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2002 National Runner-Up Team
GRAND VALLEY STATE 31, VALDOSTA STATE 24 BRALY STADIUM, FLORENCE, ALA. DECEMBER 14, 2002
FLORENCE, Ala. - In a battle of unbeaten teams, Grand Valley State stopped a Valdosta State comeback bid with a touchdown with only 64 seconds remaining to defeat the Blazers 31-24 in the NCAA Division II National Championship game in Braly Stadium.
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The Lakers jumped out to a 17-3 lead in the first half while passing for 190 yards in the half. After forcing a pair of punts on GVSU’s first two possessions, Valdosta State got on the board first after marching 89 yards on eight plays. The Blazers took over the ball on their own two yard line, but quickly got out of the shadow of the goal posts as Aaron Jenkins broke a 41-yard run on second down. Two plays later Bama Adams hit Tyrone Jordan for 42 yards, but the drive would stall, leading to a Will Rhody 26-yard field goal.
Grand Valley State quickly answered as it took over on its own 42 before getting a 49-yard pass completion on first down. A play later, Reggie Spearmon found the end zone for a 7-3 Laker lead.
GVSU again went to the air for its next score as it picked up 54 yards for a touchdown on a third-and-10 play and added a 38-yard field goal on its first drive of the second quarter to go up 17-3. VSU responded with a 27-yard field goal from Rhody 34 seconds before the half to establish a 17-6 Laker lead at the break.
Grand Valley State made it 24-6, on a 67-yard completion, on its first drive of the third quarter before Valdosta State began its comeback bid. Jenkins scored from seven yards out to cut the deficit to just 11 points with 3:51 remaining in the third quarter before Rhody added his third field goal of the game, a 43-yard try, with 3:30 to go in the game.
The ensuing kickoff was fielded at the GVSU six yard line, but the Blazer coverage squad dropped kick returner Brent Lesniak for a three yard loss to pin the Lakers deep in their own territory. After an incomplete pass, Grand Valley State quarterback Curt Anes fumbled the ball in the end zone and VSU defensive end Tim Thompson fell on the loose ball for a touchdown. Blazer quarterback Buster Faulkner promptly found C.J. Lofton alone in the end zone for a two-point conversion, knotting the game at 24-24 with 3:09 remaining in the contest.
However, the Lakers would recover as they returned the ensuing kickoff 30 yards before handing the ball to Anes. The Laker quarterback promptly completed five-of-six passes, all to David Kircus, for 62 yards while Spearmon picked up six more on the ground. The winning score came with 64 seconds remaining in the contest as Anes and Kircus, who established a title game record with 270 yards receiving, hooked up from 10 yards out while the GVSU defense sealed the victory with an interception on the ensuing drive.
Individual Statistical Leaders
Rushing: VSU - Jenkins 20-99/1td; Tarpley 1-1. GVSU - Lesniak 8-56; Spearmon 14-29/1td. Passing: VSU - Faulkner 41-26-3, 139yds. GVSU - Anes 36-23-1, 361yds/3td. Receiving: VSU - Mosley 9-47; Lofton 5-35; Jordan 4-57. GVSU - Kircus 11270/3td; Banks 9-66. Defense: VSU - Brown 10tckls/1ff; Aganga-Williams 9tckls/2tfl/1pd; Burkes 7tckls/1tfl/1pd. GVSU - Estes 12tckls/6tfl/2.5sacks; Marshall 12tckls/6tfl/1pd/1sack; Williams 8tckls/2tfl/1pd/1sack.
Team
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Valdosta State 3 3 7 11 24 Grand Valley State 14 3 7 7 31
VSU
Team Stats First Downs Rushing Attempts Net Rushing Yards Comp. - Att. Passing Yards Total Plays - Yards Sacks By - Yards Interceptions - Yards Fumbles - Lost Penalties - Yards Punts - Average Yards Third Down Conversions Time of Possession
GVSU
The Road to Florence
Second Round - Valdosta State 24, Catawba 7
Valdosta State tallied 494 yards of total offense as the Blazers topped Catawba 24-7 in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium ... VSU tallied 343 yards through the air as Buster Faulkner completed 25-of-38 passes, while also picking up 151 on the ground ... The Blazers built a 21-0 halftime lead as it put together scoring drives of 67, 85 and 74 yards in the first half ... A field goal in the third quarter pushed the lead to 24-0 before Catawba, which finished with just 258 total yards, got a touchdown pass in the third.
Valdosta State scored with just 1:14 remaining in the contest to defeat Carson-Newman 31-28, earning its first ever trip to the National Semifinals ... Valdosta State got two first half touchdowns to overcome a touchdown and two field goals, including one with no time remaining in the first half, to grab a 1413 lead at the intermission ... Ten more points pushed the Blazer lead to 24-13 through three quarters, before CN stormed back with 15 fourth quarter points ... The Eagles scored two minutes into the fourth, adding a two-point conversion on the play, and again six minutes later to take the lead ... VSU proceeded to travel 80 yards on 13 plays for the winning score.
In a defensive battle, Valdosta State topped Texas A&M-Kingsville 21-12 to advance to the school’s first national title game ... TAMUK was limited to just 192 yards of total offense in the contest, 71 of which came on its final drive that culminated in the Javelinas only touchdown of the day ... Meanwhile, VSU tallied 211 yards of total offense, but got a touchdown from its special teams unit on a blocked punt and saw its defense return an interception to the Texas A&M-Kingsville 10, setting up another score ... The Blazer defense tallied nine sacks in the contest.
2002 National Championship Bracket
