CARROLLTON, Ga. – The Valdosta State Blazers suffered a 42-13 loss to the West Georgia Wolves in Gulf South Conference action on Saturday afternoon in Carrollton, Ga.
 
The contest got off to a rocky start for the Blazers, as the Wolves scored early and often. West Georgia drew first blood just six minutes in when Shaq Roland hauled in a pass and tapped his toes in the back of the end zone for a 2-yard reception from Willie Candler. Less than four minutes later, Devontae Jackson broke away on UWG's next offensive drive for a 47-yard touchdown carry to put the Wolves on top 14-0 at the 5:58 mark.
 
On VSU's ensuing drive, the Blazers took over at their own 5-yard line and proceeded to string together 15 plays to move the ball all the way to the UWG 1-yard line. A questionable illegal formation call ensued at the end of the quarter, which led to an unsportsmanlike penalty against the Blazers. The end result was a 37-yard field goal from Andrew Gray in the opening seconds of the second quarter to pull VSU to within 11 at 14-3.
 
The Black Swarm gave the Blazers a much-needed spark on their next defensive stand with a three-and-out, followed by a blocked punt by Jairus Jones in UWG territory. Freshman Barry Jackson picked up the loose ball and carried it back nine yards for a touchdown. The return for Jackson trimmed the Wolves' lead to 14-10 and marked the first blocked punt to be returned for a touchdown since Derrick Harris accomplished the feat against West Georgia on October 30, 2008.
 
Following a UWG touchdown on the ensuing possession, Gray connected from 20 yards out late in the 2^nd quarter. The score marked Valdosta State's final points of the contest, as the Wolves took control of the game to outscore the Blazers 21-0 in the second half.
 
Penalties plagued Valdosta State throughout the contest, as the Blazers racked up 237 penalty yards in the game. The total marked the highest ever for the red-and-black, eclipsing the previous high of 177 penalty yards charged to VSU against Arkansas-Monticello on October 1, 2011.
 
For the Wolves, Jackson was the standout on offense, as the junior scored three touchdowns on the ground and notched 170 rushing yards on 21 carries. The Wolves tallied 550 yards of offense, which represented the most given up by the Blazer defense this season.
 
With the loss, the Blazers fell to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in GSC play, while the Wolves improved to 5-1 overall and 2-1 against GSC opponents.
 
The Blazers will return to action on ESPN3 next weekend at home, as the Mississippi College Choctaws come to town for a 7:00 p.m. matchup at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.