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VALDOSTA, Ga. – The final two unbeaten teams battle Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Division II National Championship at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas, at 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU and the Watch ESPN App.  
 
Valdosta State enters at 13-0 looking for its fourth national championship in football, while Ferris State (Mich.) enters at 15-0 looking for its first and a Division II record 16-0 mark for the season.
 
The game will be broadcast on 92.1 WDDQ with Spencer Van Horn and Scott James having the call. Check back with vstateblazers.com on the football schedule page for links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information, social media and more.  
 
OPENING DRIVE NOTES

• VSU is the lone remaining top-seed, while Ferris State enters the championship as a No. 2-seed out of Super Region Three.
• This marks the third-straight year a team from the Gulf South Conference has made the title game as North Alabama lost to Northwest Missouri State in 2016, while West Florida lost to Texas A&M-Commerce in 2017.  VSU is trying to become the first GSC school since 2012 went the Blazers downed Winston-Salem State.
• The Blazers are making their fifth trip to the title game and are 3-1 with appearances in 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2012.  VSU won titles in 2004, 2007 and 2012, while Ferris State is making its first trip to the championship game.
• VSU is 25-12 all-time in the NCAA Championship in its 16th appearance, while Ferris State is 15-9 in its 10th appearance.  The Blazers are going for the GSC's 12th national title in football.  The GSC is 11-8 in 19 finals appearances.
• Blazer sophomore quarterback Rogan Wells and Ferris State junior quarterback Jayru Campbell are two of the nine finalists for the prestigious Harlon Hill Trophy, which will be announced Friday.  Both players have had outstanding seasons for their respective teams and it's only fitting to have two finalists meet for the national title.
• This championship game features two of the most prolific offenses in all of NCAA Division II as VSU enters leading the nation in scoring at 52.2 points, per game, while the Bulldogs are 15th nationally in scoring offense at 38.8 points per game.  Both teams also are in the top eight nationally in total offense as VSU is fourth at 526 yards per game, while FSU is eighth at 494.3 yards per game.  Ferris State leads the nation in first down offense, garnering 369 first downs this season, while VSU is fifth nationally with 314 first downs.
• Blazer senior center Jeremy King was named runner-up for the prestigious Gene Upshaw Award honored to the most outstanding lineman in Division II.  King was the top offensive lineman finishing among the finalists as Markus Jones (DL) of Angelo State (Texas) won the award this season.  King earned first team all-conference honors and was a first team all-region selection so far this season.
• Saturday marks the second time VSU will face a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in the national championship game.  In 2002, VSU lost to Grand Valley State in the title game, 31-24.
• The winner will be undefeated and mark the first time since 2016 the champion went undefeated.  VSU is going for its 15th-straight win (dating back to last season) to set a new school-record with a win, while Ferris State is going for its 16th win, which would mark a new record for wins in a season in Division II history.
• VSU had its string a national-best (any division) of 12-straight games of scoring 44 or more points snapped last week in the 30-24 win over No. 11 Notre Dame College.  The Falcons also held VSU to its lowest output of yards for the season, outgaining the Blazers 371-329.  

 
INSIDE THE SERIES

• This is the first meeting on the gridiron between the two schools.
• VSU is 0-2 against current members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) with a loss at Saginaw Valley State in 2012 and the 2002 loss to Grand Valley State in the national championship.
• Both losses to GLIAC schools have come by a total of 11 points. 

 
MEET THE COACHES

• VSU head coach Kerwin Bellis in his third season at the helm of the Blazers.  Bell is 26-7 at VSU and is 92-42 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.  
• Ferris State head coach Tony Annese is in his seventh season at FSU as he is 75-14 there.  He is in his 10th season overall with a 105-18 record.  He also coached at Grand Rapids Community College and had an outstanding prep coaching career in Michigan as well. He was a National High School Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year finalist in 2009 and named MHSFCA Coach of the Year three times.  

