VALDOSTA, Ga. - The top-ranked Valdosta State football team opens the 2019 Gulf South Conference slate Saturday at 7:05 p.m., at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium versus No. 20 West Alabama, as part of the College Football Down South Television Package.  Check below for stations carrying the game.  Online streaming of the game will be available tape delayed on Sunday on vstateblazers.com.

FIRST AND TEN

• The Blazers have won a school-record 17-straight games for the longest current streak in NCAA Division II and the third longest such streak at all NCAA levels. North Dakota State has won 24-straight (FCS), while Clemson has won 18-straight (FBS) and VSU has won 17.  
• This is the second-straight year VSU and West Alabama have opened Gulf South Conference play against each other.  Last season, VSU won 58-24 in Livingston, Ala.  VSU is 3-6 in its past nine GSC openers, with last season being the first GSC opening victory since 2013.  
• Saturday's game features two players who earned GSC Player of the Week honors this week as sophomore defensive lineman Thomas Incoom was named Defensive Player of the Week for the Blazers and UWA's Tyler Butler was named Co-GSC Special Teams Player of the Week.
• VSU enters Saturday's game 21-6 all-time as the top-ranked team nationally, while the Blazers are 63-59 all-time in matchups against ranked teams.  
• VSU is 54-31-1 all-time in matchups of both ranked teams.  This also marks the fourth time VSU and UWA have met with both teams ranked and VSU is 1-2 in those meetings.  
• The Blazers are 5-0 all-time on Sept. 21 and 4-0 all-time at home with four shutouts.  VSU has outscored its opposition 160-26 all-time on this date.
• UWA remained 20th in the latest AFCA Top 25 after its 47-14 win at Tusculum last week.  The D2Football.com poll has the Tigers ranked 23rd this week.
• The Blazers lead the all-time series with UWA 33-5, and have won four of the last five meetings in the series. VSU is 18-2 against UWA in Titletown, but the Tigers won 38-14 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in 2017.
• The College Football Down South package is a chance for the Blazers to be showcased in select regions on television.  Saturday's game and the Nov. 9 game vs. West Florida at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium are part of the package.   Online streaming of the game will be available on tape delay at vstateblazers.com. Brock Bowling and Stacey Hough will have the call of the game against West Alabama.

 
INCOOM INGITION 
VSU sophomore defensive lineman Thomas Incoom earned GSC Defensive Player of the Week honors this week for the first time in his career.  Incoom, a native of Stone Mountain, Ga., was all over the field for the top-ranked Blazers in a 48-21 win over Ohio Dominican in the 2019 home-opener Saturday evening.  He finished the game with a career-high three sacks for 25 yards, while recording six total tackles and three solo stops.  He also had 3.5 tackles for loss for 27 yards and forced a fumble, while recording two quarterback hurries.   The VSU defense held Ohio Dominican to just 223 total yards and 13 rushing yards, while recording five sacks for a blistering 49 yards and recording nine tackles for loss for 67 yards. 
 
INCOOM NAMED STEEL'S JEWELRY BLAZER ATHLETE OF THE WEEK 
For the second week in a row, a VSU football player has been named the Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athlete of the Week as Incoom earned the honor this week after his outstanding performanceagainst Ohio Dominican on Saturday.  Incoom joins last week's winner, junior Rogan Wells, as both have also earned GSC Player of the Week honors this season.  Incoom and VSU senior volleyball standout Kayla Widera were the two Steel's Jewelry honors this week.  Check back with vstateblazers.com each Wednesday afternoon for the weekly Steel's Jewelry Blazer Athletes of the Week.
 
PLAYING FAST 
In stark contrast to the two scoring drives of over 90 yards and six minutes each in the opener against Albany State where the Blazers held the ball for 37:33 minutes, VSU had four of itsseven scoring drives against Ohio Dominican coming under two minutes of possession time, including a one-play drive on the first possession as sophomore quarterback Ivory Durham, on a reverse, hit junior Lio'undre Gallimore for a 58-yard touchdown pass against the Panthers.  
 
