VALDOSTA, Ga. – The magical and record-setting 25-game winning streak came to an end Saturday with a 38-35 loss for the No. 1-ranked Valdosta State Blazers in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Division II playoffs to No. 20 West Florida.  
 
VSU ends its season with a 10-1 record, while West Florida improves to 10-2.  The Blazers set the VSU and Gulf South Conference record for consecutive wins as they had won 25-straight dating back to a 52-0 win at Shorter on Nov. 11, 2017.  The Blazers also had won 13-straight games at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
 
In a game that saw just about everything, and a complete reverse of the first meeting this season between the two teams, it was the Blazers who trailed by as many as 17 points twice in the second half, before staging a huge fourth quarter comeback to take the lead with 2:12 remaining, only to see UWF march down the field on its final drive.  On a 4^th and one from the one with just over ten seconds remaining, UWF's Anthony Johnson scored his third rushing touchdown of the day to give the Argos a 38-35 lead.
 
UWF kicked the ball out of bounds after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as VSU got the ball at the 50 with six seconds left.  Sophomore quarterback Ivory Durham found junior wide receiver Brian Saunds for 24 yards, but time had expired as he tried to get out of bounds with time still remaining on the clock.  
 
Johnson scored his second rushing touchdown with 10 seconds left in the third quarter for a 31-14 UWF lead as the 17-point deficit was the largest VSU had all season.  The never-give-up Blazers began the fourth quarter comeback with a 64-yard touchdown strike from Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year junior Rogan Wells to junior Lio'undre Gallimore for a 31-21 score with 14:24 left.  Gallimore finished the game with seven catches for a game-high 162 receiving yards and two touchdowns. 
 
Following a UWF punt, marking the first of the game for the Argos, Wells hit Saunds for 38 yards and then found him again for 13 yards to the UWF 19.  Sophomore Seth McGill scored from two yards out on 3^rd and goal for a 31-28 score.  
 
The Blazer "D" came up with a huge sack on redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Reed on 3^rd and 4 from the UWF 47 on the ensuing possession as senior Kahlil Welsh got in the backfield for the fourth Blazer sack of the day, forcing a punt.  
 
With 5:50 left, VSU began at its own 9 and Wells found Saunds, once again, on 3^rd and 4 for 10 yards and hit McGill for 11.  McGill made the big play of the drive with a 28-yard scamper and sophomore Jamar Thompkins scored from one yard out for a 35-31 lead with 2:12 left, marking the first VSU lead since 7-3 in the first quarter.  
 
Reed hit Tate Lehtio for 18 yards on 4^th and 8 from the UWF 27 as the Blazers almost had the game-clinching stop.  Lehtio, who had been big for UWF all season, had five catches for 62 yards on the drive and a pass interference penalty added to the drive for the Argos setting them up with a first and goal at the nine.
 
Reed hit Lehtio for eight yards on third and goal from the nine and then Johnson scored with six seconds left for the winner.
 
VSU amassed 511 yards of offense in the game, while UWF had 434.  VSU was 24 of 33 passing for 345 yards, while UWF was 25 of 37 for 298 yards and one interception.  The Blazers had just 151 yards of total offense in the first half and 110 passing yards.  VSU finished with 166 yards on the ground on 30 carries.  
 
Wells was 23 of 32 passing for 335 yards and two touchdowns, while Thompkins had 14 carries for 78 yards and a score.  McGill had 66 yards on 11 carries and two scores.  Saunds had four catches for 71 yards, while Gallimore had an outstanding day.
 
Reed was 25 of 37 passing for 298 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while Lehtio had 14 catches for 140 yards.  Johnson finished with 18 carries for 73 yards and three scores.  
 
Three big things in the game was a 32-yard missed field goal by the Blazers in the first half and UWF was an astonishing 4 for 4 on fourth down in the game, while going 8 of 15 on third down.  VSU also came away with two turnovers, but was unable to score on either.  
 
Defensively, VSU tallied four sacks for 25 yards and six tackles for loss for 27 yards.  Junior Cory Roberts had ten tackles to lead the team, while sophomore Thomas Incoom finished with four tackles and 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and fumble return, along with a breakup.  Henry Montgomery led the way with 12 tackles and seven solo stops for UWF.  Andre Duncombe had a 46-yard fumble return, setting up a touchdown for the Argos.