HOW CAN A HUGHSTON SPORTS MEDICINE DOCTOR HELP YOU?
Playing a sport is fun and exciting; but participating puts you at risk for an injury.
Running with sudden stops, cutting side to side, jumping, and pivoting can be exhilarating, but those moves can also cause damage to your bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Although there are risks involved in playing sports, nothing beats being in the game.
Don’t watch from the sidelines; get in the game for an exciting, healthier life.
If you do find yourself on the injured list, make an appointment for an evaluation with one of Hughston’s sports medicine physicians.
TABLE OF CONTENTS / QUICK FACTS
QUICK FACTS
Location Valdosta, Ga.
Founded 1906
Enrollment 10,225
Nickname Blazers
Colors Red (PMS 186) and Black
Athletic Affiliation
NCAA Division II
Conference Gulf South
President Dr. Richard Carvajal
Athletic Director .............................................................................
Herb Reinhard
Website www.vstateblazers.com
FOOTBALL STAFF
Head Coach
Tremaine Jackson
Alma Mater Texas Southern, 2006
Collegiate Record (Years) ............................................................27-11 (5th year)
Record at VSU (Years) 17-8 (3rd year)
Office Phone (229) 333-5970
Best Time To Call ...........................................................
Assistant Head Coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
For the first time since 2009, the Valdosta State football team will open the season in August as the Albany State Golden Rams visit on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The Blazers also will honor the 2004 National Championship football team for the 20th anniversary of the championship.
CALLING THE GAME
TALK 92.1 FM will broadcast the Blazer games all season long with Wade Beale and Scott James having the call. The game also will be streamed live on FloSports with Dave Garner and Taylor Biddle providing the call of the game. Fans can access links to the radio broadcast and video broadcast at vstateblazers.com on the football schedule page.
FOR OPENERS
The Blazers and the Golden Rams meet for the 16th time to open the season in 2024 and the first time since 2019 as VSU won the last season-opening meeting 38-3 in Albany on Sept. 7, 2019, in Albany, Ga. VSU is 13-2 all-time in season-openers versus Albany State and are 7-0 in Valdosta in openers against the Golden Rams. VSU is 29-12 all-time in season-openers and has won its last five openers with the last loss coming to ASU on Sept. 2, 2017, in Albany by the score of 29-12. The Blazers have outscored the opposition 1,144 to 588 in season-openers for a 27.0 to 14.5 points per game average.
SOUTH GEORGIA LABOR DAY CLASSIC
Third-year head Blazer football coach Tremaine Jackson has named this game the first South Georgia Labor Day Classic. VSU has not played a game in August since 2009 and has not had a home game in August since 2008 when the Blazers downed Fort Valley State 56-3 on Aug. 23. That year the Blazers had two games in August with a 14-9 win the following week (Aug. 30) at Newberry. The Blazers are 10-2 all-time in the month of August and 4-1 at home with the lone loss coming to Newberry, 31-24, on Aug. 29, 2009 in the last game in August. The Blazers are 2-0 all-time on Aug. 31 with a 42-16 win at Gardner-Webb in 1996 and a a 26-0 win at Albany State in 2002. The Blazers and the Golden Rams have played in August six times with VSU winning each time and the last being a 21-3 win in Valdosta on Aug. 30, 2003.
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Senior quarterback Sammy Edwards and senior tight end Noah Gillan were named to the Preseason All-GSC Team, while Edwards was named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 list and named to the Lindy’s Magazine Preseason All-America Team. Gillan, also a native of Saint Augustine, Fla., played in all 14 games with two starts last season. He finished with 19 receptions for 174 yards and a touchdown. Gillan has played in 36 games for his career with 23 catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns.
THIS WEEK IN THE GSC
Delta State visited Mars Hill to open the 2024 season on Thursday evening, while St. Andrews visits league-newcomer Erskine on Saturday, Miles travels to West Alabama and VSU hosts Albany State to conclude the first Week Zero football games in the GSC in NCAA Division II history.
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH ALBANY STATE
VSU leads the all-time series with Albany State 21-2 and has won the last four meetings in the series dating back to a 29-12 loss in Albany on Sept. 2, 2017. The Blazers are 11-0 all-time against ASU in Valdosta and are 10-2 against the Golden Rams in Albany The Blazers have outscored ASU 643-277 in the previous 23 meetings.
THE 2004 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
The 2004 National Championship Team will be honored at halftime of Saturday’s game and the team captains from that team will be the honorary captains for the coin flip prior to the game. The 2004 Valdosta State football team capped off the Blazers’ rise to glory as the squad won the school’s first NCAA Division II Football National Championship under former Blazer great Chris Hatcher. After dropping its first game of the year, the team rebounded to win 13-straight games, finishing the season with a 36-31 victory over Pittsburg State in the national championship game. A then-school record six All-America honorees played for the squad while 11 players off the team earned All-Gulf South Conference honors. The team went a perfect 9-0 in Gulf South Conference play and won VSU’s fifth GSC football title. The national championship trophy was Valdosta State’s first in football and second overall title, and the first since the baseball team won the 1979 championship. For Saturday’s game, there are expected to be over 40 players returning from the 2004 team, along with captains Torrey Howard, Spencer Fortson, Fabian Walker, and Terel Toomer.
COACH TREMAINE JACKSON POSTGAME SHOW
The Coach Tremaine Jackson Postgame Show will be available each Sunday at vstateblazers.com on the football page throughout the season as it will include interviews from Jackson, select players and highlights from the previous game. Scott James and Dave Garner host the show throughout the season and Jamie Abbott of Crashandannie Productions directs and produces the show.
BIG NICK’S TREMAINE JACKSON COACHES’ SHOW
Starting on Thursday, Aug. 29, the weekly Coach Tremaine Jackson radio show moves to Big Nick’s new restaurant at 1201 Baytree Road next to the Dollar General in Remerton. The show will be Thursday evenings throughout the season from 7 to 8 p.m. and broadcast on TALK 921.1 WDDQ FM and at www.talk921.com. The show will highlight the upcoming game with insight from Jackson and select players and coaches and recap the previous game. All Blazer fans are welcome to attend as there will be raffle prizes for those in attendance.
President’s Welcome
With 9 NCAA National Championships and 12 Division II intercollegiate athletic programs, there is always something happening in Blazer Nation. Our student athletes are not just exceptional on the court or field, they are also academic leaders in the classroom. The support of our campus, community, alumni, and donors is what makes Blazer Athletics so special. I hope to see you throughout the year cheering us on as we pursue yet another championship.
GO BLAZERS!
Richard Carvajal President
Innovator. Supporter. Blazer.
Dr. Richard Carvajal has been President of VSU since January 1, 2017. In his younger years, Carvajal was a player, coach, and even referee in such sports as football, basketball, and tennis. Today, he is an avid golfer and sports fan while also being one of the Blazers’ more ardent supporters.
2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL HEAD COACH TREMAINE JACKSON
TREMAINE JACKSON
Discipline. Obedience. Grit. Three words Valdosta State University Head Football Coach
Tremaine Jackson lives by that have become fundamentals of his coaching philosophy.
Jackson, in his third season leading the Blazers, is known for raising the bar both on and off the field and has done just that, impacting the total program in Titletown.
In year two at the helm, Jackson led Valdosta State to the Gulf South Conference championship, becoming the first black coach in conference history to win the title, and was the only non-HBCU black coach to win a conference championship in 2023. The Blazers closed out the regular season with a 10-1 record, Jackson’s first 10win season as a head coach, which was capped off with a 58-28 victory over West Georgia in the final installment of the Peach Basket.
On Selection Sunday, VSU was announced as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Division II Playoff and went on to win its first two games of the postseason, advancing to the quarterfinals. With a 38-31 win at Delta State in the second round, the Blazers ended the year with a perfect 6-0 record on the road, which also included a 31-28 comefrom-behind victory at then- No. 8 West Florida.
Several individual honors rolled in for the Blazers following the 2023 season, including Our Coaching Network GSC Coach of the Year accolades for Jackson. Quarterback Sammy Edwards was a finalist for the prestigious Harlon Hill Trophy and was named D2CCA Super Region Two Offensive Player of the Year, GSC Top Ten and a finalist for the GSC Commissioner’s Trophy. Offensive lineman Devin Hannan was recognized by the American Football Coaches Association as a first team All-American and was joined on the Don Hansen AllAmerica Team by punter Noah Botsford, defensive back Jacob Harris and Edwards. In total, seven Blazers earned D2CCA All-Region Team and All-GSC honors.
Statistically, Valdosta State ranked in the top 15 nationally in passing offense (5th – 312.2), first downs (7th – 303), completion percentage (9th – 0.663), passing efficiency (15th –158.76), net punting (4th – 40.02) and fumbles recovered (13th – 12).
Year one in Valdosta saw the Blazers win five contests, including two of its last three games. The 2022 squad ranked in the top 15 nationally in eight different statistical categories including sacks allowed (2nd – 0.27), total offense (5th – 475.6), red zone offense (6th – 0.918), tackles for loss allowed (9th – 3.91), turnovers lost (11th – 12), scoring offense (12th – 36.6), passes had intercepted (13th – 6) and passing yards per completion (15th – 14.71) and was the only program in Division II to rank in the top 25 in both total rushing (16th – 213.5) and total passing (21st – 262.2).
Head Coach Third Season at Valdosta State Houston, 2006 Interdisciplinary Studies
In the classroom, the 2023 team earned a combined 2.84 grade point average, the highest in program history, which included 54 student-athletes with a 3.0-or-better GPA, 19 over a 3.5 GPA and four with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
The Blazers have also been active in the community throughout Jackson’s tenure, accumulating thousands of hours of service in Valdosta, assisting with Earth Day Road Cleanup, Habitat for Humanity, Blazer Kids’ Day, Jacobs Ladder Therapeutic Riding Center and the #ValdostaMiracles Softball Game.
Jackson, who was named by ESPN as one of 45 minority coaches under 45 to watch and to FootballScoop’s 2022 Minority Watch List, was twice selected to participate in the NFL’s Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship, spending a week in June of 2023 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and part of training camp in 2024 with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Before taking over in Valdosta, Jackson spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons leading the Colorado Mesa Mavericks. During his tenure in Grand Junction, Jackson went 10-3 in his two seasons, including an 8-2 mark in 2021, highlighted by a thrilling 26-21 victory over then-No. 3-ranked Colorado School of Mines. It was the Mavericks’ first victory over a top-5 opponent since becoming an NCAA Division II school in 1994. Jackson’s squad went 2-1 in the spring of 2021 during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Mavericks finished 13th nationally in scoring defense in 2021, allowing just 15.6 points per game, while the team was 34th nationally in scoring offense at 33.7 points per game. CMU finished in the top 20 nationally in both total defense (10th – 258.2 ypg) and total offense (16th – 452.0 ypg). Jackson coached two Academic All-Americans and one AFCA Second Team All-America honoree, along with 21 All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) performers, including RMAC Offensive Freshman of the Year in Karst Hunter.
