VSU Game Notes in PDF Format

West Alabama Game Notes

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The Valdosta State football team opens the 2018 Gulf South Conference slate Saturday evening at No. 8 West Alabama at 7 PM ET in Livingston, Ala.  Both teams are 2-0 on the year and looking for an early advantage in league play.

 
OPENING DRIVE NOTES

• The Blazers make their first true road test this weekend to open the 2018 Gulf South Conference slate at No. 8 West Alabama at 7 p.m. ET in Livingston, Ala.  
• Both the Blazers and Tigers are 2-0 on the season heading into league play and are two of five undefeated teams in the league heading into Week Three. 
• Fans can access links to live stats and audio/video streaming of the game at www.vstateblazers.com on the football schedule page.  The game will be broadcast on 92.1 FM with Spencer Van Horn and Scott James having the call. 
• VSU is 1-5 in its last six GSC openers and 0-2 under head coach Kerwin Bell.  The Blazers and Tigers opened the 2011 and 2012 GSC slates versus each other, as VSU won 22-21 in 2011, while West Alabama won 39-28 in 2012, as both games were played in Valdosta.
• VSU enters having scored 100 combined points in the last two games, while allowing just 20, as it has been outstanding on both sides of the ball.
• West Alabama enters playing its third-straight home game to open the season.   The Tigers are ranked eighth in the AFCA Division II Coaches' Poll and in the D2Football.com poll.
• VSU redshirt sophomore quarterback Rogan Wells and freshman linebacker Jameon Gaskin were named GSC Offensive and Freshman of the Week, respectively, this week, while UWA's Christian Saulsberry was named Special Teams Player of the Week.
• Wells earned his third career weekly conference honor as he tossed a career-high four touchdown passes in the Blazers' 55-6 victory over Fort Valley State last weekend.  He went 20 of 36 passing for 227 yards and no INTs.  Gaskin was named Freshman of the Week after starting his first game in the victory last week.  He recorded nine tackles with four solo stops, along with a 12-yard sack early in the game.  Gaskin and the VSU "D" held FVSU to just 153 total yards and minus-5 yards rushing for the game. The Blazers sacked the Wildcats six times for 47 yards and recorded 12 tackles for loss for 57 yards.
• UWA has scored 73 points in its first two contests, while allowing 53.  The Tigers are led by senior quarterback Harry Satterwhite who leads the GSC in total offense at 278.5 yards per game.  Satterwhite is 53 of 85 with one INT and six touchdowns for 548 yards.  He is averaging 274 yards passing per game.  
• Saulsberry is leading the GSC and is second nationally in kickoff returns, averaging 48.0 per return has he has five returns for 240 yards and a score, including a 95-yarder.  He also has nine catches for 123 yards and two scores to lead the Tigers. 
• Defensively, the Tigers are led by Jordan Jones who is third on the team in tackles with 16, while recording a team-high four tackles for loss for 18 yards and two sacks for 14 yards.  Nicarius Peterson already has three interceptions on the season for 71 yards, while the Tigers have five INTs in two games.

 
INSIDE THE SERIES

• VSU leads the all-time series 32-5, but the Tigers won last time out in a 38-14 win in Valdosta on Nov. 4, 2017, to clinch the outright GSC football title.  
• Prior to last season VSU had won three-straight and five of seven.  Four of UWA's five wins in the series have come since 2010.
• Before 2010, VSU won 27 of 28 dating back to the first season of Blazer football in 1982.  VSU won 24-straight games from 1986-2009.  Since, VSU is 5-4.
• The Blazers are 14-3 all-time in Livingston and have won the last two meetings there, including a 37-22 win in 2016 and a 24-17 win in 2014.  

 
MEET THE COACHES

• VSU head coach Kerwin Bellis in his third season at the helm of the Blazers.  Bell is 15-7 at VSU and is 81-42 overall 12 seasons of coaching, including nine seasons at the University of Jacksonville, where he went 66-35.  
• Bell is 1-1 against West Alabama and is 11-5 against Gulf South Conference teams.
• West Alabama head coach Brett Gilliland is 31-17 at the helm of the Tigers in his fifth season. Gilliland is tied for the all-time record for wins at UWA and a win over VSU would make him the outright leader in wins, breaking the tie with former head coach Frank North (1979-84) as he was 31-29.  
• Gilliland is 1-3 against Valdosta State during his tenure in Livingston.

