December 5th, 2024 6:00pm
It seemed as though Valdosta State was in cruise control during last week’s win over Miles, riding a superior roster to victory despite surrendering 14 fourth quarter points. This week, the Blazers take on a Virginia Union squad that has gotten hot at the right time and seems to be firing on all cylinders. The problem for VUU may be that many seem to still be clinging to an upset over Valdosta State that took place two years ago, Now that Head Coach Tremaine Jackson has built this team to his liking, Virginia Union may have to keep relying on previous results if they want any positive memories after playing the real VSU on Saturday afternoon.
Division II Playoffs Second Round Results (home team in bold)
No. 2 Valdosta State 33, No. 22 Miles 17
Division II Playoffs Quarterfinal Schedule (all times Eastern)
No. 25 Virginia Union (10-3, 6-1 CIAA) at No. 2 Valdosta State (11-0, 6-0 GSC)
Saturday, Dec. 7 | 1:00 pm | Valdosta, Ga. | Audio | Stats | Video (ESPN+)
By The Numbers
Virginia Union won the CIAA Championship for the second consecutive year and has now won three in a row following playoff wins over No. 14 Wingate and Lenoir-Rhyne, both on the road. Offensively, the Panthers rank sixth in total offense (474.5 ypg) and eighth in scoring offense (42.1 ppg) as they rely heavily on a seventh-ranked run game that averages 245.5 yards per contest with 42 touchdowns on the ground. The VUU defense is Top 20 in the country, allowing 302.2 yards and 16.3 points per game. Week-in and week-out the question seems to be which Panther team we will see as the program has seven wins by 20 or more points but have also had four games decided by seven points or less.
The Blazers continue to be one of, if not the most, balanced teams in the country. Valdosta State capped off a perfect regular season with an undisputed Gulf South Championship and a Second Round Playoff win over Miles a week ago, ranking seventh in scoring offense (42.2 ppg), 11th in total offense (456.8 ypg), second in scoring defense (9.8 ppg), 11th in total defense (250.5 ypg), and fifth in turnover margin (+1.36). Valdosta State’s defense has given up 20 or more points just twice this season, posting three shutouts, which led to an average margin of victory of 33 points per game.
Players to Watch
The Panthers have a Harlon Hill Finalist in running back Jada Byers, who has carried the team to this point with 1,947 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns. Backfield mate and fellow senior Curtis Allen has contributed 652 rushing yards and six touchdowns as the pair each ran for over 100 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win over Lenoir-Rhyne. On defense, defensive lineman Isaac Anderson leads the charge with 54 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and four sacks, while linebacker Shamar Graham has 94 total tackles with 9.5 tackles for loss.
Quarterback Sammy Edwards, also a Harlon Hill Finalist, gets all the national attention after pacing the offense with 2,627 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 66.1% completion percentage while also scoring four times via the ground. The Valdosta State ground game is the star of the show behind the duo of Blake Hester and Alfonso Franklin. Hester leads the charge with 894 yards and 13 touchdowns on 133 carries (6.7 ypc), while Franklin is the perfect complement amassing 642 yards and 12 touchdowns of his own on just 82 rush attempts (7.8 ypc). In last week’s win over Miles, the duo combined for 211 rushing yards, 39 receiving yards, and four total touchdowns. Safety Larry Elder is the defensive pace setter and will need to continue to shine in the run game as the grad student has totaled 79 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks to go along with two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and an interception.
The Breakdown
The Panthers may just be Valdosta State’s toughest test of the season with a high-scoring offense paired with a stingy - at times - defensive unit. However, Virginia Union has not seen a team anywhere near as talented as the Blazers this year and Valdosta State is healthy and rested heading into this week’s Quarterfinal matchup.
It is worth keeping an eye on which quarterback VUU deploys under center - it’s a toss up between Mark Wright and RJ Rosales - as both signal callers provide vastly different skill sets and game plans. I think Valdosta State will be prepared for either option, but a run defense that allowed just 116.5 yards per game will have its hands full with the VUU run game. The Blazers average eight tackles for loss per game this season, so getting into the backfield is no problem which should help slow down Byars, and if VSU gets ahead early I’m not sure the Panthers are built to play from behind.
Give me Valdosta State to move on to the Semifinal Round, but it won’t be without overcoming obstacles on Saturday.
My pick: No. 2 Valdosta State