz as Saturday will mark Homecoming and groundbreaking for a new stadium for the Eagles.
 
A clash of offense and defense will be the main story Saturday, as for the second week in a row the Grizzlies go up against the top-ranked defense in the conference. Last week Adams put up nearly 400 yards through the air and more than 100 yards rushing against then top-ranked defense of Fort Lewis. This week is no different, as the top-ranked offense in the nation looks to dominate the 19^th-ranked total defense in the nation. Adams has the best first down offense and passing offense in the nation, while Chadron boasts the ninth-best passing efficiency defense in the nation along with the third-best team in the nation in fumbles recovered.
 
Nick Rooney and his three amigos have been on a historical streak tossing the ball around. Jimmy Holtrop, Chad Hovasse and Marquese Surrell have become the receiving trio of Grizzlies that has taken over the national statistics. Surrell is fourth in the nation in receiving yards and seventh in all-purpose yards. Holtrop is tied for second in the nation in receiving touchdowns and could've been tied for first but a knee down at the one yard line kept him from the top-ranking last weekend. Hovasse is 24^th in receiving yards and 22^nd in yards per reception, averaging more than 20 yards per catch.
 
The Adams defense was the phase of the ball that closed out the game against Fort Lewis with a fourth-down sack. The team is led by Garrett Jackson and Brandon Baker, both ranked in the top-10 in the nation. Jackson is sixth in the nation in solo tackles and tied for 13^th in total tackles. Baker is tied for eight in pass breakups, while being tied for 22^nd in total tackles.
 
Additionally for Adams, Kasoga Casem and Finau Kohitolu have anchored a Grizzly defensive line with a combined five tackles for loss and four sacks in their first three starts. The duo has led the team to the fourth-best fourth down defense in the conference and assisted in the fourth-best passing efficiency defense.
 
Despite being a defensively-led team, the Eagles are not afraid to toss the rock around. The team is second in the conference in passing offense, but last in the conference in the run game. Baker and Jackson will be keys to shutting down the redshirt freshman led offense that defeated Fort Lewis and Western State. The upfront men will have their hands full, as Chadron has only allowed a single sack all season for one yard. On the flipside, the team is ranked first in the conference and 13^th in the nation in sacks, so the big men on both sides of the ball will be a key to victory.