LIVINGSTON, Ala. – For the first time in program history, the University of West Alabama  football team will host a NCAA First Round Playoff game on Saturday, Nov. 19 against North Alabama. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m.

The appearance marks the second time in three years that the Tigers have advanced to the NCAA Playoffs. The last post season appearance was in 2009 when the Tigers entered as the No. 6 seed and moved to the second round of the playoffs before falling at Carson-Newman. UWA logged a win over Albany State in the opening round.

Earlier this season, the Tigers capitalized on early North Alabama mistakes to hand the Lions a 31-26 loss in Livingston. In the win, Ken May and Kyle Caldwell each set career-highs while Matt Willis recorded his eighth straight game with 100-plus yards. May hauled in 121 yards on the evening on just three catches with Caldwell throwing for 209 yards – breaking his previous mark from last weekend at West Georgia. Willis toted the ball 24 times with 111 yards on the ground. UWA amassed just 352 yards in the contest.

The Purple and Gold will again have to contend with the Gulf South Conference's leading rusher. Willis, a Collins, Miss., native has rushed for 1,450 yards this season with 15 touchdowns. Both marks stand as single-season records for the Red and White. Caldwell has completed 55.8-percent of his passes this season while gathering 1,311 yards along with 12 TDs and 8 interceptions. Two targets for the Dadeville, Ala., product have included career receiving and receptions leader Gerald Worsham with 776 yards and 6 touchdowns and May with 618 yards and a team-best 7 touchdowns.

On the other side of the ball, the Tigers bring the second-best defense in the conference as UWA has allowed just 330 yards. The linebacking duo of Deon Lacey and Gabe Poe spearhead the defensive unit with a combined 156 tackles on the campaign. Lacey leads the way with 87 followed by Poe's 69 stops. Otha Foster continues to be a ball-hawk in the UWA secondary with 4 interceptions on the season.

Lion head man, Terry Bowden, is the fourth UNA coach to lead the Purple and Gold to the playoffs, joining coaches Wayne Grubb, Bobby Wallace and Mark Hudspeth. Harlon Hill candidate Lee Chappel pilots the Lions' offense. Chapple has thrown for 2,764 yards with 21 touchdowns and 12 INTs on the season while completing 64.8-percent of his passes.

UWA looks to continue its 6-game, home win streak on Saturday. In doing so, the Red and White would snap the Lions' first round win streak of 2 games. Saturday marks just the third first round appearance for the Purple and Gold since the field expanded to 24 teams in 2005.

Along with other notes for Saturday's rematch is Will Hall standing across the sideline from his alma mater for the second time this season, but the first in post season action.

Gulf South Conference Champion Delta State is the top seed in the region followed by Mars Hill from the South Atlantic Conference as the No. 2 seed. Both squads receive a bye in the first round. NCAA Independent North Greenville is the No. 3 seed from the region and will host Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member Albany State in the opening round with the winner facing Mars Hill. The UWA-UNA winner will travel to Delta State.

Tickets are still available for Saturday's contest at www.uwaathletics.com. Tiger Walk is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. with a pep rally at 11 a.m. The UWA Bookstore will be open from 9 a.m. until kickoff.