November 9th, 2024 4:15pm
The top-ranked Valdosta State football team scored on offense and special teams en route to a dominating 49-20 victory Saturday afternoon at Delta State. The Blazers improved to 9-0 on the year and 5-0 in Gulf South Conference play, while Delta State fell to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in league play.
VSU keeps its hopes of an outright Gulf South Conference title alive as it returns home to host West Florida on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. A win in that game would give VSU the outright league title and an undefeated regular season.
The win marked the seventh time in program history VSU started 9-0 and gave VSU a 31-7 record all-time as the top-ranked team in the country. VSU moved to 21-22-1 all-time against Delta State and 12-11-1 in Cleveland, Miss.
In a rainy Saturday afternoon, the opportune Blazers forced three costly fumbles by the Statesmen and blocked a punt returning it for a score, while turning the Statesmen over twice on fourth down. VSU held Delta State to just 113 yards passing and 239 yards on the ground for 352 total yards, while VSU rushed the ball 34 times for 169 yards and senior quarterback Sammy Edwards was 12 of 19 passing for 187 yards, one interception and one touchdown. Blazer graduate student running back Alfonso Franklin had 14 carries for 107 yards and three rushing touchdowns as he played for Delta State last season, before transferring to VSU. Blazer graduate student Rodney Bullard finished with three receptions for 121 yards and one score on an electrifying 84-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter for a 28-10 lead at that point.
Defensively, three different Blazers had double-digit tackles led by graduate student Larry Elder with 11 tackles and four solo stops. Senior Montae Boyd and graduate student Caden Campolieti had ten tackles each. VSU had seven tackles for loss and two sacks, while recovering three fumbles and held a 14-7 lead in points off turnovers.
The Blazers opened the game with a great pass from Edwards to graduate student Tyler Ajiero for 23 yards and Edwards then found Bullard for 33 yards to the DSU 16. Following a run from Edwards, a direct snap to graduate student Jaedon Henry scored from two yards out for a 7-0 lead with 11:12 remaining in the first quarter, marking Henry's first touchdown as a Blazer.
VSU's special teams came up huge on the opening defensive drive as DSU converted one third down on its opening offensive possession, but VSU forced a fourth and seven from the DSU 39 as graduate student Joko Willis blocked Parker Burleson's punt and he followed with a scoop and score for a 14-0 lead with 7:52 remaining in the first quarter. It was VSU's second blocked kick of the season and the first returned for a touchdown since Victor Talley at North Greenville on Oct. 22, 2022.