 
A WIN OVER WEST ALABAMA WOULD . . . 

• Give VSU a 3-0 record to start the season, marking the first 3-0 start since 2015 when the team went 9-3 for the season and a berth in the NCAA playoffs.
• Be the 33rd win over West Alabama in program history and 15th win in Livingston in 18 meetings.
• Give the Blazers their first win over a ranked team this season and be the 58th win over a ranked team in program history. VSU is 57-59-2 all-time against ranked teams and is 24-32-1 on the road against ranked teams.  The Blazers won at then-No. 19 Delta State last season, 34-13, for the lone win against a ranked team in 2017.
• Most likely propel the Blazers back into the AFCA Top 25 for the first time since Aug. 14, 2017.  VSU enters the game this week as the third team listed among others receiving votes.
• Give VSU a 5-0 record on Sept. 15 all-time as the Blazers last played on this date in 2012 with a 43-10 victory over Angelo State in the LSC Football Festival in Arlington, Texas.  VSU is 2-0 on the road on this date, while going 1-0 at home and the neutral site win in Texas.  

 
BLAZER BITS 

• The Blazers have had a strong start to the season as they are sixth nationally in scoring offense at 50.0 points per game to lead the GSC, while ranking 12th in scoring defense at 10.0 points per game for second in the league.  VSU is fifth nationally in total defense, allowing just 191 yards per game, while ranking 15th in total offense at 487.5 yards per game.
• In addition, the Blazers have accumulated a league-best 56 first downs ranking sixth nationally to lead the league, while allowing just 25 first downs for 12th nationally.  VSU is holding teams to a .267 clip on third down for 26th nationally and third in the league.  Conversely, the team leads the conference in 3rd down percentage at a.421 clip for 45th nationally.
• VSU is holding teams to a .400 clip in the red zone for sixth nationally and first in the league, while the Blazers are 40th nationally and first in the conference in red zone offense at a .882 clip. 
• The Blazers are third nationally in rush defense, holding teams to 34.0 yards on the ground, while averaging 273.0 yards on the ground for 12th nationally and second in the league.  
• VSU is second nationally in sacks at 5.5 per game, while ranking seventh in tackles for loss at 11.5 per game as both rank first in the league.  
• Valdosta State is in its 37th year of intercollegiate football and owns an overall record of 282-126-4.  The Blazers are 184-87-3 all-time in the GSC, while going 92-47-2 in league play on the road.
• VSU's .690 winning percentage all-time is second nationally in Division II history.  The Blazers are 282-126-4 all-time since 1982, while Grand Valley State leads in 48 years of football with a 389-138-3 record for a .737 percentage. 
• The Blazers own the Division II record for most consecutive games without being shutout as they have not been blanked in 316 games dating back to Sept. 14, 1991, in a 12-0 loss to Central Florida.
• Since 2000, the Blazers are an impressive 170-46 (.788) ranking third in NCAA Division II in total wins during that span. Northwest Missouri State leads the way with a 202-34 record since the turn of the century, followed by Grand Valley State (201-36) and VSU at third.
• The Blazers had five players named to the All-GSC Preseason Team in sophomore Kenny Benjamin, senior Jeremy King, senior Raymond Palmer, senior Stewart Spence and sophomore Jairus Jones.
• VSU was picked fifth in the preseason coaches poll, while West Alabama was tabbed league-favorite.  
• Individually, Wells ranks 25th nationally and first in the league in passing efficiency at 160.6, while ranking fifth nationally and first in the league in passing touchdowns with seven.  He is second nationally in points responsible for with 48 points.
• Sophomore wide receiver Brian Saunds is fifth nationally and leads the league in touchdown receptions with three, while redshirt freshman running back Jamar Thompkins is 34th nationally and second in the league in rushing yards with 211.