When Stetson University senior defensive back Donald Payne talks about the rivalry between the Hatters and the Camels of Campbell University, his eyes light up and the slightest hint of a smile creeps onto his face.
 
It is a natural response for the two-time All-American because he has turned in some of the best performances of his career in games against the Camels, including his NCAA record-tying 30 tackle performance two years ago in Buies Creek, NC.
 
Payne will lead the Hatters back to Campbell's Barker-Lane Stadium on Saturday with Stetson looking to bounce back from a disappointing home loss to Valparaiso last week. The Hatters are 3-3 overall on the year, but just 1-2 in Pioneer Football League play. The Camels, who have not played in two weeks, are 3-2 overall and 1-1 in league play.
 
The game will be broadcast live on the Big South Network with Evan Budrovich calling the action and Andy Bowman on color. The game will also be broadcast on the Stetson Hatters Radio Network with Pete Blais and Luke Mauro on the call.
 
In three career games against the Camels, Payne has piled up an incredible 62 total tackles, including six for loss. He enters play this week just 11 tackles away from becoming just the 14^th player in NCAA history to record 500 tackles in a career.
 
In addition to his personal accomplishments against Campbell, Payne also knows that the games between his Hatters and the Camels have been some of the hardest, most physical, he has been involved with.
 
"Dogfight," Payne said. "It will be a physical game and every game we have played against them has been tight. We know it will be physical and that it will be a close game."
 
The three previous meetings between the teams were all decided by a play or two in the fourth quarter. The Camels took
A 19-18 victory in DeLand in 2013 thanks to a 98-yard kickoff return and another score in the final five minutes of the game.
 
Hatters head coach Roger Hughes said fans and observers have become somewhat jaded by the numbers Payne has produced in his career.
 
"We are absolutely warped in our perception of Donald because he has done it from the very first game he ever played in," Hughes said. "Every game, he just never ceases to amaze you. He is always around the ball. Look at last week (Brown), he had 15 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception. That is just a typical game for him. While I am not surprised at the stats, it certainly makes you understand where his place in the history books is, relative to everyone who has ever played football."
 
In 2014, in was Payne's 30 tackles that stole the show, but Stetson converted on a fourth down play from the Camels' 37-yard line for a touchdown with 4:03 to play. The Hatters' defense then turned Campbell away on the goal line when Payne deflected a pass to teammate Ryan Powers for an interception with 13 seconds to go in a 28-24 Stetson win.
 
Last year the Camels scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter and held the Hatters to just 58 yards of offense in the second half of a 16-6 Campbell win.
 
"They emphasize running the football and one of Donald's forte's is playing inside the box and using his quickness and leverage and strength to defeat blocks and make plays," Hughes said. "The other thing is they are big and physical and they run downhill at you and try to attack you and that makes it easier to diagnose the play. Donald is really good when it is all about reaction because his speed and quickness is so good that he can defeat the blocks."
 
Hughes and Campbell coach Mike Minter agree that their teams are similar in terms of what they try to accomplish.
 
"I think both teams are 'what you see is what you get'," Hughes said. "There is not a lot of trickeration or trying to fool anyone. It is all about going out and playing football the right way. I think Coach Minter and his staff coach very similarly to the way we coach. They coach fundamentals, their schemes aren't elaborate, it is more about going 'mano y mano' and let's see who is better."
 
The Camels' fourth-year coach who, like Hughes, is a product of the University of Nebraska where he played for coach Tom Osborne prior to a 10-year career in the NFL, also expects a physical game.
 
"They are a physical football team, but I wouldn't expect anything else because Coach Hughes is a Nebraska guy," Minter said. "He understands the physical part of the game. When you look at them, they are going to fight you for 60 minutes. As we have battled these guys the last three years, it has always come down to the fourth quarter. It is going to be a dogfight, a heavyweight championship for 15 rounds."
 
Payne said that going up against a team coached by one of the greatest defensive backs in NFL history provides him with extra motivation when the Hatters face the Camels.
 
"Their coach played in the league and he always has his guys ready to play," Payne said. "The physicality of the games has been crazy and that leads to a little jawing back and forth. It is all in the love of the game. Knowing it is going to be that type of game, I am ready for it. I am ready to show them that I can be just as physical as they are. Playing against a team coached by one of the all-time great safeties in the NFL just makes it even better."
 
Minter said the only way to deal with Payne is to hope he takes the day off.
 