Prior to Colorado Mesa, Jackson was the defensive line coach at Texas State and before that served as defensive coordinator at Abilene Christian (2017-18). He also spent time as assistant head coach at the University of Sioux Falls, helping lead the Cougars to a combined 32-5 record in four seasons. During his time in South Dakota, Jackson assisted in guiding the team to a 2016 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship and postseason appearances in all three years after being promoted to the Cougars’ defensive coordinator (2014-16). He began at USF as defensive line coach in 2013.
The Cougars went 12-1 in 2016 as they won their firstever NCAA playoff game and finished No. 5 in the national poll. Jackson guided 11 defensive players to All-NSIC honors while his unit led the conference in four defensive categories.
THE TREMAINE JACKSON FILE
EDUCATION
B.A. Univ. of Houston - Interdisciplinary Studies, 2006
COLLEGIATE COACHING POSITIONS
Texas A&M-Kingsville (2006) - Defensive Line
Trinity Valley (2007) - Defensive Line
Texas Southern (2008-11) - Def. Coord./Tight Ends
Evangel (2012) - Defensive Coordinator
Sioux Falls (2013-16) - Defensive Coord./Defensive Line
Abilene Christian (2017-18) - Defensive Coordinator
Texas State (2019) - Defensive Line Coach
Colorado Mesa (2019-2022) - Head Coach
Valdosta State (2022-present) - Head Coach
In 2015, USF went 9-3 and earned the program’s first Division II playoff berth to go along with a No. 21 national ranking following an 11-1 season in 2014 and No. 18 final national ranking.
Promoted to the role of assistant head coach after those two seasons, Jackson coached seven defensive players to All-NSIC honors and a back-to-back AFCA First Team All-America defensive back in Solomon St. Pierre in both 2014 and 2015.
At Abilene Christian, Jackson led one of the biggest defensive turnarounds in the country as the Wildcats recorded their first winning season in their Division I history in 2018 (6-5). Ranking last in the country prior to his arrival, Jackson’s defensive unit entered the nation’s top 25 in five different team categories in 2018 after leading the Southland Conference in pass defense in 2017.
Earlier in his professional career, Jackson had stops at Evangel University, Texas Southern and Trinity Valley Community College after beginning his coaching career at Texas A&M University-Kingsville in 2006 as the Javelinas’ defensive line coach. He also completed NFL internships with the Houston Texans and San Diego Chargers.
At Texas Southern, where he served from 2008-11, Jackson helped the Tigers win a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) title in 2010 as the program led the country (FCS) in total defense, sacks and tackles for loss. They also led the country in total defense in 2011 in his lone season as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator.
Jackson, Vice President of the Minority Coaches Advancement Association, has served on several AFCA committees and was recipient of the 2022 Harry Butler Community Service Award for dedicated community service and outstanding volunteerism.
A former studentathlete, Jackson played on the defensive line at Texas Southern for two years after transferring from the University of LouisianaMonroe. He is a 2006 graduate of the University of Houston, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.
The Houston, Texas native has one daughter, Harmony.
2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL JACKSON SUPERLATIVES
JACKSON INDIVIDUAL SUPERLATIVES
Rushes 24 J. Rodriquez at Black Hills State (Oct 17, 2020)
Yards Rushing 190 Darick Holmes vs. Black Hills State (Nov 06, 2021)
TD Rushes 4 Darick Holmes vs. Black Hills State (Nov 06, 2021)
Long Rush 82 Gavin Herberg vs. William Jewell (Sep 02, 2021)
Pass Attempts 57 Ivory Durham vs. Virginia Union (Sep 10, 2022)
Pass Completions 35 Sammy Edwards at Delta State (Nov. 25, 2023)
Yards Passing 479 Sammy Edwards vs. Keiser University (Sep 16, 2023)
TD Passes 6 4x; Last, Sammy Edwards vs. Limestone (Nov 18, 2023)
Long Pass 85 Darius Ocean vs. Point University (Sep 02, 2023)
Receptions 11 Rodney Bullard at Delta State (Nov. 25, 2023)
TD Receptions 3 B.K. Smith vs. Virginia Union (Sep 10, 2022)
Long Reception 85 Jerson Jacques vs. Point University (Sep 02, 2023)
Field Goals 5 Estin Thiele vs. Keiser (Sep 01, 2022)
Long Field Goal 48 Estin Thiele at West Florida (Oct 28, 2023)
Punts 9 Blake Moore at Colorado State-Pueblo (Oct 02, 2021) 9 Noah Botsford vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02, 2023)
Punting Average 54.6 Estin Thiele vs. West Florida (Nov 05, 2022)
Long Punt 66 Noah Botsford vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02, 2023)
Punts Inside 20 4 Noah Botsford at West Florida (Nov. 04, 2023)
Long Punt Return 32 Dwight Blakey vs. William Jewell (Sep 02, 2021)
Long Kickoff Return 99 Rodney Bullard vs. West Georgia (Nov 11, 2023)
Tackles 15 5x; Last, Jacob Harris vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02, 2023)
Sacks 2.0 4x; Last, Tyler Morehead at Albany State (Sep 09, 2023)
Tackles For Loss 4.0 P. Hayes at Black Hills State (Oct 17, 2020)
Interceptions 2 D. Mitchell at Black Hills State (Oct 17, 2020) 2 Kyle Cass vs. Delta State (Oct 07, 2023)
JACKSON TEAM SUPERLATIVES
Rushes 59 at Black Hills State (Oct 17, 2020)
Yards Rushing 392 at Black Hills State (Oct 17, 2020)
Yards Per Rush 9.0 at Miles College (Sep 17, 2022)
TD Rushes 6 at Fort Lewis (Oct 16, 2021)
Pass Attempts 58 vs. Virginia Union (Sep 10, 2022)
Pass Completions 36 at Delta State (Nov. 25, 2023)
Yards Passing 479 vs. Keiser University (Sep 16, 2023)
Yards Per Pass 18.6 vs. Black Hills State (Nov 06, 2021)
TD Passes 6 4x; Last, vs. Limestone (Nov 18, 2023)
Total Plays 90 at Colorado State-Pueblo (Oct 02, 2021)
Total Offense 700 at Miles College (Sep 17, 2022)
Yards Per Play 10.8 at Miles College (Sep 17, 2022)
Points 63 vs. Point University (Sep 02, 2023)
Sacks By 4 8x; Last, at West Alabama (Nov 04, 2023)
First Downs 31 vs. Point University (Sep 02, 2023) 31 at Delta State (Nov. 25, 2023)
Penalties 13 vs. Adams State (Oct 09, 2021)
Penatly Yards 118 vs. Adams State (Oct 09, 2021)
Turnovers 4 at Fort Lewis (Oct 16, 2021) 4 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02, 2023)
Interceptions By 3 3x; Last, vs. West Georgia (Nov 11, 2023)
Punts 10 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02, 2023)
Punting Average 54.6 vs. West Florida (Nov 05, 2022)
Long Punt 66 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02, 2023)
Punt Inside 20 4 vs. South Dakota Mines (Oct 24, 2020) 4 at West Alabama (Nov 04, 2023)
Long Punt Return 32 vs. William Jewell (Sep 02, 2021)
Long Kickoff Return 99 vs. West Georgia (Nov 11, 2023)
OPPONENT INDIVIDUAL SUPERLATIVES
Rushes 33 J. Cummings at Western Colorado (Oct 30, 2021)
Yards Rushing 319 J. Byers vs. Virginia Union (Sep 10, 2022)
TD Rushes 3 4x; Last, K. Smith vs. Delta State (Oct 07, 2023)
Long Rush 87 Z. Turner-Knox vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02, 2023)
Pass Attempts 51 D. Holst vs. Chadron State (Sep 25, 2021)
Pass Completions 29 D. Holst vs. Chadron State (Sep 25, 2021)
Yards Passing 346 P. Shegog at Delta State (Oct 01, 2022)
TD Passes 5 D. Noller vs. Limestone (Nov 18, 2023)
Long Pass 75 R. McKee at Chowan (Sep 23, 2023)
Receptions 9 M. Carp, vs. Colorado School of Mines (Oct 23, 2021)
Yards Receiving 196 CJ Sims at New Mexico Highlands (Sep 18, 2021)
TD Receptions 3 CJ Sims at New Mexico Highlands (Sep 18, 2021)
Long Reception 75 Tyree Holloway at Chowan (Sep 23, 2023)
Field Goals 2 D. Faithfull at Colorado State-Pueblo (Oct 02, 2021) 2 G. Dunkle vs. West Alabama (Oct 08, 2022)
Long Field Goal 50 C. Karhu vs. North Greenville (Sep 23, 2023)
Punts 10 M. Waid at Fort Lewis (Oct 02, 2021)
Punting Average 53.6 C. Knutsen vs. South Dakota Mines (Nov 13, 2021)
Long Punt 73 C. Knutsen vs. South Dakota Mines (Nov 13, 2021)
Punts Inside 20 4 3x; Last, S. Simmons vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02, 2023)
Long Punt Return 64 D. Durden vs. West Florida (Nov 05, 2022)
Long Kickoff Return 94 E. Bryant vs. Point University (Sep 02, 2023)
Tackles 20 B. Rosenstrauch at Black Hills State (Oct 17, 2020)
Sacks 2.5 C. Rutz at Fort Lewis (Oct 16, 2021) 2.5 B. Puryear at West Florida (Oct 28, 2023)
Tackles For Loss 4.0 Andre Jefferson vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02, 2023) Interceptions 1 22x; Last, Twice vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02, 2023)
OPPONENT TEAM SUPERLATIVES
Rushes 61 vs. Mississippi College (Oct 15, 2022)
Yards Rushing 598 vs. Mississippi College (Oct 15, 2022)
Yards Per Rush 9.8 vs. Mississippi College (Oct 15, 2022)
TD Rushes 6 vs. Mississippi College (Oct 15, 2022)
Pass Attempts 51 vs. Chadron State (Sep 25, 2021)
Pass Completions 34 at Delta State (Oct 01, 2022)
Yards Passing 416 at Delta State (Oct 01, 2022)
Yards Per Pass (min. 5 att.) 15.2 at New Mexico Highlands (Sep 18, 2021)
TD Passes 5 at Delta State (Oct 01, 2022) 5 vs. Limestone (Nov 18, 2023)
Total Plays 91 at New Mexico Highlands (Sep 18, 2021)
Total Offense 703 at Delta State (Oct 01, 2022)
Yards Per Play 10.1 vs. Mississippi College (Oct 15, 2022)
Points 70 at Delta State (Oct 01, 2022)
Sacks By 6 at Fort Lewis (Oct 16, 2021)
First Downs 37 at Delta State (Oct 01, 2022)
Penalties 12 at Fort Lewis (Oct 16, 2021)
Penatly Yards 125 vs. Virginia Union (Sep 10, 2022)
Turnovers 5 vs. West Georgia (Nov 11, 2023)
Interceptions By 3 vs. Delta State (Oct 07, 2023)
Punts 11 3x; Last, at West Alabama (Nov 04, 2023)
Punting Average 53.6 vs. South Dakota Mines (Oct 16, 2021)
Long Punt 73 vs. South Dakota Mines (Nov 13, 2021)
Punt Inside 20 4 at Colorado State-Pueblo (Oct 02, 2021)
4 at Albany State (Sep 09, 2023) 4 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02, 2023)
Long Punt Return 64 vs. West Florida (Nov 05, 2022)
Long Kickoff Return 94 vs. Point University (Sep 02, 2023)
VALDOSTA STATE BLAZER 2024 FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF
LaVonne Gauthney
Giovanni Spadaro
Brice Carlson
Javiontae
Brett Buckridge
2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL SUPPORT STAFF
Angie Colbert Football Admin. Asst.
