Game Notes (PDF Format)

GSC Notes

VALDOSTA, Ga.– The No. 16/17 Valdosta State football team looks to improve to 4-0 as it returns home to host Shorter University Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
 
OPENING DRIVE NOTES

• The Blazers, fresh off a 58-24 complete victory at then-No. 8 West Alabama last weekend, return home to host Shorter University (0-3, 0-1 GSC) Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
• VSU (3-0, 1-0 GSC) had three players named Gulf South Conference Players of the Week as redshirt sophomore quarterback Rogan Wells earned his second-straight Offensive Player of the Week honor, while junior Ravarius Rivers was named Defensive Player of the Week and freshman David White was named Freshman of the Week.
• After the big win on Saturday night, VSU moved into the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 for the first time this season. VSU currently is No. 16 in the poll and is one of four GSC teams ranked in the top 25 and Florida Tech is receiving votes.  VSU had been receiving votes in the first three polls this season.  The Blazers hadn't been ranked in the top 25 since Aug. 14, 2017. The Blazers also are No. 17 this week in the D2Football.com poll, marking the first time this season being ranked in that poll, too.
• Shorter has played a tough schedule to start under first year head coach Zach Morrison.  The Hawks lost at FCS Samford, while dropping their home-opener to Tusculum and lost last week at then-No. 10 West Florida to open league play. It doesn't get any easier for Shorter as it returns home after the VSU game to host No. 8 West Georgia and No. 23 West Alabama the next two weeks.
• 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. 
• Valdosta State is in its 37th year of intercollegiate football and owns an overall record of 283 wins, 126  losses and four ties.
• VSU leads the all-time series with Shorter 6-0 and has blanked the Hawks each of the past two outings.  The Blazers have outscored the Hawks 248-30.  VSU is 3-0 in Rome, Ga., and 3-0 against the Hawks in Valdosta.
• VSU head coach Kerwin Bell is 16-7 at Valdosta State in his third season, after enjoying a strong start in 2016 with an 8-3 record in his initial campaign and a berth in the NCAA playoffs.  
• The Blazers are 4-1 all-time on Sept. 22 and lost 39-28 at home on this date in 2012.  Prior to that, VSU won four-straight times on Sept. 22, going 3-0 on the road and 1-0 at home.  Also, VSU won twice on this date by one point. 
• The Blazers are third nationally in scoring offense at 52.7 points per game, while holding teams to just 14.7 points per game for 22nd nationally.
• VSU is third nationally in defensive touchdowns (2) and seventh in first down offense with 79 to lead the GSC.  The Blazers are second nationally in sacks with 14 for a 4.67 per game average.
• Individually, Wells is second nationally in passing touchdowns with 12, while ranking 11th in passing efficiency at 171.1 and leads the nation in points responsible for with 78.  Sophomore WR Brian Saunds is second in receiving TD's (5).
• VSU will be featured twice more this season on ESPN3 and the ESPN App as part of the ten-game GSC schedule: the Blazers' game at West Florida (5 p.m. ET/Nov. 3) and the regular season home finale, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m., against rival West Georgia at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. 

 
INSIDE THE SERIES

• VSU leads the all-time series 6-0 and have shutout the Hawks each of the last two games in the series.  
• The Blazers are 3-0 at home against Shorter and 3-0 on the road.
• VSU has outscored Shorter 248-30 in the six meetings.
• The Hawks have not scored in the last 128:53 minutes of game time, dating back to the 2015 season when VSU won 37-22 in Rome, Ga.

  
MEET THE COACHES

• VSU head coach Kerwin Bellis in his third season at the helm of the Blazers.  Bell is 16-7 at VSU and is 82-42 overall 12 seasons of coaching, including nine seasons at the University of Jacksonville, where he went 66-35.  
• Bell is 2-0 against Shorter and is 12-5 against Gulf South Conference teams.
• Shorter head coach Zach Morrison is 0-3 at the helm of the Hawks in his first season.  Morrison, an alum of Shorter, returned to the program this season.  He coached at a number of high schools and was an offensive lineman on Shorter's inaugural team in 2005.  He graduated in 2008 and earned numerous honors, while becoming the first football student-athlete inducted into Shorter's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013. 