"The only thing I can hope for is that he doesn't play," Minter said. "I want to send him a card or something and ask for him not to play. He is going to be all over the field. He has averaged 20 tackles per game against us. We know No. 7 is going to show up and play, but we have to go out and execute what we do, and if we can do that, then we will be fine. We have to know where he is, but we have to run what we run and not worry about him very much."
 
What the Camels run in a no-nonsense offense that relies on the running of senior back De'Shawn Jones and redshirt freshman quarterback Elijah Burress. Jones has rushed for 511 yards and eight touchdowns in five games this year while Burress has carried the ball 67 times for 355 yards. Combined, that duo has accounted for 172.3 yards rushing per game.
 
"They have an extremely athletic quarterback and their running back is very good," Hughes said of the Campbell tandem. "Even though there may only be a two-yard hole, (Jones) is able to get six, eight or nine yards on a carry and they just pound it down the field.
 
"In the games they have lost, their opponents were able to get leads early and got them away from their game plan. Any time you can make a team do what it doesn't like to do, you are clearly at an advantage. With that said, we have to make them one-dimensional and stop the run. Whether that happens through our sheer defensive play or, hopefully, jumping up on them quickly and make them have to throw it, we'll have to see."
 
To deal with the Camels' ground and pound attack, the Hatters will have to stack the box against the run.
 
"We are going to do whatever it takes to stop the run," Hughes said. "If that means bringing a seventh, eighth or ninth man into the box, then that is what we are going to do. The nice thing is that we are equipped with good corners who, to this point, have done a great job.
 
"I also add Chris Atkins to that mix because he has such great range and can cover up some mistakes. A corner's best friend is a great pass rush, and I think we have to be able to put pressure on from our defensive line. Davion Belk has quietly had a great season. Hopefully, his play up front with help those guys at corner."
 
Besides the focus on stopping the Campbell ground game, the Hatters have spent this week trying to correct mistakes on offense and on special teams that were especially costly in last weeks' 21-18 loss to Valparaiso.
 
"Everyone who looked at the film, from an offensive standpoint, was pretty embarrassed by their performance," Hughes said. "We were able to get some things going, we just couldn't close. We lived on their end of the field the whole game, but just couldn't come up with points. In the past we have been very good at taking advantage of the opportunities we have had. It was a combination of things that went wrong."
 
In addition to the four turnovers, all on interceptions, the Hatters struggled to get the running game going and had eight dropped passes against the Crusaders.
 
"All facets of the offense contributed to our lack of production," Hughes said. "So far this week, it has been fun. We are doing a few new things, and the kids have been really excited about getting back on the field. They have been very much into practice, especially on the offensive side of the ball. All of us felt like we could have played much better than we did last week. If practice this week is any indication, I am excited to see what we do on Saturday."
 
The special teams side of the equation was especially baffling for the Hatters because that area, especially the kicking game, had been so consistently good for the team so far this year.
 
"In every instance there were one or two guys who didn't do what they were supposed to do or not paying attention to fundamentals and getting beat," Hughes said. "Tuesday's practice this week was among the best we have had. There was focus and attention and an excitement. We thought they might be hanging their heads or licking the wounds a little bit, but they came out ready to go back to work and with a desire to fix the things we did wrong and get back on the right track."
 
In three previous games against Campbell, as in any close contest, winning on special teams is crucial to winning on the scoreboard. Hughes doesn't expect that to be any different this week with turnovers and special teams play being his keys to success.
 
"They only have one fumble all year, so they don't turn it over in the run game," Hughes said. "We have to get them to turn it over on special teams or in the passing game. It is not a hard formula. If you have the ball, keep it. If you don't have the ball, go get it.
 
"For us, on offense, we have to make sure that every possession ends with us kicking it. For them, we have to make them take it in small chunks by driving down the field and eliminating their explosive plays. When we get the opportunity to tackle the ball, we have to make sure we do that."
 
That is where Payne and his 62 career tackles against the Camels comes into play.
 
"It will be interesting to see if they run the ball at me or if I am going to have to chase from the back," Payne said. "I know they are going to get the best from me becauee I want to go to the wall, just like I do every week. I am prepared for it to be a physical game, a dogfight. Coach (Brian) Young has been harping on us all week to make sure we know this is going to be an ibuprofen game. I know we will be ready to go."
 
And if that 500^th career tackle happens during the game, Payne said it will be emotional, but only if the team wins.
 
"My family will be there, so I am sure it will be emotional if I am able to get to that milestone, but coming out with a win is what we really need," Payne said. "It is all about going out and getting the win this weekend."
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.