Kit Strief Asst. Athletic Director for Communications
Marty McGhin Director of Football Operations
Jennifer Grubbs Senior Assoc. A.D.
Laura Clayton Director of Compliance
Vaconna Hardin Director of Ticketing and Game Operations
Nicole Kucza Executive Assistant
Dr. David Kuhlmeier Faculty Athletic Representative
Angela Hampton Staff Counselor
Troy Katen Director of Athletics
Kelli Fields Red Hots
Desiree Hagan Cheerleading
The 2024 Blazers
BLAZER SENIORS AND GRADUATES
Valdosta State's home football field for 39 of the Blazers' 42 playing years, Cleveland Field at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium offers Valdosta State with a football facility conveniently located adjacent to VSU's main campus.
The original stadium was constructed in 1922 and was named for the late Dr. A.G. Cleveland, who was superintendent of Valdosta City Schools from 1919 through 1949. In the spring of 1996, two legendary coaches from the Valdosta area were honored when the complex was named after the late Wright Bazemore and Nick Hyder.
The original stadium was leveled following the 2003 season and rebuilt from the ground up, providing the Blazers with a state-of-theart facility for its home games. The seating capacity of the stadium rose to 10,100 including three prime sections featuring theater-style seating with the ramainder of the stands featuring benches with seat backs. New SprintTurf was installed on the playing surface while locker rooms were added to each end of the stadium and a new press box was built above the main stands on the home side of the field.
VALDOSTA STATE AT HOME
Valdosta State played its first seven seasons at Cleveland Field, tallying a 24-14 record, before returning to the stadium prior to the 1992 season. The Blazers have been dominant since returning to the stadium as they have gone 174-55-1 over the 36 playing years there. Since 2000, the Blazers have gone 11630 at home for a blistering .795 winning percentage.
In 2018, VSU went a perfect 8-0 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium for its eighth undfeated season at home in program history. The eight home wins in 2018 were the most since recording a school-record nine home victories in 2002. In addition, the eight wins tied the record with the 1994 team for second all-time in a season. VSU is 17-8 all-time in the NCAA Playoffs at home.
Following the 2020 season being cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2021 saw the Blazers record their ninth undefeated season at home, going 9-0 for the second time in program history (2002).
THE ATHLETIC FIELD HOUSE
The home to the Valdosta State football and women's soccer programs is the Valdosta State Athletic Fieldhouse. The 41,000 square foot Fieldhouse opened in January 2009 at a cost of $5.8 million, giving the Blazer program one of the top athletic facilities in the nation.
Beyond football and soccer, the fieldhouse also houses the 7,690 square foot Jessie Tuggle Weight Room and a 2,437 square foot stateof-the-art Athletic Training Room that is used by all VSU teams.
The Tuggle Weight Room, which encases nearly 10 times the space of its predecessor, is one of, if not the top, weight facilities among NCAA Division II schools nationwide. It featJessie Tuggle Weight Room ures 10 brand new eight-post stations as well as a reinforced medicine ball wall. New self-contained dumbbell stations were also added to the area while a 30-yard speed track was included in the design of the floor. The Jesse Tuggle Weight Room also features elliptical machines and two stationary bikes for cardio workouts and a built-in microphone/stereo system to aid the strength and conditioning staff while working with large groups of VSU athletes. Additionally, each of the 10 eight-post stations has also been pre-wired for video recording, which will be added in the near future, for further evaluation and instruction by the strength and conditioning staff. The newest addition to the facility are two Cognisens "caves," which allow for an increased mental training to provide Blazer athletes with an additional edge in competition. Valdosta State is the only university on any level in the nation to own the Cognisens machines, with additional owners including Manchester United and multiple NHL hockey teams.
Next door to the Tuggle Weight Room is the Athletic Training Room. The area includes offices for the Valdosta State Athletic Training staff and a private physician exam room as well as a hydrotherapy room for rehabilitation work. The main Athletic Training area features six taping stations as well as six additional treatment areas plus a cardiovascular/ rehabilitation area featuring stationary bikes.
Additionally, outside of the facility are two lighted football practice fields and a soccer stadium.
The Athletic Fieldhouse features many amenities that will aid the football team as it endures the rigors of a football season. A 3,265 square foot locker room is the centerpiece of the project and is lined with 126 lockers, enough to house all members of the VSU football squad. Adjacent to the locker room is a 2,100 square foot equipment room with secure “Football Locker Roompass-through” equipment bins that allow managers to address the equipment needs of all the Blazers while keeping each player’s equipment separated.
The remainder of the Athletic Fieldhouse includes a 3,458 square foot office suite for the football coaches as well as 2,200 square feet of meeting rooms, each equipped with state-of-the-art video equipment. The academic needs of the student-athlete is also addressed as a 1,500 square foot computer lab is equipped with 19 computers.
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Rushing:
Attempts: 35, by Tregnel Thomas of Delta State Nov. 1, 1997
Yards: 319 by Jada Byers of Va. Union Sept. 10, 2022
Long Rush: 84, by Jamar Thompkins of VSU Dec. 8, 2018
Touchdowns: 4, by Rogan Wells of VSU Oct. 28, 2017
Passing:
Attempts: 66, by Dane King of Henderson State Oct. 8, 2005
Completions: 45, by Chris Hatcher of VSU Oct. 23, 1993
Yards: 497, by Dusty Bonner of VSU Nov. 17, 2001
Touchdowns: 7, 3x - Last by Dusty Bonner of VSU Nov. 4, 2000
Interceptions: 5, 2x - Last Greg Jackson of West Florida Sept. 24, 2016
Long Completion: 94 by Nate Poppell of Texas A&M-Kingsville Nov. 1, 2012
Receiving:
Receptions: 20, by Sean Pender of VSU Nov. 4, 1995
Yards: 319, by Kyle Henderson of West Alabama Oct. 26, 2002
Touchdowns: 4, 4x - Last Seantavius Jones of VSU Oct. 12, 2012
Long Reception: 94, by Robert Armstrong of Texas A&M-Kingsville Nov. 1, 2012
Total Offense:
Yards: 508, by Scott Eyster of Delta State Oct. 2, 2004
Defense:
Tackles: 21, by Chris Pope of VSU Dec. 1, 2012
Tackles for Loss: 5.0, Lawrence Virgil of VSU Nov. 24, 2012
Sacks: 4.0, 2x - Last Tyler Josey of VSU Nov. 1, 2012
Interceptions: 3, 2x - Last Oatha Foster of West Ala. Sept. 22, 2012
Long Return: 100, by David Brown of VSU Dec. 8, 2018
Fumbles Forced: 3, by Tyler Josey of VSU Nov. 1, 2012
Fumbles Recovered: 2, 2x - Last Dominic Splinks of Delta State Oct. 2, 2008
Long Return: 86 by Dominique Wheeler of VSU Sept. 28, 2013
Scoring:
Touchdowns: 4, 5x - Last Rogan Wells of VSU Oct. 6, 2018
Points: 24, 5x - Last Rogan Wells of VSU Oct. 6, 2018
PAT Attempts: 10, by Daniel Andersen of VSU Nov. 7, 2009
PAT Made: 10, by Daniel Andersen of VSU Nov. 7, 2009
FG Attempted: 5, Estin Thiele of VSU Sept. 1, 2022
FG Made: 5, Estin Thiele of VSU Sept. 1, 2022
Long FG: 54 by Keith Moore of VSU Sept. 21, 1985
Punting:
Punts: 12, by VSU vs. West Florida Sept. 24, 2016
Total Yards: 494, by Lewis Hays of Shorter Sept. 22, 2018
Average: 54.0, by Andrew Jones of Delta State Oct. 20, 2012
Long Punt: 65, by Andrew Jones of Delta State Oct. 20, 2012
Punt Return:
Total Yards: 168, by Sherard Reynolds of VSU Sept. 23, 2006
Touchdowns: 1, 5x - Last by Gary Simon Oct. 22, 2016
Longest Return: 94, by Quin Roberson of VSU Sept. 8, 2012
Kickoff Returns:
Total Yards: 196, by Michael Allen of West Alabama Oct. 21, 2000
Touchdowns: 1, 10x times - Last L.C. Gallimore of VSU Oct. 5, 2021
Longest Return: 98 by Tyran Robinson of VSU No. 22, 2003
TEAM RECORDS
Rushing:
Attempts: 68, by Jacksonville State Sept. 24, 1988
Yards: 598, by Mississippi College Oct. 15, 2022
Touchdowns: 7, 2x - Last by VSU vs. Edward Waters Sept. 29, 2012
Passing:
Attempts: 68, by VSU vs. St. Ambrose Oct. 14, 1995
Completions: 48, by VSU vs. St. Ambrose Oct. 14, 1995
Yards: 508, by VSU vs. St. Ambrose Oct. 14, 1995
Touchdowns: 7, 3x - Last by VSU vs. Ouachita Baptist Nov. 4, 2000
Total Offense:
Yards: 719, by VSU vs. West Georgia Nov. 27, 2021
Defense:
Interceptions: 5, 3x - Last vs. UNCP Nov. 18, 2016
Int. Return Yards: 105, by North Alabama Nov. 12, 2005
Fumbles Forced: 5, by VSU vs. Carson-Newman Nov. 15, 2008
Fumble Recoveries: 4, 5x - Last by VSU vs. Albany State Sept. 6, 2014
Return Yards: 86, by VSU vs. Angelo State Sept. 28, 2013
Scoring:
Touchdowns: 10, 2x - Last by VSU vs. Edward Waters Nov. 7, 2009
Points: 70, by VSU vs. Edward Waters Nov. 7, 2009
PAT Attempts: 10, 2x - Last by VSU vs. Edward Waters Nov. 7, 2009
PAT Made: 10, by VSU vs. Edward Waters Nov. 7, 2009
FG Attempted: 5, by VSU vs. Keiser Sept. 1, 2022
FG Made: 5, by VSU vs. Keiser Sept. 1, 2022
Punt Return:
Total Yards: 202, by VSU vs. Arkansas Tech Sept. 23, 2006
Touchdowns: 2, by VSU vs. North Alabama Dec. 1, 2007
Kickoff Returns:
Total Yards: 243, by Edward Waters Nov. 7, 2009
Touchdowns: 1, 11x - Last by Point University Sept. 2, 2023
