BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Valdosta State graduate student wide receiver Brian Saunds was named Gulf South Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday morning.  This is the first weekly honor of the season for Saunds and the sixth different Blazer to earn POW honors this season.  He shares the weekly honor with West Georgia's Terrill Cole.
 
Saunds had an outstanding game on Saturday as the No. 3 Blazers posted a 42-17 victory at No. 10 West Alabama.  Saunds caught a season-high nine passes for 168 yards and one touchdown on a 59-yard strike for a 28-17 lead in the second quarter.  Saunds had five catches for 144 yards and the score in the first half as VSU battled back from a 14-0 deficit midway through the first quarter and outscored UWA 28-3 since the deficit for the first half.  VSU added two touchdowns in the third quarter, one on the ground and a pick-six, for the 42-17 final score as VSU outscored UWA 42-3 following the 14-0 start by the Tigers.  
 
For the season, Saunds, a Darien, Ga., native, has 22 catches for 368 yards and three touchdowns.  He also handles punt returns for the Blazers as he is fourth in the GSC in punt returns at 6.4 yards per return.  He has 14 returns on the season for 90 yards.  
 
Saunds has played in 40 games for his career with 31 starts, logging 2,250 yards on 136 receptions and 24 receiving touchdowns.  His 2,250 yards puts him seventh all-time in school history in career receiving yards, while his 24 receiving touchdowns ties him for seventh all-time with current teammate graduate student Lio'undre Gallimore. 
 
This is Saunds' second weekly honor of his VSU career as he also was named Offenisve Player of the Week on Oct. 21, 2019, after a school-record 246 receiving yards on ten catches against Florida Tech in a 55-28 victory on Homecoming that season.  Saunds joins junior quarterback Ivory Durham, senior defensive back Mondrell Jefferson, senior linebacker Nick Moss (2), junior running back Seth McGill and sophomore kicker Estin Thiele (3). 
 
The Blazers continue on the road this week as they travel to Mississippi College for a 3 p.m. ET kickoff with the Choctaws on Saturday, Oct. 23.  VSU then returns home to host rival West Georgia on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.