VSU Game Notes

Bowie State Game Notes

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VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 3-ranked Valdosta State Blazers open the 2018 NCAA postseason following its bye last week with No. 22 Bowie State in the second round Saturday at 1 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
 
OPENING DRIVE NOTES

• VSU is 22-12 all-time in the NCAA Playoffs, while Bowie State is 1-3 after its first win in a 41-35 victory last weekend over Gulf South Conference member West Alabama.
• The Blazers are a top-seed in the playoffs this season after a perfect 10-0 regular season and earned hosting duties for the game.
• Bowie State enters with a 10-2 record overall and a 5-1 mark in the Central Intercollege Athletic Association along with a league title.  This is the Bulldogs' fourth trip to the postseason and second-straight appearance.
• Fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming of the game, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com on the football schedule page.  The game will be broadcast on 92.1 WDDQ FM with Spencer Van Horn and Scott James having the call.
• The game features to of the post prolific quarterbacks in NCAA Division II in VSU sophomore Rogan Wells and Bowie State senior Amir Hall.  Both quarterbacks were nominated for the prestigious Harlon Hill Trophy this season. 
• Wells is 19th nationally and second in the GSC in passing efficiency at 154.0, while ranking 10th nationally and first in the conference in passing touchdowns with 28.  He is 50th nationally in passing yards (2,219), while ranking 14th nationally and first in the league in passing yards per completion at 14.99.  Wells is fifth nationally in points responsible for (222), 59th in rushing touchdowns (9) for second in the league and leads the team in rushing scores, while recording 546 yards on the ground this season.
• Hall has been Mr. Everything for the Bulldogs this season as he is ninth nationally in completion percentage at a 65.6 clip, while leading the nation in completions per game at 27.83. He is 34th in passing efficiency at 144.7, while ranking sixth in passing touchdowns (29), first in passing yards with 3,855, second in passing yards per game (322.1) and sixth in points responsible for (221).
• Wells was named Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year as he also earned first team all-conference honors.  Hall also was named CIAA Player of the Year and earned first team all-league honors.
• Both teams have strong supporting casts to Wells and Hall as VSU had redshirt freshman running back Jamar Thompkins earn Co-Offensive Freshman of the Year honors, while freshman linebacker Jameon Gaskin was named Defensive Freshman of the Year and Blazer third-year head coach Kerwin Bell was name Co-Coach of the Year.  In all, VSU had 15 named to the all-conference teams, while Bowie State also had 15 all-league selections.
• VSU senior offensive lineman Jeremy King was named a finalist for the prestigious Gene Upshaw Award, going to the top offensive or defensive lineman in NCAA Division II.  King has had an outstanding career for the Blazers as he has started 44 games and has graded out at over 92 percent for his career. This season, he blocks for the nation's leading scoring team (52.2 points per game), fourth-best offense and the Blazers lead the nation in yards per carry on the ground at 8.0.

 
INSIDE THE SERIES

• This is the first meeting in the series between the two teams.
• VSU is 3-0 against current members of the CIAA with three wins over Winston-Salem State, in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
• The Blazers downed Winston-Salem State in 2012 for the program's third national title, 35-7, and played in neutral site matchups in 2014 and 2015 in Powder Springs, Ga.

 
MEET THE COACHES

• VSU head coach Kerwin Bellis in his third season at the helm of the Blazers.  Bell is 23-7 at VSU and is 89-42 overall in 12 seasons of coaching, including nine seasons at the University of Jacksonville, where he went 66-35.  He was named GSC Co-Coach of the Year with former VSU head coach and current West Georgia head coach David Dean.  
• Bowie State head coach Damon Wilson is 66-41 overall in 10 seasons of coaching at Bowie State.  He played tight end for the Bulldogs and has had coaching stints at Texas Southern, Prairie View A&M and also was an assistant head coach at Bowie State from 1999-2003, before returning to the program in 2009 to be the head coach.

 
A WIN OVER BOWIE STATE WOULD . . . 

• Give VSU a 11-0 record for the season and run its winning streak to 12 games dating back to the 2017 season as VSU enters tied for the second-longest current winning streak in NCAA Division II (11 games) behind Ferris State (12).
• Give VSU its 23rd win in the NCAA postseason (22-12) as VSU is seventh all-time in D2 in NCAA wins, while ranking fifth among current D2 members.  
• Snap a three-game losing skid in the NCAA postseason.
• Be the 291st win in program history (290-126-4) 
• Give Coach Kerwin Bell his 24th win at VSU (23-7) and 90th overall (89-42).
• Give VSU a berth in the regional final for the first time since 2014.
• Be the third win over a ranked team this season (2-0) and the 60th in program history (59-59-2).
• Give VSU a 3-1 record on this date - all in the playoffs and be the third-straight win on this date at home as the Blazers lost to Catawba 37-34 in overtime in 2001, beat Catawba 55-29 in 2007 and downed West Alabama 49-21 in 2012, as all were home games.

 
BLAZER BITS

• VSU won its seventh Gulf South Conference title with a 47-31 win over then-No. 3 West Georgia the last time out and its first title since sharing the crown in 2010.  It was the first outright title since 2004.
• The Blazers are the top scoring team in the country at 52.2 points per game and have scored 44 or more points in every game this season as the only school in all three NCAA Divisions to do so.
• Also, the Blazers are the top in NCAA Division II in yards per carry this season at 8.0. 
• Wells earned his league-leading fifth GSC Offensive Player of the Week honors following the West Georgia game, while senior kicker Andrew Gray earned his third Special Teams honors of the season and freshman Jamar Thompkins earned Co-Freshman of the Week honors for the second time.
• Of the 78 offensive scoring drives this season, 19 of them have come on drives of less than a minute, and six of them have been of one play.
• Fast starts have been the theme for the Blazers this season as they have scored on the first possession (also received the opening kick in every game this season) in each of the past five games, while scoring on the first possession in eight of ten.  VSU has outscored the opposition 47-21 on the opening possession.
• Conversely, both VSU and the opposition have struggled to open the second half as VSU hasn't scored on the opening drive of the second half in its past four games, while the opponents haven't scored on the opening drive of the second half at all this season. 
• The Blazers have been outstanding on third down this season as they are 21st nationally and lead the GSC at a .457 clip, while ranking 15th nationally and holding teams to a .293 clip for third down defense.  
• VSU is second nationally in defensive touchdowns with five, while GSC member Florida Tech leads the country with six defensive scores.
• When the Blazers get into the red zone...they score and also prevent the other team from scoring.  VSU is second nationally in red zone offense at .917, while holding teams to a .594 clip in the red zone for fifth nationally. Only Missouri Western (.921) lead the Blazers in red zone offense.
• Just as the offense has been outstanding this year, so has the defense as the Blazers rank fourth nationally in team sacks at a 3.80 clip, while the team ranks 12th nationally in team tackles for loss at 8.8 per game.
• VSU is fourth nationally in total offense at a 538.3 clip.
• Gray ranks sixth nationally in field goals per game as he is 14 of 18 on the season for a 1.40 clip and is ninth nationally in scoring at 10.8 points per game with 108 points.
• Sophomore wide receiver and return specialist Brian Saunds is 29th nationally in punt returns at 10.5 per return, while he is 27th nationally in receiving touchdowns with nine. 
• Thompkins is second in the GSC and 41st nationally in rushing yards as 950 for the season as he looks to become the Blazers' first 1,000-yard running back since 2015 when Cedric O'Neal had 1,069 yards.
• Junior wide receiver Lio'undre Gallimore leads teh team in receiving yards with 662 for third in the GSC. He is second nationally in yards per reception at 25.48.