Miscellaneous:
First Downs: 39, by VSU vs. Carson-Newman Nov. 21, 2015
Penalties: 19, by VSU vs. Arkansas-Monticello Oct. 11, 1997
Penalty Yards: 170, by VSU vs. Albany State Aug. 28, 1999
4th Mike Cavan
5-5 5-3 4th Mike Cavan
6-3-1 4-1-1 T-2nd Mike Cavan 1992 5-4-1 3-2-1 T-2nd Hal Mumme 1993 8-3 5-2 2nd Hal Mumme
1994 11-2 6-1 T-2nd Hal Mumme
1995 6-5 4-3 5th Hal Mumme
1996 10-3 6-2 1st Hal Mumme
1997 6-5 5-3 T-4th Mike Kelly
1998 5-6 4-5 T-5th Mike Kelly
1999 4-7 3-6 T-6th Mike Kelly/Mark Nelson
2000 10-2 8-1 T-1st Chris Hatcher
2001 12-1 9-0 1st Chris Hatcher
2002 14-1 9-0 1st Chris Hatcher
2003 10-2 8-1 2nd Chris Hatcher
2004 13-1 9-0 1st Chris Hatcher
2005 9-3 7-2 T-2nd Chris Hatcher
2006 8-2 6-2 T-3rd Chris Hatcher
2007 13-1 7-1 T-2nd David Dean
2008 9-3 6-2 3rd David Dean
2009 6-4 5-3 T-3rd David Dean
2010 8-3 6-2 T-1st David Dean
2011 6-4 1-3 5th David Dean
2012 12-2 4-1 2nd David Dean
2013 6-4 3-3 4th David Dean
2014 10-3 5-2 T-3rd David Dean
2015 9-3 5-2 T-3rd David Dean
2016 8-3 6-2 T-2nd Kerwin Bell
2017 5-4 5-3 T-2nd Kerwin Bell
2018 14-0 8-0 1st Kerwin Bell
2019 10-1 8-0 1st Gary Goff
2020 NO SEASON DUE TO COVID-19
2021 12-2 6-1 T-1st Gary Goff
2022 5-6 2-5 T-6th Tremaine Jackson 2023 12-2 7-1 T-1st Tremaine Jackson
SHUTOUT VICTORIES
Score Opponent
MILESTONE VICTORIES
No. Score Opponent, Date
1 24-21 Troy State, 09/18/82
50 42-15 at West Alabama, 10/07/89
81 14-7# Albany State, 11/19/94
96 63-30* Central Arkansas, 11/09/96
100 21-0 at North Alabama, 10/04/07
122 45-35* at West Georgia, 11/11/00
133 31-6* West Georgia, 11/10/01
145 19-3* at West Georgia, 11/16/02
150 45-17 at Florida Atlantic, 09/06/03
167 35-12* at West Georgia, 11/06/04
171 36-31^ vs. Pittsburg State, 12/11/04
200 28-24 at California (Pa.), 12/08/07
201 25-20^ vs. NW Missouri State, 12/15/07
224 31-13* West Georgia, 11/06/10
242 35-7^ vs. Winston-Salem State, 12/15/12
250 22-17 vs. Winston-Salem State, 09/13/14
275 44-0 Shorter, 11/12/16
290 47-31 West Georgia, 11/10/18
294 49-47^ vs. Ferris State, 12/15/18
300 34-13 at Delta State, 10/12/19
325 28-3 vs. North Greenville, 09/23/23 *GSC Title / ^NCAA Title / #1st NCAA Playoff Win
TOP TEN HOME CROWDS
No. Att. Opponent (Score)
Date
1. 11,473 Albany State (VSU, 41-6) 08/25/01
2. 10,948 Albany State (VSU, 14-7) 11/19/94
3. 10,558 West Georgia (VSU, 47-31) 11/10/18
4. 10,473 Albany State (VSU, 21-3) 08/30/03
5. 10,214 West Georgia (VSU, 49-33) 10/15/94
6. 10,199 Albany State (VSU, 18-6) 08/28/99
7. 10,100 Fort Valley State (FVSU, 17-3) 09/14/85 8. 10,039 North Alabama (VSU, 34-31) 10/05/96 9. 9,891 Fort Valley State (VSU, 46-0) 09/02/00
9,576 Fort Valley State (VSU, 32-6) 09/07/02
ONE UNIVERSITY.
Three
Opportunities.
VSU offers you the flexibility to tailor learning to your interests and needs. You’ll find an educational experience that’s
ON CAMPUS
Hands-on experiences, individual faculty interactions, social opportunities, and championship athletics.
FULLY ONLINE
Affordable, fully online undergraduate degrees composed mostly of 8-week courses. VSU makes it easy to transfer hours.
GRADUATE DEGREES
Flexible graduate programs that fit your career ambitions.
Established in 1983, the Blazin’ Brigade Marching Band is one of the largest student organizations and one of the deepest held traditions at Valdosta State University. Blazin’ Brigade members represent nearly every major on campus. Membership is open to all students regardless of major. For 40 years, Blazin’ Brigade has provided entertaining shows for students, fans, and alumni at home in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium and across South Georgia.
VALDOSTA STATE 2024 MARCHING BAND ROSTER
NAME SECTION YEAR HOMETOWN
Braxton Acker Trumpet Freshman Norman Park, Ga.
Olivia Adams Piccolo Senior Jacksonville, Fla.
Jeanetta Allen Percussion Sophomore Griffin, Ga.
Jesus Altamirano Saxophone (Alto) Freshman Thomasville, Ga.
Asa Ballard Trumpet Junior Moultrie, Ga.
Margaret Blanchard Percussion Sophomore Marietta, Ga.
Gregory Williams Saxophone (Alto) Junior Sylvester, Ga.
Chandler YOung Trumpet Freshman Valdosta, Ga.
Blazin’ Brigade Instructors
Dr. Sky Holmes - Director of Bands
Mr. Patrick Forrester - Director of Athletic Bands
Dr. Ryan Smith - Percussion
Steven Holmes - Battery
Kautia Matyko - Majorettes
Keisha Thomas - Guard
VALDOSTA STATE 36, PITTSBURG STATE 31 BRALY STADIUM, FLORENCE, ALA. DECEMBER 11, 2004
FLORENCE, Ala. - Valdosta State used a ground control offense and an opportunistic defense to defeat Pittsburg State 36-31 in Braly Stadium to earn the school’s first NCAA Division II Football National Championship.
The Gorillas jumped on the scoreboard quickly as they intercepted a pass and returned it 32 yards for a score just 56 seconds into the contest. PSU pushed its lead to 14-0 seven minutes later as it scored on a Jermaine Carpenter 10-yard reception.
VSU used a turnover of its own to tally its first points of the game as Terrence Bell intercepted a pass and returned it to the Pittsburg State 19 yard line. Four plays later, Fabian Walker hooked up with Zach Parker for a one-yard scoring strike.
After a Gorilla field goal, Walker capped off a 9-play, 69-yard drive with a four-yard run to move the Blazers to within three points. The Valdosta State defense again made its presence felt as Tim Thompson sacked PSU quarterback Neal Philpot, who fumbled the ball on the play. Thompson recovered the fumble at the VSU 45 yard line with 47 seconds remaining, giving the Blazers time to march to the PSU seven yard line. Will Rhody tied the game with a 27yard field goal just three seconds before intermission.
A safety less than two minutes into the second half gave Valdosta State its first lead of the game before the Blazers extended their advantage to 26-17 on its next drive. VSU marched 72 yards on seven plays on the possession, capping it off with a 23-yard run by Tyran Robinson.
Pittsburg State responded with an 11-play, 80 yard drive on its ensuing possession to close to within two points only to have Valdosta State again find the end zone as it took over possession of the ball after the kickoff. Walker proceeded to complete two passes for 13 yards while rushing twice for 22 yards on the drive, which ended with a seven-yard completion to Raymond Thomas with 14:15 remaining in the contest.
The Black Swarm defense forced its third turnover of the contest on the ensuing drive, leading to VSU’s final points of the game. On the first play from scrimmage, Terel Toomer forced a fumble that was recovered by the Blazers’ Scott Foss at the PSU 31. The Blazers closed to the Gorilla eight yard line before kicking a 28-yard field goal to build its largest lead at 36-24.
Pittsburg State closed to within five points on a Neal Philpot one-yard touchdown with 7:27 to go, but VSU answered with a drive that took 5:36 off the clock. After a punt, Bell registered his second interception of the day, sealing the victory for the Blazers, which held the Gorillas to 250 offensive yards under their season average.
Second Round - Valdosta State 38, Carson-Newman 12
Valdosta State shut down the nation’s second-ranked offense as the Blazers topped Carson-Newman 38-12 in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium ... The Eagles managed 364 total yards in the contest, but also turned the ball over four times ... The Blazers jumped to a 17-0 halftime lead before CN scored on an 86-yard third quarter punt return ... The only Eagle offensive score came on a touchdown with 51 seconds remaining ... The VSU special teams unit blocked both CarsonNewman extra point attempts in the game.
Quarterfinals - Valdosta State 38, Albany State 24
In a tale of two halves, Valdosta State overcame a 24-0 halftime deficit to defeat Albany State 38-24 ... The Golden Rams rolled up 270 offensive yards in the first half while limiting VSU to 106 ... The second half saw the Blazers tally 258 yards of offense while holding ASU to 76 ... After forcing a punt on the first Albany State possession of the second half, Valdosta State scored less than three minutes into the frame on a Tyran Robinson 22-yard run ... Robinson scored again six minutes later while Vincent Brown also scored two second half touchdowns for the Blazers ... The victory avenged Valdosta State’s only loss of the season as Albany State claimed a 24-22 victory in the season opener.
Semifinals - Valdosta State 45, West Chester 21
Valdosta State never trailed as it jumped to a 31-7 halftime lead en route to a 45-21 victory over visiting West Chester ... VSU scored on five of six first half possessions ... The Blazers scored two first half touchdowns on the ground while getting two more through the air ... The Golden Rams scored two third quarter touchdowns to close to within 31-21, only to have Valdosta State respond with two fourth quarter scores ... The VSU offense tallied 476 yards in the game, as opposed to 316 for WCU, while the defense forced four turnovers in the contest.
L #4 North Alabama 27, Valdosta State 0 Florence, Ala.
L #2 Troy State 27, Valdosta State 12 Dothan, Ala.
L #11 Mississippi College 28, Valdosta State 7 Clinton, Miss.
11/23/85 L #4 North Alabama 45, Valdosta State 0 Florence, Ala.
10/11/86
L #11 Troy State 45, Valdosta State 10 Troy, Ala.
11/08/86 W #17 Valdosta State 21, #15 Miss. College 10
VALDOSTA
10/03/87 W #7 Valdosta St. 27, #10 Jacksonville St. 10 Jacksonville, Ala.
10/10/87 L #18 Troy State 44, #7 Valdosta State 7
VALDOSTA
10/01/88 W Valdosta State 21, #8 Troy State 16 Troy, Ala.
