VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State football team set a new single game mark with 682 total offensive yards, and EJ Hilliard zipped a 28-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game to help the Blazers outlast the Eagles of Carson-Newman 61-59 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs on Saturday afternoon in Valdosta, Ga.
 
The Blazers trailed 45-27 heading into the fourth quarter, but scored three unanswered touchdowns, the last of which was a stunning 41-yard run by Cedric O'Neal. In the highlight reel carry, which gave the Blazers their first lead of the game with 6:47 remaining in regulation, O'Neal used a great blocking effort by the VSU offensive line to pick up significant yardage up the middle. Facing a lone defender in the secondary, O'Neal went airborne and leaped directly over the top of the defender. After returning to earth, the Dublin, Ga. native cruised into the end zone to give VSU the 48-45 advantage.
 
CNU (9-3), who registered an astonishing 686 total yards in the shootout, responded quickly to reclaim a 52-48 lead with a five play, two-minute drive that concluded with a touchdown pass from De'Andre Thomas to TraShaun Ward. The toss was one of three touchdown passes for Ward on the day and accounted for 24 of his 416 passing yards in the game.
 
Not to be outdone, Valdosta State struck again just two minutes later with O'Neal's third rushing touchdown of the fourth quarter. The 28-yard dash put the Blazers back on top 55-52 with under two minutes to play, but the Eagles refused to go away, scoring again on three plays for a 59-54 advantage.
 
Valdosta State's final opportunity came with only 43 seconds remaining, and did not look promising after the Blazers picked up just 12 yards on the first three plays of the drive. With 22 seconds to play, Hilliard took a shot on a 6-yard carry that shook the quarterback up and forced him to leave the game for one play. Freshman quarterback Roland Rivers stepped in admirably, and on his lone play from scrimmage, Rivers delivered an 18-yard carry to the CNU 40-yard line. Hilliard returned on the ensuing play and delivered a 12-yard pass to O'Neal, before capping off his gutsy, 448-yard effort with the game-winning pass to Dent

Hilliard's performance marked the second-most passing yards by a Blazer quarterback in a playoff game and the sixth most passing yards by a quarterback in Blazer football history. The passing effort also represented the first time since 2012 that a VSU quarterback has thrown for over 400 yards, and combined with Hilliard's 46 rushing yards, marked the second highest offensive yard total in school history by a single player.
 
During the thrilling final frame, O'Neal's three scores pushed his season total to 17, which also accounts for a new school record.
 
The victory lifted the Blazers to 9-2 overall on the year and earned Head Coach David Dean and Co. another shot at West Georgia next Saturday in Carrollton, Ga. Kickoff is slated for noon.

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