GSC Week Three Preview & Picks

September 18th, 2024 6:00am

Week Two of the Division II season brought about a few surprises in the Gulf South, while West Alabama and Valdosta State continued their early season dominance on the competition. League play begins for six teams this week as Erskine gets its first taste of GSC play against Valdosta State at home, North Greenville and Mississippi College each try to get in the win column, and West Alabama looks to make a statement against West Florida on the road.

Week Two Results (home team in bold)

The Citadel 54, North Greenville 0
Elizabeth City State 20, Erskine 0
Wingate 21, No. 12 Delta State 7
Barton 24, Chowan 20
Texas A&M-Kingsville 27, Mississippi College 7
West Alabama 33, Limestone 14
No. 5 Valdosta State 34, Fayetteville State 0

Week Three Schedule (all times Eastern)
*indicates Gulf South Conference game

No. 3 Valdosta State (3-0, 0-0 GSC) at Erskine (1-2, 0-0 GSC)*
Saturday, Sept. 21 | 4:00 pm | Greenwood, S.C. | Stats | Video

The Blazers are now ranked third in the latest D2Football.com National Poll and show no signs of slowing down after last week’s 34-0 drubbing of Fayetteville State at home. Running back Blake Hester broke through for three touchdowns in the game, rushing for 102 yards on just six carries while Valdosta State’s offense turned in a season-high 502 total yards. On defense, VSU allowed a measly 216 yards to the Broncos and were in control from start to finish.

Erskine’s offense was disappointing in last week’s matchup with Elizabeth City State, gaining just 248 yards against a superior Viking defense. The Flying Fleet defense looked strong despite the losing effort, giving up just 308 total yards with three sacks and forcing a fumble, but were on the field too much and ran out of gas in the fourth quarter.

Valdosta State is entering its stride as Gulf South play begins and Erskine is the unlucky team on the other sideline. Hester, Sammy Edwards and crew should have a field day offensively against an overmatched Erskine defense.

My pick: No. 3 Valdosta State

North Greenville hit a stumbling block last week on the road against a physical program at The Citadel, being outgained 346-229 in total yards as the Bulldogs tallied 222 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. The Trailblazer ground game found a little success on the ground, as running backs Jacob Walker and Semaj Jenkins combined for 80 yards on 19 carries (4.2 ypc), while the defense held The Citadel to just 124 yards through the air on 12 completions.

For the second straight week, the Mississippi College offense sputtered, scoring just seven points with 284 total yards in a loss to Texas A&M-Kingsville. After a 59-yard touchdown run from Preston Godfrey in the first quarter, the Choctaws were held scoreless as the defense fought to keep them in the game. MC’s defensive unit surrendered just 294 total yards, led by David Brown IV who finished with six tackles and two tackles for loss.

The Trailblazer offense showed flashes of potential in week one, while the Choctaws have just 12 points over the season’s opening two weeks and are averaging 261 yards per contest. Both defenses have somewhat held their own, but the winner of this one will be the team that can show consistency on offense. I think North Greenville has the edge while Mississippi College is still trying to adjust to the new offensive scheme brought in by first-year head coach Mike Kershaw.

My pick: North Greenville

The biggest shock for me this week is that West Alabama is not among the D2Football.com Top 25 after such a dominant performance against Limestone last Saturday. The Tigers are a perfect 3-0 thus far complimenting a powerhouse defense with a consistent offensive attack they haven’t had in years. The UWA defense is Top 10 among Division II in turnover margin (1.67) and red zone defense, while allowing just 12.7 points per game. The offense is averaging 31.3 points per contest while rushing for just under 180 yards per game.

West Florida has an early off week in Week Two and have undoubtedly used that time to game plan on how to face one Division II’s toughest defenses and improve on an offensive showing in Week One that netted just 90 rushing yards and committed two turnovers. Quarterback Marcus Stokes will have to be almost perfect for the Argos to come out of this one on top, even if they are playing in front of the home crowd.

West Alabama is ROLLING right now and show no signs of slowing down, having played increasingly more difficult competition each week of the season. This will be The Tigers’ toughest test to date, but I think they are up to the task and make a statement on the road.

My pick: West Alabama

It’s been a tale of two weeks for Fort Valley to start the 2024 season, having allowed 45 points to Clark Atlanta in Week One and shutting out Kentucky State in Week Two. Quarterback Kelvin Durham has been the main weapon on offense, passing for 493 yards and seven touchdowns while also scoring once more on the ground. Defensively, the Wildcats have 17 tackles for loss and eight sacks already, led by Cedric Hillsman and Janorris Robert with two sacks apiece.

Last week was an upset that not many folks predicted when then-No. 12 Delta State fell by a 21-7 score to Super Region 2 foe Wingate on the road. However, when looking at the box score it is easy to see that the Bulldogs’ defensive game plan worked. Starting quarterback Cole Kirk was just 4-for-13 passing with 25 yards and an interception, although he did score the long touchdown for Delta State on a 65-yard run in the opening quarter. DSU gave up 13 tackles for loss, including five sacks and seven quarterback hurries as the offense was unable to gain any momentum.

Which Fort Valley team shows up this week? That answer remains to be seen, but the Wildcats are going on the road for the first time in 2024 and will be up against a Delta State program looking to bounce back after an early season loss. The Statesmen win this one, and it might get ugly early inside McCool Stadium under the lights.

My pick: No. 24 Delta State