10/22/88 W Valdosta State 48, #10 Central Florida 19
10/29/88 L #10 Mississippi College 31, Valdosta State 21
VALDOSTA
VALDOSTA
09/23/89 L #3 Jacksonville St. 17, Valdosta State 15 Jacksonville, Ala.
10/28/89 L #13 Mississippi College 32, Valdosta State 3 Clinton, Miss.
11/10/90 L #15 North Alabama 26, Valdosta State 10
VALDOSTA
09/28/91 L #3 Jacksonville St. 24, Valdosta State 3 Jacksonville, Ala.
11/02/91 T Valdosta State 10, #3 Miss. College 10 Clinton, Miss.
09/26/92 L #3 Jacksonville St. 20, Valdosta State 6 Jacksonville, Ala.
11/14/92 T #20 Valdosta State 24, #16 North Ala. 24
VALDOSTA
09/18/93 W #10 Valdosta St. 49, #17 Fort Valley St. 24 Fort Valley, Ga.
11/06/93 L #1 North Alabama 31, #18 Valdosta State 21
10/15/94 W #3 Valdosta State 49, #15 West Georgia 33
VALDOSTA
VALDOSTA
11/05/94 L #1 North Alabama 38, #2 Valdosta State 21 Florence, Ala.
11/19/94 W #6 Valdosta State 14, #11 Albany State 7
VALDOSTA
11/26/94 L #1 North Alabama 27, #6 Valdosta State 24 Florence, Ala.
09/09/95 L #10 North Dakota St. 19, #14 Valdosta St. 14 Fargo, N.D.
09/30/95 L #15 Central Arkansas 30, Valdosta State 24 Conway, Ark.
10/28/95 L #1 North Alabama 26, Valdosta State 9 Florence, Ala.
11/11/95 L #17 West Georgia 44, Valdosta State 6 Carrollton, Ga.
11/16/96 L #12 West Georgia 42, #5 Valdosta State 21
11/23/96 W #5 Valdosta State 38, #14 Albany State 28
VALDOSTA
VALDOSTA
11/30/96 L #6 Carson-Newman 24, #5 VSU 19 Jefferson City, Tenn.
09/06/97 L #2 Carson-Newman 28, Valdosta State 7
VALDOSTA
11/15/97 L #16 West Georgia 35, Valdosta State 21 Carrollton, Ga.
08/29/98 W Valdosta State 20, #8 Albany State 10 Albany, Ga.
10/17/98 L #15 Southern Ark. 40, Valdosta State 13 Magnolia, Ark.
11/14/98 L #18 West Georgia 26, Valdosta State 13 Carrollton, Ga.
08/28/99 W Valdosta State 18, #7 Albany State 6
VALDOSTA
10/16/99 L #12 Southern Arkansas 28, Valdosta State 14 VALDOSTA
09/02/00 W Valdosta State 46, #12 Fort Valley State 0 VALDOSTA
09/16/00 W #21 Valdosta State 30, #9 Southern Ark. 29 Magnolia, Ark.
10/07/00 L #15 Delta State 45, #9 Valdosta State 35
VALDOSTA
11/11/00 W #7 Valdosta State 45, #4 West Georgia 35 Carrollton, Ga.
11/18/00 L #11 Delta State 45, #6 Valdosta State 12 Cleveland, Miss.
09/22/01 W #4 Valdosta State 42, #21 Central Ark. 34 Conway, Ark.
10/06/01 W #4 Valdosta State 70, #1 Delta State 12 Cleveland, Miss.
11/10/01 W #1 Valdosta State 31, #18 West Georgia 6 VALDOSTA
11/17/01 W #1 Valdosta State 40, #21 Fort Valley State 24
11/24/01 L #7 Catawba 37, #1 Valdosta State 34
09/07/02 W #3 Valdosta State 32, #21 Fort Valley State 6
VALDOSTA
10/19/02 W #2 Valdosta State 35, #14 Central Ark. 11 Conway, Ark.
11/23/02 W #2 Valdosta State 24, #16 Catawba 7 VALDOSTA
11/30/02 W #2 Valdosta State 31, #3 Carson-Newman 28 VALDOSTA
12/07/02 W #2 Valdosta State 21, #18 Texas A&M-Kingsville 12
12/14/02 L #1 Grand Valley St. 31, #2 Valdosta State 24 Florence, Ala.
09/27/03 W #2 Valdosta State 41, #9 Southern Ark. 17 Magnolia, Ark.
11/01/03 L #3 North Alabama 17, #1 Valdosta State 10
11/22/03 L #8 Carson-Newman 35, #5 Valdosta State 29
VALDOSTA
VALDOSTA
09/04/04 L #23 Albany State, #3 Valdosta State 22 Albany, Ga.
09/25/04 W #12 Valdosta State 22, #19 Central Ark. 12 Conway, Ark.
10/02/04 W #12 Valdosta State 51, #11 Delta State 48
VALDOSTA
10/23/04 W #5 Valdosta State 24, #23 North Alabama 20 Florence, Ala.
11/20/04 W #3 Valdosta State 38, #13 Carson-Newman 12
VALDOSTA
11/27/04 W #3 Valdosta State 38, #2 Albany State 24 Albany, Ga.
12/04/04 W #3 Valdosta State 45, #23 West Chester 21
VALDOSTA
12/11/04 W #3 Valdosta State 36, #1 Pittsburg State 31 Florence, Ala.
09/03/05 W #1 Valdosta State 24, #10 Albany State 9
VALDOSTA
10/01/05 W #5 Valdosta State 24, #24 Delta State 23 Cleveland, Miss.
10/20/05 W #3 Valdosta State 26, #14 North Alabama 23
11/12/05 L #13 North Alabama 40, #9 Valdosta Staet 13
VALDOSTA
VALDOSTA
09/02/06 W #6 Valdosta State 20, #9 Albany State 16 Albany, Ga.
09/23/06 W #5 Valdosta State 51, #25 Arkansas Tech 14
VALDOSTA
10/12/06 L #16 Delta State 35, #5 Valdosta State 28 Cleveland, Miss.
10/28/06 L #3 North Alabama 31, #12 Valdosta State 24 (ot) Florence, Ala.
09/01/07 W #6 Valdosta State 41, #21 Albany State 3
10/11/07 L #8 Delta State 35, #5 Valdosta State 31
10/27/07 W #11 Valdosta State 27, #2 North Alabama 24
11/24/07 W #8 Valdosta State 55, #12 Catawba 29
12/01/07 W #8 Valdosta State 37, #10 North Alabama 23
VALDOSTA
VALDOSTA
VALDOSTA
VALDOSTA
VALDOSTA
12/08/07 W #8 Valdosta State 28, #6 California (Pa.) 24 California, Pa.
12/15/07 W #8 Valdosta St. 25, #5 NW Missouri St. 20 Florence, Ala.
08/30/08 W #1 Valdosta State 14, #20 Newberry 20 Newberry, S.C.
10/02/08 L #14 Delta State 27, #1 Valdosta State 24 (ot)
VALDOSTA
10/25/08 L #8 North Alabama 41, #9 Valdosta State 23 Florence, Ala.
11/15/08 W #13 Valdosta St. 24, #21 Carson-Newman 20
VALDOSTA
11/22/08 L #5 North Alabama 37, #13 Valdosta State 10 Florence, Ala.
10/01/09 L #25 Delta State 31, Valdosta State 23 Cleveland, Miss.
10/22/09 L #1 North Alabama 62, Valdosta State 27
VALDOSTA
10/14/10 W Valdosta State 5, #3 North Alabama 0 Florence, Ala.
09/03/11 W #20 Valdosta State 34, #14 Wingate 28 (2ot) Wingate, N.C.
09/17/11 W #12 Valdosta State 30, #6 Albany State 27 Albany, Ga.
10/15/11 W #12 Valdosta State 22, #22 West Alabama 21
VALDOSTA
10/22/11 L #1 Delta State 36, #10 Valdosta State 33 Cleveland, Miss.
11/12/11 L #13 North Alabama 30, Valdosta State 23
09/22/12 L #23 West Alabama 39, #16 Valdosta State 28
12/01/12 W #17 Valdosta St. 48, #22 Carson-Newman 26
VALDOSTA
VALDOSTA
VALDOSTA
12/08/12 W #17 Valdosta St. 35, #5 Minn. St.-Mankato 19 Mankato, Minn.
12/15/12 W #17 Valdosta St. 35, #2 Winston-Salem St. 7 Florence, Ala.
10/10/13
L #14 West Alabama 49, #1 Valdosta St. 30 Livingston, Ala.
11/07/13 L #14 UNC-Pembroke 34, Valdosta State 29
10/10/15 L #2 West Georgia 49, #21 Valdosta State 28 Carrollton, Ga.
11/21/15 W #17 Valdosta St. 61, #22 Carson-Newman 59
VALDOSTA
11/28/15 L #7 West Georgia 27, #17 Valdosta St. 20 Carrollton, Ga.
09/17/16 L #20 North Alabama 44, #23 Valdosta St. 19 Florence, Ala.
10/09/16 W #25 Valdosta State 38, #12 West Georgia 27 VALDOSTA
11/19/16 L #16 UNC-Pembroke 24, #23 Valdosta St. 21 VALDOSTA 09/17/17 L #11 North Alabama 30, Valdosta State 24
W Valdosta State 58, #8 West Alabama 24 Livingston, Ala. 11/10/18 W #5 Valdosta State 47,
10/05/13 W #1 Valdosta State 52, Florida Tech 14
10/10/13 L #14 West Alabama 49, #1 Valdosta St. 30
VALDOSTA
09/13/14 W VSU 22, #12 Winston Salem St. 17 Powder Springs, Ga.
09/20/14 L #14 Delta St. 49, Valdosta State 32
VALDOSTA
09/27/14 L #5 North Alabama 31, Valdosta State 29 Florence, Ala.
10/11/14 W Valdosta State 40, #21 West Georgia 6
VALDOSTA
11/22/14 W Valdosta State 33, #12 North Alabama 31 Florence, Ala.
11/29/14 W Valdosta State 23, #3 Lenoir-Rhyne 21 Hickory, N.C.
12/06/14 L #25 West Georgia 31, Valdosta State 17
10/03/15 L #8 North Alabama, #8 Valdosta State 12
VALDOSTA
VALDOSTA
2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL 2024 SCHEDULE RECAPS
ALBANY STATE August 31
Valdosta, Ga.
7 p.m. at Newberry College
September 7 Newberry, S.C. 7 p.m.
FAYETTEVILLE STATE
September 14 Valdosta, Ga. 7 p.m.
Erskine College September 21
S.C.
WEST ALABAMA September, 28
S.C.
MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE October 19 Valdosta, Ga.
3 p.m.
Tale of the Tape 2023
AFCA TOP 25 POLL
BLAZERTOP 25 HISTORY...