POSSESSED
The Blazers had the ball for 37:33 minutes in the season-opener, marking the longest time of possession since Oct. 8, 2016, in a 38-27 win over West Georgia. VSU also had three drives of ten or more plays against the Golden Rams, while the team had just 14 drives of ten or more plays all last season.  Last week, VSU had the ball for 33:20 had one scoring drive of over six minutes.  It marked the third scoring drive of six minutes or more this season.  VSU had two drive of over six minutes all of last season.  VSU is 11th nationally and first in the GSC in time of possession at 35:26.  
 
GOOD ON THIRD
The Blazers were 6 of 10 on third down last week against Ohio Dominican and are 13 of 21 for the season for a .619 clip ranking third nationally and first in the GSC.  With being good on third down, it has helped prolong possessions as VSU has punted just twice in two games.  The Blazers lead the nation in net punting at 44.5 yards per punt.  
 
THE RIGHT TOUCH 
VSU is second nationally in completion percentage at a 77.6 clip for the season to lead the GSC.  Junior hurler Rogan Wells is second nationally and first in the conference in completion percentage at 79.2 on 38 of 48, while sophomore Ivory Durham is 7 of 10 for the season.   
 
GOOD FOR FIRST
The Blazers have been outstanding this season in both first down offense and firs down defense.  VSU is 22nd nationally and second in theGSC in first down defense, holding teams to 28 first downs, while ranking 20th nationally and first in the GSC in first down offense moving the chains 49 times.
 
FROM AIR AND GROUND 
Valdosta State is 20th nationally in passing yards allowed at 138.0 per game, while ranking 28th in passing offense at 286.5 yards per game.  West Alabama leads the league in passing offense at 324.5 yards per game and 10th nationally.  On the ground, the Blazers have been strong as they are 33rd in rushing offense at 220.0 yards per game and have held the opposition to just 93.5 yards on the ground for second in the league and 32nd nationally.  
 
IN THE ZONE
The Blazers have had the bend, don'tbreak mentality on defense this season at times, as they are eighth nationally in red zone defense at 50.0 percent to lead the GSC. Both Ohio Dominican and Albany State have been in the red zone a combined four times, scoring just twice and one touchdown in four tries.  
 
TOTALSHINE
The Blazers are 10th nationally in total defense, holding teams to just 231.5 yards per game, while ranking 17th in total offense at 506.5 yards per game as both lead the conference.  
 
WELLS MOVING UP THE CHARTS
Junior quarterback Rogan Wells is fifth in school history in career passing touchdowns with 53,while ranking seventh in rushing touchdowns with 20, sixth in total offense (6,216), eighth in passing yards (4,915) and ninth in completions as he is 368 of 629 (58.5) for his career.  Wells earned All-America honors last season as a sophomore, leading one of the most prolific offensive teams in program history.  
 
RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
Senior Alex Brown tallied his fifth interception of his career and first of the season in the win at Albany State, returning the ball 43 yards to the ASU two. He had a team-high four interceptions last season.  Brown also had a huge interception in the national championship game in December versus Ferris State.  Junior Cory Roberts tallied his second INT of his VSU career on Sept. 7 for 11 yards. 
 
TOUGH SCHEDULE
Saturday marks the first time VSU will play a ranked team this season, but Ohio Dominican and Albany State were both receiving votes when VSU played them.  The Blazers face No. 20 West Alabama Saturday, while Florida Tech is receiving votes along with West Florida and West Georgia is No. 15 this week. 
 
NO SHUTOUT
VSU leads all of NCAA Division II in the most games without being shutout at 330 games. The Blazers last were blanked on Sept. 14 1991, in a 12-0 loss at Central Florida.  VSU has been shutout just five times in the history of the program in 425 games.
 
THE GARY GOFF RADIO SHOW AT SALTY SNAPPER
This season, head coach Gary Goff will have The Gary Goff Radio Show at The Salty Snapper Restaurant in Valdosta each Monday evening from 7-8 p.m.  Matt Malone will be the host of the show as it will be broadcast on Newstalk 105.9 FM.  Come out to The Salty Snapper for prizes and a 15% discount during the show for all The Gary Goff Radio Show guests.  Listen to Goff talk about the 2019 Blazer football season.
 
