November 27th, 2024 12:15pm
Well…we only have one Gulf South program remaining in the postseason after West Alabama was upset at home last weekend by an unranked Lenoir-Rhyne University team . This week’s matchup features Valdosta State and Miles in a Top 25 tilt at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
Division II Playoffs First Round Results (home team in bold)
Lenoir-Rhyne 37, No. 13 West Alabama 34
Division II Playoffs Round Two Schedule (all times Eastern)
No. 22 Miles (10-2, 8-0 SIAC) at No. 2 Valdosta State (10-0, 6-0 GSC)
Saturday, Nov. 30 | 1:00 pm | Valdosta, Ga. | Audio | Stats | Video
By The Numbers
After opening the season with consecutive losses, Miles has rattled off 10 wins in a row, including a perfect 8-0 record in SIAC play to claim the conference crown. While the Golden Bears are a balanced team offensively - 29.8 points, 171.1 passing yards, and 165.9 rushing yards per game - their strength is undoubtedly on defense. Miles is ranked among the Top 30 in both rushing defense (103.3 ypg) and scoring defense (16.9 ppg), while being the nation’s No. 1 team in turnover margin with a +1.83 mark. The unit has forced a total of 35 turnovers, including 24 interceptions, while also 109 tackles for loss and 52 sacks across 12 games.
Speaking of balance, you would be hard-pressed to find a more complete team in Division II than Valdosta State. The Blazers capped off a perfect regular season with an undisputed Gulf South Championship, ranking sixth in scoring offense (43.1 ppg), 11th in total offense (461.7 ypg), third in scoring defense (9.1 ppg), eighth in total defense (244.9 ypg), and sixth in turnover margin (+1.40). Valdosta State’s defense gave up 20 or more points just twice this season, posting three shutouts, which led to an average margin of victory of 34 points per game.
Players to Watch
The Miles’ offense goes through the run game, led by a two-headed monster of Jonero Scott and Javonta Leatherwood. Scott has totaled 657 yards on 130 attempts (5.1 ypc) with six touchdowns, while Leatherwood leads the team with 11 touchdowns, rushing 71 times for 393 yards (5.5 ypc) on the ground. Quarterback Kamren Ivory is a serviceable option under center, appearing in nine games and completing 53.9% of his pass attempts for 1,476 yards and 14 touchdowns with just five interceptions. The Miles offensive line has paved the way for 168.6 rushing yards per game while giving up only 21 sacks to opposing defenses.
Quarterback Sammy Edwards, a Harlon Hill Finalist, gets all the national attention after pacing the offense with 2,449 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, two interceptions and a 67.9% completion percentage while also scoring four times via the ground. Rodney Bullard is the top target in the passing game, totaling 766 yards on 31 receptions (24.7 ypc) and nine touchdowns. However, 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 762 yards and 11 touchdowns on 113 carries (6.7 ypc), while Franklin is the perfect complement amassing 563 yards and 11 touchdowns of his own on just 72 rush attempts (7.8 ypc).
The Breakdown
Miles looks great on paper, and they have performed on the field all year long. However, the real question surrounds the level of talent they faced week in and week out. The Golden Bears consistently played opponents with sub-.500 records during the regular season, ranking among the bottom half of Super Region 2 in Strength of Schedule. Valdosta State had a weaker Strength of Schedule, but such dominance on both sides of the ball was easily recognized by the national audience, keeping the Blazers among the Top 5 in all polls throughout the year.
This one may be exciting in the early going as VSU has been away from competition for a couple of weeks, however, the Blazers’ talent level will eventually overwhelm the Golden Bears and Valdosta State will put on a show in front of its home crowd.
My pick: No. 2 Valdosta State