3rd-Down Pct. 45% 31%
Conversions
Others Receiving Votes: Benedict (S.C.), 64; Henderson St. (Ark.), 56; Virginia St., 54; Tiffin (Ohio), 34; Southern Arkansas, 24; Ashland (Ohio), 21; Davenport (Mich.), 21; Wingate (N.C.), 20; Emporia St. (Kan.), 18; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 17; Albany St. (Ga.), 15; Findlay (Ohio), 14; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 12; California (Pa.), 11; Oklahoma Baptist, 11; Shepherd (W.Va.), 8; New Haven (Conn.), 7; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 6; Wayne St. (Neb.), 3; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 2; Truman St. (Mo.), 2; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 1; Indiana (Pa.), 1.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING (2023)
2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL
2024
2023 INDIVIDUAL SUPERLATIVES
Rushes 17
Isaiah Flowers at Albany State (Sep 09)
Yards Rushing 132 Bud Chaney vs. Limestone (Nov 18)
TD Rushes 3 Bud Chaney vs. North Greenville (Sep 23)
Long Rush 58 Eric Watts at Albany State (Sep 09)
Pass Attempts 49
Pass Completions 35
Sammy Edwards at Delta State (Nov 25)
Sammy Edwards at Delta State (Nov 25)
Yards Passing 479 Sammy Edwards vs. Keiser University (Sep 16)
TD Passes 6 Sammy Edwards at Chowan (Sep 23) 6 Sammy Edwards vs. Limestone (Nov 18)
Long Pass 85 Darius Ocean vs. Point University (Sep 02)
Receptions 11 Rodney Bullard at Delta State (Nov 25)
Yards Receiving 151 B.K. Smith at West Florida (Oct 28)
TD Receptions 2 6x; Last, Allen/Bullard vs. Limestone (Nov 18)
Long Reception 85 Jerson Jacques vs. Point University (Sep 02)
Field Goals 3 Estin Thiele vs. West Georgia (Nov 11)
Long Field Goal 48 Estin Thiele at West Florida (Oct 28)
Punts 9 Noah Botsford vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02)
Punting Average 50.2 Noah Botsford vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02)
Long Punt 66 Noah Botsford vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02)
Punts Inside 20 4 Noah Botsford at West Alabama (Nov 04)
Long Punt Return 23 Bryon Broussard vs. Keiser University (Sep 16)
Long Kickoff Return 99 Rodney Bullard vs. West Georgia (Nov 11)
Tackles 15 Jacob Harris vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02)
Sacks 2.0 Tyler Morehead at Albany State (Sep 09)
Tackles For Loss 2.0 Jamorey Jones vs. Point University (Sep 02) 2.0 Jay Hinkle at Albany State (Sep 09) 2.0 Tyler Morehead at Albany State (Sep 09)
Interceptions 2 Kyle Cass vs. Delta State (Oct 07)
2023 TEAM SUPERLATIVES
Rushes 42 at Albany State (Sep 09)
Yards Rushing 285 at Albany State (Sep 09)
Yards Per Rush 6.8 at Albany State (Sep 09)
TD Rushes 3 8x; Last at Delta State (Nov 25)
Pass Attempts 50 at Delta State (Nov 25)
Pass Completions 36 at Delta State (Nov 25)
Yards Passing 479 vs. Keiser University (Sep 16)
Yards Per Pass 13.6 at Chowan (Sep 23)
TD Passes 6 vs. Point University (Sep 02) 6 at Chowan (Sep 23) 6 vs. Limestone (Nov 18)
Total Plays 83 at Delta State (Nov 25)
Total Offense 647 vs. Point University (Sep 02)
Yards Per Play 10.1 at Chowan (Sep 23)
Points 63 vs. Point University (Sep 02)
Sacks By 4 vs. Point University (Sep 02) 4 at Albany State (Sep 09) 4 at West Alabama (Nov 04)
First Downs 31 vs. Point University (Sep 02) 31 at Delta State (Nov 25)
Penalties 11 at West Florida (Oct 28)
Penalty Yards 114 vs. Point University (Sep 02)
Turnovers 4 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02)
Interceptions By 3 vs. West Georgia (Nov 11)
Punts 10 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02)
Punting Average 50.0 at Delta State (Nov 25)
Long Punt 66 vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02)
Punt Inside 20
Long Punt Return
Long Kick Return
at West Alabama (Nov 04)
vs. Keiser University (Sep 16)
vs. West Georgia (Nov 11)
OPPONENT
Rushes 24 Marcus Williams at Mississippi College (Oct 14)
Yards Rushing
TD Rushes
Long Rush
Pass Attempts
Pass Completions
Yards Passing
TD Passes
Kelvin Smith vs. Delta State (Oct 07)
Kelvin Smith vs. Delta State (Oct 07)
Z. Turner-Knox vs. Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec 02)
Ramirez vs. North Greenville (Sep 23)
Rashad McKee at Chowan (Sep 23)
Rashad McKee at Chowan (Sep 23)
Rashad McKee at Chowan (Sep 23)
Dustin Noller vs.
BLAZER 2024 OPPONENT RESULTS
#RV Albany State Golden Rams (0-0, 0-0 SIAC)
Aug. 31 at #7 Valdosta State
Sept. 7 SHAW
Sept. 14 IDLE
Sept. 21 vs. Central State* (Rochester, N.Y.)
Sept. 28 KENTUCKY STATE*
Oct. 5 at Allen*
Oct. 12 at Miles*
Oct. 19 MOREHOUSE COLLEGE*
Oct. 26 EDWARD WATERS*
Nov. 2 at Savannah State*
2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL
Newberry College Wolves (0-0, 0-0 SAC)
Sept. 7 VALDOSTA
Nov. 9 vs. Fort Valley State* (Columbus, Ga.) 2 p.m.
Nov. 16 vs. TBA (SIAC Championship
Erskine College Fleet
North Greenville Trailblazers (0-0, 0-0 GSC)
Sept. 5
#18 Delta State Statesmen (0-0, 0-0 GSC)
Aug. 29 at Mars Hill
Sept. 7 MISSOURI S&T
Sept. 14 at Wingate
West Alabama Tigers (0-0, 0-0 GSC)
Mississippi College Choctaws (0-0, 0-0 GSC) Sept. 4
#12 West Florida Argonauts (0-0, 0-0 GSC) Sept. 5
Fayetteville State Broncos (0-0, 0-0 CIAA) Sept. 7 UNC PEMBROKE
Shorter Hawks (0-0)
Chowan Hawks (0-0, 0-0 GSC)
#7 Valdosta State Blazers (0-0, 0-0 GSC)
LAST TIME VERSUS ALBANY STATE
Sept.09,2023•ASUColiseum•Albany,Ga.•Att:4,202
Score by Quarters
VALDOSTA STATE 7 0 14 0 - 21 (2-0)
ALBANY STATE 0 10 0 6 - 16 (0-2)
Scoring Summary
1st 10:39 VSU Flowers 2-yard run (Thiele kick)
2nd 11:22 ASU Mashburn 29-yard field goal
00:23 ASU Jordan 23-yard pass from Bonneau (Mashburn kick)
3rd 07:53 VSU Flowers 1-yard run (Thiele kick)
03:57 VSU Watts 58-yard run (Thiele kick)
4th 07:15 ASU Jordan 28-yard pass from Knowles (Pass failed)
Individual Stats
RUSHING: Valdosta State-E. Watts 11-123; I. Flowers 17-95; S. Edwards 10-53; G. Wilson 2-9; D. Ocean 1-7; TEAM 1-minus 2. AlbanyState-A. Thomas 10-42; M. Pierce 7-25; I. Knowles 6-4; A. Brimah 1-4; D. Bonneau 3-minus 5; R. Jordan 1-minus 9.
RECEIVING: Valdosta State-B.K. Smith 3-26; R. Bullard 2-28; N. Gillan 2-16; T. Hurst 1-8; C. Allen 1-4; X.Williams 1-minus 3. Albany State-R. Jordan 6-116; J. Jackson 3-38; R. Lovett III 2-12; K. Jackson 2-7; D. Dorsey 1-10; M. Forsythe 1-8; A. Thomas 1-6.
FUMBLES: Valdosta State-None. Albany State-I. Knowles 1-0; J. Jackson 1-0.
SACKS (UA-A): Valdosta State-T. Morehead 2-0; D. Clifton 1-0; K. Parker 1-0. Albany State-R. Robinson 2-0.
TACKLES (UA-A): Valdosta State-T. Dudley 5-4; J. Harris 6-0; N. Jackson 3-1; K. Cass 2-1; B. Broussard 2-1; J. Hinkle 2-1; K. Parker 1-2; T. Morehead 2-0; L. Nettles 1-0; S. Colman 1-0; K. Whitaker 1-0; R. Bullard 1-0; T. Trawick 1-0; A. Hazzard 0-1; J. Billups 0-1; J. Blount 0-1; D. Hatcher 0-1; A. Lampley 0-1; C. Sutherland 0-1; E.Cannon 0-1. Albany State-M. Pollock 5-5; J. Mitchell 8-1; J. Jackson 7-0; R. Robinson 3-2; J. Pugh 3-1; A. Ross 3-1; E. Price 3-0; J. Turner 2-1; R. Fillingame 2-0; D. Baker 2-0; D. James 1-1; L. Woullard 1-1; J. Heggs 1-1; D. Drayton 1-1; D. Wan 1-0; R. Lovett III 1-0; C. Wiley 1-0; A. Clinkscales 0-1; R. Welch 0-1; S. Rodriguez 0-1; R. Floyd 0-1; A. Harvey 0-1.
Blazer Defense Comes Up Big Late for 21-16 Victory at Albany State
ALBANY, Ga. – The Valdosta State defense came up with two huge sacks from redshirt freshman Tyler Morehead on the final drive of the game as the Valdosta State football team won 21-16 at Albany State Saturday evening in front of a crowd of over 4,000 people.
VSU improved to 2-0 on the year and won its fourth-straight game in the series against the Golden Rams, improving to 21-2 all-time against ASU. The Golden Rams fell to 0-2 on the year.
Trailing 21-16, the Golden Rams took over at their own seven-yard line with 2:41 remaining, following an outstanding punt from freshman Noah Botsford, who had five punts for a 41.4 average for the game. ASU quarterback Isaiah Knowles hit Rashad Jordan for 32 yards, but a holding penalty on ASU negated the gain. Knowles later hit Javion Jackson for 16 yards to the VSU 45 and then Knowles called his own number for an 18-yard scamper to the VSU 18. Morehead came up with his first sack with 29 seconds left and then, on third and 13 from the VSU 21 and six seconds to go, Morehead rushed Knowles again and sacked him for a 16-yard loss as time expired.
On a night where the Blazer passing game was a tad off, the running game was solid to the tune of 285 yards on the ground on 42 attempts for a 6.8 average per carry, while the Blazers passed for just 79 yards. VSU outgained the Golden Rams 364 to 268, while the defense held ASU to 14 first downs, 71 yards on the ground and 197 through the air. VSU had 21 first downs for the game.
Blazer junior newcomer Eric Watts had 11 carries for 123 yards and a rushing touchdown, while sophomore Isaiah Flowers had 17 carries for 95 yards and two rushing scores. Junior quarterback Sammy Edwards was 10 of 16 passing for 79 yards and one interception, while he had ten carries for 53 yards on the ground.
