VALDOSTA, Ga. – Everything came together for the Valdosta State football team on Saturday night, as the No. 25 ranked Blazers outlasted the No. 12 West Georgia Wolves for a massive 38-27 Gulf South Conference victory at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Ga.
Valdosta State's balanced effort included 546 offensive yards and a defensive performance that held the Wolves to just 383 total yards. On the offensive side, the offensive line contained UWG's highly touted defensive front to help
Roland Rivers and
Adam Robles team up for another solid passing performance. The duo worked in tandem for a total of 381 yards, and freshman
Cedric Hollingshed complemented the attack with 86 rushing yards. The total for Hollingshed represented a season high for the Blazers on the ground, and with 79 additional rushing yards from Rivers and
Jordan Germany, Valdosta State was able to fashion a threatening rushing performance throughout the duration of the contest.
Head Coach
Kerwin Bell elected to go with Rivers to start things off for Valdosta State, and the sophomore set the tone on VSU's second drive of the night, which he completed with a 7-yard touchdown pass to
Damien Strange. The score put the Blazers on top for an early 7-0 lead, but West Georgia fired right back with a quick 5-play drive for a touchdown of their own. Trevor Wylie's point after attempt failed, forcing UWG to settle for a 7-6 deficit.
The two teams traded touchdowns again early in the second quarter, but Valdosta State managed to open up their largest lead of the contest late in the first half, after Rivers and the Blazer offense turned a
Kenny Moore interception into a 6-play, 46 yard touchdown drive for a 21-13 lead.
After intermission, UWG quarterback Will Gardner ripped off 56 passing yards during a swift 4-play drive that put the Wolves within one at 21-20. After West Georgia's defense promptly forced a 3-and-out, K.J. Palmer returned a 33-yard
Gavin Wilson punt 35 yards to set LeMarcus Franks up for a long touchdown carry. The rush represented 24 of Frank's 147 total yards in the game and put UWG on top for the second time in the game with a 27-21 advantage.
On the ensuing drive, Rivers carried for four yards on the first play and was forced to exit after his helmet came off while he was tackled.
Adam Robles entered to fill in at quarterback and completed nine passes on the drive, which concluded with a 20-yard touchdown pass to
Xay Howard that put VSU back on top 28-27.
Robles' effort from that point forward contributed to two touchdown passes and 13 completions on 19 attempts. That performance, combined with five turnovers forced by the Black Swarm, 197 passing yards by Rivers, and a 43-yard field goal by
Andrew Gray with 2:41 to play in the final quarter, helped Valdosta State reclaim possession of the coveted Peach Basket.
Valdosta State improved to 4-1 overall on the season with the win and 2-1 in league action, while West Georgia fell to 4-2 overall and dropped to 1-2 against GSC opponents.
Next up for the Blazers, it's a trip to Clinton, Miss., where Valdosta State will square off against the Mississippi College Choctaws. The game is slated for a 4:00 p.m. EST start, and live coverage of the event can be found right here at www.vstateblazers.com.
