Harding Game Notes

Blazers, Bison play Saturday at 7 pm

Today's Game: Valdosta State travels to Searcy, Ark. to face Harding in a Saturday evening Gulf South Conference affair. The Blazers enter the game with a 3-3 record, including a 3-2 mark in Gulf South Conference play after a 33-20 victory over Henderson State last week, while the Bison are 4-3 and 2-2 in league play, including a 21-7 victory over Ouachita Baptist last weekend. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. Eastern kickoff.

VSU averages 437.0 yards of total offense on the season while surrendering 337.8 yards per game. Quarterback Kellen Lewis leads the offense as he has completed 149-of-232 passes for 1,564 yards and seven touchdowns while also rushing for 261 yards and four scores. Wide receiver Cedric Jones has caught 40 passes for 359 yards and two scores and linebacker Larry Dean leads the defense with 49 total tackles, including 6.0 for loss.

Harding State is averaging 346.6 yards per game while surrendering 420.0 per outing. Quarterback Josh Powell leads the Bison attack with 221.3 passing yards per game while Zac Ross has caught 33 passes for 305 yards. Josh Jones leads the Harding defense with 58 tackles and eight interceptions.

The 2009 season marks the 28th year of Valdosta State football while the Harding game will be the 317th game in school history. The Blazers have won 213 contests, lost 99 and tied four times, a winning percentage of .680.

Lewis Named GSC Offensive Player of the Week: Kellen Lewis became the first Blazer to earn Gulf South Conference Player of the Week honors when he earned the league's offensive honor on October 12. Lewis was honored after leading Valdosta State to a 33-20 victory over Henderson State, a game in which he accounted for 426 of VSU's 530 yards of total offense in the game.

Lewis completed 22-of-34 passes for 314 yards, his third straight 300-yard passing game, in the contest while rushing the ball 18 times for 112 yards. He had a hand in all four of Valdosta State's touchdowns in the game as he ran for scores of six and 20 yards while throwing touchdowns of 18 and 17 yards.

Lewis is the first offensive player from Valdosta State to earn GSC Player of the Week honors since Michael Terry did so on September 29, 2007.

Jones Sets Receiving Record: Valdosta State's Cedric Jones became the most prolific receiver in Gulf South Conference and Valdosta State history when he caught 14 passes against Delta State on October 1. The 14 receptions game Jones a total of 258 in his career, surpassing Sean Pender's school and league record of 247 set between 1992 and 1996. Jones now ranks 10th all-time in the NCAA Division II record books with 265 catches and is 58 behind Division II record holder Clarence Coleman of Ferris State, who caught 323 passes during his career.

Injuries Begin to Pile Up: Valdosta State has been victimized by the injury bug through the first half of the 2009 season as five players have suffered season ending injuries thus far. The defense has been the hardest hit by the injuries as four players, including two starters, off of the two-deep depth chart have been sidelined for the season, including Demario Jones, Japree Miles, Rashad Etheridge and Brett Sudduth. Meanwhile, Cam Short on the offensive line also had his season ended due to injury while Gordon Steele has yet to return from an injury suffered during spring conditioning.

Through the first five games, 15 Blazers have missed games due to injury. In addition to the six players listed above, kicker Daniel Andersen (one game), wide receiver Cedric Evans (two games), offensive guard Lance Helton (one game), kicker Justin Kraemer (three games), linebacker Ryan Smith (one game), defensive tackle Demetrius Bozeman (one game) cornerback Alex Webster (two games), wide receiver Chris Wellborn (two games), wide receiver Owen Dixon (one game) and offensive tackle Britt Wilson (two games) have all missed games for VSU this year. As a group, the injured players have missed a total of 39 games this season.

Television: There is no televised broadcast of the game.

Internet Webcast: There is no webcast of the game.

Radio Network: WDDQ, Talk 92.1 FM (Valdosta, Adel); WSFB 1490 AM/97.7 FM (Quitman); WHLJ, Foxy 97.5 FM (Valdosta, Statenville); WKZZ, Z 92.5. FM (Tifton); WVOH, Classic 93.5 FM (Hazlehurst); WDMG, The Big Dog 97.9 FM (Douglas); WTHV, 810 AM (Valdosta); W241BG, 96.1 FM (Valdosta). Dick Rockey (play-by-play), Wes James (analysis) and Tom Odom (sideline) call the action.

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