Laron Scott has a knack for making his biggest plays in Georgia Southern's really big games.
The senior cornerback probably will need to come up with some more today when the No. 3 Eagles (11-2) take on No. 2 North Dakota State (12-1) in the semifinals of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
Scott, a first-team All-Southern Conference pick the past two seasons, helped start the Eagles' run to the semifinals of last season's playoffs with a critical interception in the end zone against Appalachian State in the ninth game of the season.
With the Eagles trailing the top-ranked Mountaineers 14-0, Scott's interception kept his team in the game and Georgia Southern rallied for a 21-14 overtime win. GSU athletic director Sam Baker said earlier this season that Scott's pickoff "turned our whole season around."
Scott made two more big plays in last Saturday's 35-23 quarterfinal win over Maine. He broke up passes on consecutive plays late in the game when the Black Bears were in the red zone.
"I just try to do what I can to help my team," Scott said. "I'm out there on the field with 10 other guys and they're all doing their responsibilities, and they count on me to do mine. When the opportunity presents itself, I just try to put myself in the best position."
Scott had an interception at the GSU 3-yard line and three pass breakups in the Eagles' 28-27 win over the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Scott enters today's game with 49 tackles, three interceptions and 17 pass breakups this season.
He also has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, including against Alabama.
"He's one of those guys that every day just seems to have a spirit about playing football and wanting to be out there and getting everybody excited," Eagles coach Jeff Monken said. "And he makes a lot of plays."
According to the Weather Channel, today's expected high temperature in Fargo, N.D., is 39 degrees, with a chance of morning snow showers. Fortunately for Georgia Southern, NDSU plays in the 18,700-seat Fargodome.
"I'm just glad we're inside," Scott said.
That should help the Eagles' chances of advancing to next month's FCS championship game in Frisco, Texas. Georgia Southern has won six FCS national championships, but the last was in 2000.