NEWFACE IN THE BOOTH
Blazer fans will hear a new voice in the radio booth for the football team this season as long-time football coach Wade Beale replaces VSU color analyst Scott James this season.  Spencer Van Horn will handle play-by-play duties for the Blazers for the second year in a row, and now will partner with Beale for home and away games on 92.1 WDDQ FM.  Check back with vstateblazers.com for links to broadcasts all season long.
 
THE GARY GOFF SHOW
In addition to The Gary Goff Radio Show, the Blazers will continue the tradition of The Gary Goff Show following each game this season.  The Gary Goff Show will be hosted by Spencer Van Horn following each game and selected players also will appear on the show.  Fans can access The Gary Goff Show each Sunday at vstateblazers.com on the football page.  There also will be links via social media for it each Sunday. Jamie Abbot of Crash & Annie Productions produces The Gary Goff Show following each game.
 
GETTING IN THE END ZONE
Wells has thrown 52 touchdown passes in his career and has played in 24 games. He threw at least one touchdown pass in all 14 games last season and has a string of 20-straight games with a touchdown pass.   Of his 24 games played, he has only not rushed or passed for a touchdown in one game.  Wells is 19-2 as a starting quarterback for the Blazers.  Wells had his first touchdown reception in the national championship game against Ferris State last December. 
 
PROLIFIC PASSERS
VSU junior Rogan Wells and West Alabama quarterback Jack McDaniels have had success this season passing the ball.  Along with Wells being No. 2 nationally in completion percentage, he is 15th nationally in passing efficiency (175.9) and ranks in the top 60 in passingyards (435), passing yards per game (217.5), points responsible for (24) and points responsible for per game (12).  He is 39th nationally and third in the GSC in total offense at 253.0 yards per game.  McDaniels is third in the GSC in completions per gameat 17, while ranking seventh nationally in passing touchdowns (6), 29th in passing yards (495) and 14th in points responsible for (36).  He is fourth in the GSC in total offense and 41st nationallyat 249.5 yards per game.  
 
RAPID RUSHERS
VSU rushing trio of sophomores Jamar Thompkins and Seth McGill, along with senior Quahlin Patterson have had a strong start to the season. All three had huge years in 2018, but Patterson led the team on the ground in the season-opener combining for 25 of the team's 33 rushes for 135 of the 180 rushing yards against the Golden Rams.  Thompkins had ten rushes for 88 yards against Ohio Dominican as five different Blazers scored touchdowns on the ground in the 48-21 win last Saturday.  The five rushing scores tied for sixth-most in school history.  
 
ABOUT WEST ALABAMA
The Tigers are under the direction of Brett Gilliland who is 39-21 in six seasons in Livingston, Ala.  Gilliland is 1-4 against Valdosta State previously as his lone win came in Valdosta in 2017.  Along with McDaniels, the Tigers have a stout team as they were picked third in the preseason GSC poll.  Over the last two years, UWA has won 18 games and made the playoffs twice. UWA has won four of its five games in the series since 2010.  VSU won 24-straight from 1986-2009.  Saturday's matchup between VSU and UWA is a battle of the last two conference champions as UWA won in 2017 and VSU won in 2018.
  
A VICTORY OVER OHIO DOMINICAN WOULD . . .

• Give VSU a 3-0 record to start the season for the 16th time in program history
• Continue the longest winning streak in school history and currently in NCAA Division II (18 games)
• Be the tenth-straight home win for the Blazers 
• Give VSU a 6-0 record all-time on Sept. 21
• Give VSU a 22-6 record as the top-ranked team in the country
• Be the 297th win all-time in program history, the 162 win at home and the 193rd GSC victory
• Be just the second GSC-opening victory for the Blazers since 2013

 
THIS GAME FEATURES
The game Saturday features two of the top punters in the GSC as UWA punter Zach Gaines leadsthe nation and GSC in punting at 48.4 yards per punt, while VSU redshirt freshman Tyson Shaw has punted just twice this season for a strong 43.5 average. It also has the top two scoring offenses in the GSC as VSU averages 43.0 points pergame for 14th nationally, while UWA is at 41 points per game for 22nd nationally. They also are the top two total offenses in the GSC as VSU is averaging 506.5 yards per game for 17th nationally and UWA is at 458.0 per 30th nationally.