 
BLAZER 2018 RECAP
This season the Blazers have put together one of the best in program history as they have a perfect 13-0 record heading into the national championship game.  VSU leads the nation in scoring at 52.2 points per game and has scored 44 or more points in 12 of the 13 games this season, with three games of over 60 points and two of those in the playoffs.  The Blazers have scored a Gulf South Conference record 679 points on the year, while recording a school-record 273.4 yards on the ground per game and are one rushing touchdown shy of the school-record of 40 set by the 2012 team.  Not only has the running game excelled, but also the passing game as VSU has thrown for 44 touchdown passes, ranking fourth all-time in program history.  The Blazers are on par to break the total offense record as they enter the game averaging 526 yards per game for fourth nationally. VSU needs just 14 first downs to tie the school-record of 328 set by the 2001 team.  In the red zone, the Blazers are second nationally in red zone offense at a .909 clip.  On the pivotal third down, VSU is 22nd nationally at a.448 clip. 
   
Defensively, the team also has excelled as it has 46 sacks on the year for second all-time in school history (58, 2002), while ranking ninth nationally this season in sacks at 3.46 per game.  The "D" has seven defensive scores on the year to lead the nation, while ranking 16th nationally in tackles for loss for a 8.4 average per game.  The Blazers are holding teams to a .600 clip in the red zone for fifth nationally.  Getting off the field has been good for the Blazers this season as they haven't prolonged drives for the opposition, holding teams to a .306 clip on third down for 21st nationally and they are at a .333 clip on fourth down for 26th nationally. VSU has 17 INT's this season, ranking tied for 10th in program history.
   
Individually on offense, the Blazers have been one of the best nationally as redshirt freshman Jamar Thompkins leads the rushing attack at 10.4 yards per carry on 121 attempts for 1,257 yards, ranking sixth all-time in a single season.  His 1,257 yards is good for 15th nationally.  Thompkins has nine rushing touchdowns on the year, while Wells also has been good on his feet with 693 yards and a team-high 11 rushing scores. Freshman Seth McGill has 689 yards and nine rushing scores this season. 
   
Wells' 33 passing touchdowns ranks him seventh all-time in school history for a season as he is 190 of 333 passing with four interceptions and 2,726 yards.  Wells ranks second nationally to Campbell in points responsible for with 264.  He is fourth nationally in points responsible for per game at 20.3.  Freshman quarterback Ivory Durham has been a highlight reel with a number of great plays, including a game-changer run at the buzzer in the Blazers' win over West Georgia to claim the Gulf South Conference title in November as he scored from 53-yards out on the ground with one second left in the first half for a 13-point lead at intermission.  VSU went on for a 47-31 win over the then-No. 3 Wolves to earn the No. 1-seed in the Super Region Two playoffs.  Durham is 21 of 32 passing for 363 yards and seven touchdowns, but also has 40 carries for 442 yards and seven rushing scores at a 11.1 average per rush.
   
The receivers also have been outstanding this season as junior Lio'undre Gallimore is third nationally in yards per reception at 24.6.  He has 32 receptions for a team-high 789 yards and seven scores, while sophomore Brian Saunds has a team-high 10 receiving touchdowns on 34 receptions for 616 yards.  Saunds is 21st nationally in receiving touchdowns, while he is 14th nationally in punt returns at 13.2 yards per return.  Sophomore Kenny Benjamin leads the team with 37 receptions for 389 yards and six scores.
   
Senior kicker Andrew Gray set the school-record for scoring as he has 137 points this season, going 86 of 89 in PAT's and 17 of 22 in field goals.  Gray ranks 19th nationally in field goal percentage (.773) and 10th in field goals per game at 1.3.  Gray has 137 points, breaking the previous record of 126 set by Aaron Jenkins (2001) and Robert Williams (1994) in the game against Lenoir-Rhyne two weeks ago. 
   
Defensively, the Blazers have been outstanding as a unit as GSC Defensive Freshman of the Year Jameon Gaskin leads the team with 70 tackles (31-39), nine tackles for loss (41) and four sacks (36).  He has one breakup and three hurries.  Junior Ravarius Rivers is second in tackles with 69.  Sophomore Craig Watts is third in tackles with 66, while recording seven tackles for loss (29) and 2.5 sacks (15).  Senior Isaiah Staton has nine tackles for loss for 38 yards and five sacks for 28 yards.  Senior Stephen Denmark has three interceptions as does junior Alex Brown to lead the team.  
            
Quick scores have been the theme of the Blazers this season as nine touchdown drives have come on one play and 19 have come under a minute of possession time. VSU has scored on 100 offensive drive (83 touchdowns) and have a total of eight defensive touchdowns, with six interceptions, one fumble and one safety.