 
A WIN OVER SHORTER WOULD . . . 

• Give VSU a 4-0 record to start the season, marking the first 4-0 start since 2013.
• Be the seventh win over Shorter in program history and fourth win at home in the series.
• Give VSU a 5-1 record on Sept. 22 all-time as the Blazers last played on this date in 2012, with a 39-28 home loss to West Alabama.
• Give VSU a 2-0 record in Gulf South Conference play, marking the first 2-0 start in league play since 2013.
• Be the 284th win in program history, the 186th GSC victory and the 154th home win, including the 145th at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

 
BLAZER BITS

• The Blazers have had a strong start to the season as they are third nationally in scoring offense at 52.7 points per game to lead the GSC, while ranking 22nd in scoring defense at 14.7 points per game for third 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 79 first downs ranking seventh nationally. VSU is holding teams to a .255 clip on third down for 20th nationally and third in the league.  
• VSU is holding teams to a .627 clip in the red zone for fifth nationally and first in the league, while the Blazers are 26th nationally and first in the conference in red zone offense at a .905 clip. 
• The Blazers are fifth nationally in rush defense, holding teams to 62.7 yards on the ground, while averaging 227.0 yards on the ground for 25th nationally and second in the league.  
• VSU is second nationally in sacks at 4.7 per game, while ranking 17th in tackles for loss at 9.3 per game.  
• Valdosta State is in its 37th year of intercollegiate football and owns an overall record of 283-126-4.  The Blazers are 185-87-3 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 283-126-4 all-time since 1982, while Grand Valley State leads in 48 years of football with a 390-138-3 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 317 games dating back to Sept. 14, 1991, in a 12-0 loss to Central Florida.
• Since 2000, the Blazers are an impressive 171-46 (.788) ranking third in NCAA Division II in total wins during that span.  Northwest Missouri State leads the way with a 203-34 record since the turn of the century, followed by Grand Valley State (202-36) and VSU at third.
• VSU was picked fifth in the preseason coaches poll, while West Alabama was tabbed league-favorite.  
• Individually, sophomore Rogan Wells ranks 11th nationally in passing efficiency at 171.1 to lead the GSC.  He is second nationally in passing touchdowns (12), 25th in passing yards (744) and 27th in passing yards per game (248.0). He leads the nation in points responsible for with 78, while not throwing an interception so far this season. Wells is 23rd nationally in total offense at 290.7 yards per game to lead the conference.
• Sophomore wide receiver Brian Saunds is second nationally in receiving touchdowns with five, while ranking third in the GSC in receiving yards (203) and third in receiving yards per game (67.7).  Defensively, senior Iseoluwapu Jegede is 29th nationally in sacks per game at 1.00 to lead the conference, while redshirt freshman teammate Thomas Incoom is second at 0.83 per game.  Senior kicker Andrew Gray is 16th nationally and first in the league in scoring at 10.7 points per game.
• Wells is off to a terrific start to the season as he has thrown three or more touchdowns in each of the three games as the five TD strikes and 341 passing yards last week in the win at UWA were career-highs.  He is 57 of 93 passing with no INTs.
• Along with Saunds, sophomore Kenny Benjamin has two touchdown receptions in 13 total catches, while freshman David White has two TDs as well.  The scoring as been spread around nicely as 12 different players have either run or caught a touchdown so far this season.  
• Junior Ravarius Rivers leads the defense with 19 total tackles, while Jegede has three sacks to lead the team.  VSU has 28 tackles for loss for 138 yards, 14 sacks for 100 yards, four interceptions and three fumbles recovered.