Defensively, the Blazers were led by sophomore Terrell Dudley with nine total tackles, while the team recorded four sacks for 26 yards and six tackles for loss for 36 yards. It was the second-straight week VSU’s “D” held the opposition to under 300 yards of total offense.
The Blazers methodically moved right down the field on the opening possession as Flowers scampered for 19 yards on the first play from scrimmage and Edwards used a 19-yard run on second and 10 from the ASU 44, followed by a personal foul on the Golden Rams. VSU then moved inside the ten as Flowers took it in from two yards out for a 7-0 lead with 10:39 left in the first quarter.
ASU competed a third and six, but a big tackle for loss on third and from the ASU 46 by junior Jay Hinkle stymied the Golden Rams’ opening drive. VSU then moved with ease from its own 18 aided by a great run from Watts for 31 yards and a personal foul penalty. Edwards converted a third and three with a big pass to sophomore Ted Hurst as the Blazers moved to the 18-yard line, but graduate student kicker Estin Thiele missed a 37-yard field goal.
VSU outgained the Golden Rams 110-34 for the first quarter and had 11 rushes for 85 yards, while ASU had six rushes for seven yards in the opening stanza. The Golden Rams went for it on fourth and five from the VSU 29 early in the second quarter as Dionte Bonneau hit Devon Dorsey for ten yards to keep the drive alive. Hinkle came up with another big tackle for loss on a third and two from the VSU 11 forcing a 29-yard field goal from Eli Mashburn for a 7-3 score with 11:22 left in the half.
Following two punts by both teams on their next two possessions, VSU had moved into ASU territory with 2:40 to go in the half, but Edwards’ pass was intercepted by Jakobe Heggs at the ASU 40 and returned 37 yards to the VSU 23 with 28 seconds left. Bonneau hit Rashad Jordan for a 23-yard touchdown pass on the ensuing play for ASU’s first lead of the game at 10-7.
VSU had just 44 yards of offense in the second quarter and finished the half with 154 yards of offense on 28 plays, while ASU had 25 plays for 109 yards. Edwards was 5 for 8 passing for 38 yards and one interception, while Watts had six carries for 42 yards and Flowers had five carries for 37 yards and a score. For the Golden Rams, Bonneau was 6 of 10 for 84 yards and a score, while Jordan had three catches for 53 yards and a touchdown. VSU held a 10-5 lead in first downs for the half.
The Blazers came up with a big stop on the opening possession of the third quarter defensively, forcing a three-and-out as ASU had all of the momentum going into halftime. The Blazers used a nine play, 69-yard drive converting a huge third and 10 with Edwards hitting graduate student B.K. Smith for 13 yards to the ASU 14 to keep the drive alive. Flowers rushed for 13 yards and then scored his second touchdown of the game for a 14-10 lead.
Another three-and-out by the Blazer defense followed and VSU had its longest drive of the season, going five plays for 90 yards in just 2:38 as Watts made a house call for a 58-yard touchdown run and a 21-10 lead with 3:57 left in the third.
ASU went three-and-out, once again, but in the fourth took over with 10;30 to go. The Blazers had a chance to get off the field, but Knowles hit Jackson for exactly nine yards on a fourth and nine from the ASU 49 to keep the drive going. He then found Jordan for 28 yards and a score, but the two-point conversion failed. Bonneau threw one touchdown pass, going 9 of 15 for 95 yards, while Knowles was 7 of 14 for 102 yards and a score. Jordan had six catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
The Blazers return home to host No. 2-ranked Keiser University (1-1) of the NAIA on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL YEAR-BY-YEAR STATISTICS
VALDOSTA STATE
LASTTIMEOUT...NCAAQUARTERFINALS
Dec.2,2023•Bazemore-HyderStadium•Att:2,223
Score by Quarters
LENOIR-RHYNE 0 28 0 7 - 35 13-1
VALDOSTA STATE 0 0 7 0 - 7 12-2
Scoring Summary
2nd 09:49 LR McGee 1-yard run (Brown kick)
05:52 LR Turner-Knox 2-yard run (Brown kick)
04:53 LR White 4-yard run (Brown kick)
02:11 LR Turner-Knox 87-yard run (Brown kick)
3rd 09:19 VSU Ajiero 6-yard pass from Edwards (Thiele kick)
4th 05:50 LR McGee 2-yard run (Brown kick)
Individual Stats
RUSHING: Lenoir-Rhyne-Z. Turner-Knox 15-145; D. McGee 22-102; Z. Dillard 8-37; D. Rogers 1-22; P. King 1-4; S. White 5-minus 3. Valdosta State-E. Watts 7-13; T. Tisdale 1-8; I. Flowers 2-6; G. Wilson 2-3; S. Edwards 6-minus 28.
PASSING: Lenoir-Rhyne-S. White 9-15-0-51. Valdosta State S. Edwards 14-352-143.
RECEIVING: Lenoir-Rhyne-D. Rogers 4-23; D. Lester 2-17; S. Yates 2-8; D. Marshall 1-3. Valdosta State- B.K. Smith 4-35; N. Gillan 3-36; C. Allen 3-28; J. Jeffery 1-42; T. Ajiero 1-6; R. Bullard 1-0; E. Watts 1-minus 4.
INTERCEPTIONS: Lenoir-Rhyne-R. Yelding 1-16; C. Brown 1-2. Valdosta StateNone.
FUMBLES: Lenoir-Rhyne-None. Valdosta State-T. Tisdale 1-1; B.K. Smith 1-0; T. Ajiero 1-1.
SACKS (UA-A): Lenoir-Rhyne-R. Yelding 2-0; A. Jefferson 1-0; Z. Nance 1-0. Valdosta State-T. Morehead 1-0.
TACKLES (UA-A): Lenoir-Rhyne-M. Taylor 5-0; J. Maye 2-3; A. Jefferson 4-0; P. King 2-2; R. Yelding 2-2; C. Kelley 2-1; D. Hibbitt 2-1; J. Godwin 2-0; Z. Nance 1-1; C. Lachesky 1-1; T.J. Blanding 1-1; D. Whitmire 1-0; A. James 1-0; R. Turner 1-0; J. Johnson 1-0; C. Brown 1-0; Z. Turner-Knox 0-1; M. Sumner 0-1. Valdosta State-J. Harris 5-10; T. Morehead 2-9; J. Billups 3-4; K. Cass 2-5; N. Jackson 3-3; J. Hicks 1-4; A. Baugh 1-4; T. Dudley 3-1; S. Roberts 1-3; L. Nettles 0-4; J. Jones 0-3; N. Nixon 2-0; A. Farley 0-2; C. Sutherland 0-2; J. Blount 0-2; D. Hatcher 0-2; A. Sparks 0-2; P. Starks 0-2; K. Williams 1-0; D. Clifton 0-1; J. Mobley 0-1; T. Stoops 0-1; T. Ajiero 0-1.
Blazer Football Season Comes to an End in NCAA Quarterfinals
VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State football team’s 2023 campaign came to an end after the No. 14 Blazers dropped a 35-7 decision to No.11-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne in Valdosta Saturday afternoon on a rainy day in Titletown.
Valdosta State ended its season with a 12-2 record, while falling to 3115 all-time in the playoffs and 21-8 in playoff games in Valdosta. Meanwhile, Lenoir Rhyne improved to 13-1 and punched its ticket to the NCAA Playoff Semifinals.
The Blazer offense was extremely limited due to the combined efforts of the LR defense and the rainy conditions. Harlon Hill Finalist junior Sammy Edwards finished the game with 143 yards through the air with one touchdown and two interceptions while the Blazer rushing attack was limited to two yards on 18 carries. Defensively, the Blazers were led by graduate student Jacob Harris with a career-high 15 tackles while redshirt freshman Tyler Morehead finished the game with one sack and 11 tackles.
Lenoir-Rhyne put together a massive day on the ground a s the Bears combined for 307 rushing yards. The Bears were led by Zayvion Turner-Knox with 145 yards and two touchdowns while D2CCA second team running back Dwayne McGee finished the game with 102 yards. LR quarterback Sean White finished the game with 51 passing yards on 9 of 15 passing and one rushing touchdown.
After VSU won the toss and deferred to the second half, the Lenoir-Rhyne offense took the field to start the game. The Blazer defense quickly forced a three-and-out on the opening drive to bring Edwards and the VSU offense on the field. However, the rainy conditions limited the Blazer offense attack as the Lenoir-Rhyne defense responded with a three-and-out of its own.
The Bears caught the first break in the contest, taking advantage of a VSU fumble on its own 23-yard line late in the first quarter. Despite this, the Blazer defense held tough in the red zone and a missed field goal by the Bears began the second quarter.
The Bears ended up scoring first as Lenoir-Rhyne running back McGee took the ball 43 yards down the field before punching it in from the VSU one-yard line, going up 7-0 with 9:49 left until the half.
The Lenoir-Rhyne special teams ended up making another decisive play at the 8:35 mark in the second quarter, blocking a VSU punt on its own 17, to give the offense excellent field position once again. The Bears took advantage as Turner-Knox muscled through the trenches to put Lenoir-Rhyne up 14-0 with 5:52 left in the second quarter.
Lenoir-Rhyne came up big again when Bears’ defensive lineman Rashad Yelding picked off Edwards’ pass, bringing the ball to the VSU four-yard line. White took the ball into the endzone himself to give LR a 21-0 cushion with 4:53 left until the half.
The rushing game proved to be vital to the Lenoir-Rhyne defense as TurnerKnox took a touchdown to the house on a major 87-yard touchdown run to plant the Bears up 28-0 with 3:10 left in the half. Valdosta State immediately suffered its fourth turnover of the game on a kickoff return as the Bears gained great field position once again. The Blazer defense clamped down and prevented further damage as the Bears headed into halftime leading 28-0.
The Blazers seemingly had no answers for the Lenoir-Rhyne rushing attack in the first half, giving up 206 yards on the ground and just 33 in the air. However, the big difference maker proved to be turnovers as VSU suffered two fumbles and an interception in the first half.
Valdosta State answered back immediately in the second half as Edwards began to sling it downfield to junior Noah Gillan and graduate student B.K. Smith. The pair combined for 62 total yards on the drive which set up a six-yard touchdown reception from graduate student Tyler Ajiero, cutting the Bears lead to 21 at 28-7 with 9:19 left in the third quarter.
For most of the second half, the Bears milked the clock and controlled the line of scrimmage, holding off the VSU offense. Lenoir-Rhyne ended up scoring one final touchdown in the late minutes of the fourth quarter.
Despite the loss, the Blazers had a great season for a team that was picked fifth in the Gulf South Conference preseason poll. Last season, in head coach Tremaine Jackson’s first campaign, the team went 5-6, while this year he guided the team to a share of its tenth GSC title for the second-most conference titles all-time in GSC history and the most of any current GSC member.
Edwards finished the season with 4,223 yards passing finishing just three yards short of tying the school-record for passing yards in a season set by Lance Funderburk at 4,226 yards in 1996. Edwards finished the year going 327 of 494 passing for 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His 327 passes are good for a tie for sixth all-time in program history with Buster Faulkner in 2022 and his 34 touchdown passes are good for third alltime in a season.
1984 Mississippi College 10, Valdosta State 3 (1-2)
1985 Valdosta State 19, Bishop 2 (2-2)
1986 Valdosta State 21, Savannah State 7 (3-2)
1987 Valdosta State 49, West Georgia 14 (4-2)
1988 Valdosta State 48, Central Florida 19 (5-2)
1989 Valdosta State 34, West Georgia 16 (6-2)
1990 Mississippi College 17, Valdosta State 10 (6-3)
1991 Valdosta State 38, West Georgia 37 (7-3)
1992 Valdosta State 42, West Alabama 15 (8-3)
1993 Valdosta State 42, Mississippi College 21 (9-3)
1994 Valdosta State 49, West Georgia 33 (10-3)
1995 Valdosta State 41, St. Ambrose 0 (11-3)
1996 Valdosta State 42, Southern Arkansas 7 (12-3)
1997 Valdosta State 58, Arkansas-Monticello 14 (13-3)
1998 Valdosta State 19, West Alabama 3 (14-3)
1999 Southern Arkanas 28, Valdosta State 14 (14-4)
2000 Valdosta State, 50, West Alabama 20 (15-4)
2001 Valdosta State 51, Harding 17 (16-4)
2002 Valdosta State 45, Arkansas-Monticello 17 (17-4)
2003 Valdosta State 26, Central Arkansas 21 (18-4)
2004 Valdosta State 34, West Alabama 17 (19-4)
2005 Valdosta State 52, Henderson State 12 (20-4)
2006 Valdosta State 41, Southern Arkansas 7 (21-4)
2007 Valdosta State 31, Ouachita Baptist 3 (22-4)
2008 Valdosta State 21, Harding 3 (23-4)
2009 Valdosta State 33, Henderson State 20 (24-4)
2010 Valdosta State 21, Ouachita Baptist 19 (25-4)
2011 Valdosta State 22, West Alabama 21 (26-4)
2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL TEAM RECORDS - SINGLE SEASON
1.
40 3871
5. 2002 547 355 42 4162
6. 1996 544 346 38 4275
7. 2001 478 337 56 4356
8. 2007 524 334 30 3431
9. 2005 489 317 22 3307
10. 2004 420 302 23 3119
MOST PASSING TOUCHDOWNS
No. Year Att. Comp. TDs Yds.
1. 2001* 478 337 56 4356 2000* 522 372 56 4361
3. 1994 594 409 55 4389
4. 2018 419 241 50 3658
5. 2002 547 355 42 4162
6. 1993 513 363 40 3871
7. 1996 544 346 38 4275
8. 2012 422 264 36 3506 2023 502 333 36 4371 10. 2021 420 251 33 3541 TOTAL OFFENSIVE PLAYS
Year Plays Rush Pass Yds.
1. 2002 1095 1816 4162 5978
ScoreBIG!
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2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL
RUSHING ATTEMPTS
No. Player Att. Opponent Date
1. Ramon Allen 35 Tennessee-Martin Sept. 15, 1990
2. Vontrell Mitchell 33 West Alabama Oct. 18, 1997
Cedric O’Neal 33 Delta State Oct. 20, 2012
4. Ramon Allen 32 Jacksonville State Sept. 22, 1990
5. Dominique Ross 31 Central Florida Sept. 10, 1994
Dominique Ross 31 West Georgia Oct. 15, 1994
7. Henry Chubb 30 West Alabama Nov. 12, 1983
Dominique Ross 30 West Alabama Oct. 10, 1992
Dominique Ross 30 Fort Valley State Sept. 18, 1993
9. Dusty Bonner 29 34 .853 West Alabama Oct. 21, 2000 10. Chris Hatcher 34 40 .850 Henderson State Nov. 12, 1994
RECEPTIONS
1. Sean Pender 20 Mississippi College Nov. 4, 1995 2. Sean Pender 17 West Georgia Nov. 11, 1995 3. Calvin Walker 16 Mississippi College Oct. 31, 1992 Calvin Walker 16 Delta State Nov. 7, 1992 Sean Pender 16 North Dakota State Sept. 9, 1995
6. Brian Saunds 15 North Greenville Nov. 6, 2021
7. Steve Greer 14 Henderson State Nov. 12, 1994 C.J. Lofton 14 North Alabama Oct. 28, 2000 Cedric Jones 14 Arkansas Tech Sept. 22, 2007 Cedric Jones 14
8. Rodney Brown 96 (td) Texas-El Paso Sept. 16, 1995
Matt Pierce 96 (td) North Alabama Nov. 11, 2011
Matt Pierce 96 (td) Winston-Salem State Dec. 15, 2012
Lio'undre Gallimore 96 (td) Delta State Oct. 9, 2021
LONGEST INTERCEPTION RETURN No. Player Yds. Opponent Date
1. David Brown 100 (td) Notre Dame College Dec. 8, 2018
2. Kenny Moore 94 (td) Delta State Nov. 7, 2015
Sherard
Sept. 8, 2011
Dee Williford
(td) Florida Atlantic Sept. 6, 2003 **Yardage came after a lateral by Jermel Daniels. Play covered 73 yards total.
MISCELLANEOUS SINGLE GAME RECORDS
Rushing Touchdowns 4 (Last A. Jenkins vs. Ouachita Bapt. 11/03/01) four times Consecutive Completions 20
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS - SINGLE SEASON
YARDS
2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS - CAREER
2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL
RECEPTIONS
SCORING
2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL
THE GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE
2024 BLAZER FOOTBALL
Academic excellence and a leadership role in NCAA’s Division II make the Gulf South Conference (GSC) something special. Entering its 54th year, the GSC is a charter Division II member that prides itself as one of the first conferences to be created and administered by its CEOs.
We take pride in our 50-plus National Team Championships in 13 sports, one individual men’s cross country champion, five men’s golf individual champions, and one track and field champion, as well as more than 160 regional titles, especially because there is no sacrifice on the academic side, where GSC student-athletes graduate at a much higher rate than the general student body.
The GSC sponsors 19 sports, including 18 championship events. Official sponsored sports include baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, and volleyball. Prior to the 2020-21 academic year, the conference officially added women’s lacrosse after three seasons as an emerging sport.
In the summer of 1970, six college presidents met to discuss athletics and when the meeting ended, a new league emerged—the Mid-South Conference. Delta State, Florence State (now North Alabama), Jacksonville State, Livingston (now West Alabama), Tennessee-Martin (UTM) and Troy State (TSU) were the charter members, but scheduling problems for the 1970-71 academic year limited the conference to only football. Southeast Louisiana (SELA) and Nicholls State (NSU) joined in 1971 and the league opened an office in Hammond, La., changed its name to the Gulf South Conference, and began championships in nine men’s sports. Mississippi College (MC) and Northwestern Louisiana (NWLA, now Northwestern State) joined in 1972 and two years later, NWLA left for Division I, followed by SELA and NSU in 1979.
The conference continued with seven teams until 1981, when the CEOs admitted Valdosta State and West Georgia (1983). In 1991, UTM and TSU went Division I, briefly dropping the GSC back to seven members, but an aggressive expansion resulted in 10 new members: Lincoln Memorial (1992-93); Alabama Huntsville, Henderson State, Central Arkansas and Mississippi University for Women (MUW, 1993-94); West Florida (1994-95); and Arkansas-Monticello, Arkansas Tech, Montevallo and Southern Arkansas (1995-96). Jacksonville State moved to Division I at the end of 1992-93. MC dropped to Division III at the end of 1995-96, and was replaced by Christian Brothers to keep the conference at 16 schools. In July 2000, the GSC welcomed Harding University and Ouachita Baptist University, making it the largest NCAA-playing conference at any level with 18 schools. MUW dropped its athletics program at the end of the 2002-03 season, decreasing the membership to 17. Central Arkansas reclassified to Division I and Lincoln Memorial moved to the South Atlantic Conference following the 2006-07 year. Montevallo’s departure for the Peach Belt Conference dropped the number to 14 in 2009-10. North Alabama completed its final year with the GSC in 2017-18, as the Lions accepted an invitation to go Division I and join the Atlantic Sun Conference.
The GSC moved away from divisional play after the 2010-11 season after its six Arkansas members broke away, dropping the membership to eight. The league implemented a five-year expansion plan in 2012 resulting in the addition of new members Shorter University (2014-15), Union University (2014-15), Lee University (2015-16) and Auburn University at Montgomery (2019-20) along with the return of Mississippi College (2016-17) and Montevallo (2017-18).
The conference also adopted affiliate memberships to boost its ranks, resulting in sport-specific members, Flagler (women’s lacrosse), North Greenville (football), Spring Hill College (men’s and women’s soccer and women’s golf), and Young Harris (women’s lacrosse). Eventually, Young Harris ended its women’s lacrosse affiliation at the end 2023 season as it became a full member of Conference Carolina. North Greenville announced its intention to end football affiliate status with the GSC following the 2024 season. In January 2023, the GSC unveiled limited-term football affiliate partnerships with Chowan (2023-24) and Erskine (2024).
The 2023-24 season was the final year of GSC competition for Shorter and West Georgia, ending a five-year period of consistent full-time membership. Shorter accepted a full member invitation to join Conference Carolina, while West Georgia departed for Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). Meanwhile, the GSC added Trevecca Nazarene as a full member with its first season of competition being in 2024-25. The conference also celebrated its 55th national title as Valdosta State won the Division II Men’s Tennis National Championship.
FOOTBALL
PARTICIPATING MEMBERS
GSC National1971-2024Championships
(54)
Baseball (6)
West Florida (2011)
Delta State (2004)
Jacksonville State (1990, '91)
Troy State (1986, '87)
Men's Basketball (3)
North Alabama (1979, '91)
Jacksonville State (1985)
Women's Basketball (7)
Delta State (1975, '76, '77, '89, '90, '92)
Southeastern Louisiana (1977)
Football (13)
Valdosta State (2004, '07, '12, '18)
Delta State (2000)
West Alabama (1971)
West Florida (2019)
North Alabama (1993, '94, '95)
Jacksonville State (1992)
Troy State (1984, '87)
Men's Golf (5)
West Florida (2001, '08)
Troy State (1976, '77, '84)
Lee (2022)
Women's Golf (3)
Troy State (1984, '86, '89)
Women's Gymnastics (2)
Jacksonville State (1984, '85)
Men's Hockey (2)
Alabama-Huntsville (1996, '98)
Women's Soccer (2)
West Florida (2012)
Christian Brothers (2002)
Softball (2)
Valdosta State (2012)
North Alabama (2015)
Men's Tennis (6)
West Florida (2004, '05', '14, '17)
Valdosta State (2006, '11)
Men's Track and Field (1)
Southeastern Louisiana (1975)
Women's Volleyball (1)
North Alabama (2003)
* Mississippi College vacated national title in 1989 / Men's Hockey not GSC Sponsored Sport
