VALDOSTA, Ga. – Behind a season-high 401 yards on the ground, the No. 3 Valdosta State football team scored early and often in a 55-0 victory over Delta State Saturday evening at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.  VSU amassed 566 yards of total offense for the second-most this season in a game.
 
The Blazers improved to 5-0 on the year and 2-0 in Gulf South Conference play, posting their first shutout since a 52-0 blanking of Shorter on Sept. 18, 2018.  It was the 26^th shutout in program history and the second time blanking the Statesmen (42-0, Sept. 21, 2002, in Valdosta).  
 
VSU won its 19^th-straight regular season game against GSC competing dating back to the final game of 2017 and the 26^th-straight regular season game overall.  VSU now has won 33 of its last 34 games.
 
Junior running back Seth McGill tallied a career-high 186 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown, while fellow junior Jamar Thompkins had ten rushes for 134 yards and two touchdowns and junior quarterback Ivory Durham tallied four carries for 29 yards and a score.  The 401 yards on the ground is the second-most all-time in program history for the team as VSU tallied 446 yards at Shorter on Sept. 28, 2019.  VSU averaged a blistering 10.3 yards per carry on the ground for the game against the Statesmen.
 
The 566 yards for the game marked the second-straight game and third of the season VSU has eclipsed the 500-yard mark.  Last week versus Shorter, VSU tallied a season-high 574 yards of offense and 559 yards at Virginia Union (Sept. 11).  VSU finished the game 7 of 14 passing for 165 yards as Durham was 7 of 13 with two touchdowns and 165 yards passing.  
 
Blazer senior Lio'undre Gallimore had a night to remember as he took a lateral from Thompkins at the VSU ten on the opening kickoff and went 90 yards for a touchdown just 14 seconds into the contest and a 96-yard kickoff return for the duo.  It was the first kickoff return for a touchdown for the Blazers since Vincent Dallas versus Albany State on Sept. 6, 2014 for 85-yards. 
 
The touchdown was the quickest score of the season for the Blazers and led the game for a season-high 59:46 minutes.  VSU entered one of just two teams (Wingate) as the only teams in NCAA Division II who had not trailed so far this season.  Wingate battled back from a 14-0 deficit to defeat Limestone Saturday for a 35-17 victory as the Blazers now are the only team in the country to not trail thus far this season.   VSU now has led for 276:25 minutes and been tied for just 23:35 minutes this season.   
 
Following a three-and-out by the Statesmen, VSU took over at the 50.  McGill scampered 19 yards for a first down and then Durham hit Gallimore in stride for a 31-yard strike and score and a 14-0 lead with 12:44 left in the first quarter.  
 
DSU (2-4, 0-3 GSC) had one of its best drives of the game marching from its own 18 to the VSU 23 as starting quarterback Patrick Shegog had three incomplete passes from the VSU 23.  DSU kicker Connor Mantelli missed a 33-yard field goal wide left as the Statesmen came away empty.
 
VSU suffered its first lost fumble of the season on the ensuing possession, but the Blazer "D" stood tall and forced Delta State into another three-and-out.  From there, McGill and the Blazers went to work, once again, with great runs of 12 and 27 yards, while Durham hit graduate studant Brian Saunds for 31 yards and McGill ran once again to the DSU 5.  Thompkins scored from four yards out for a 21-0 lead with 4:07 left in the first quarter.
 
Early in the second quarter, Shegog got hit hard and left the game and didn't return to the field the rest of the evening.  Cole Kirk came in for Shegog and drove the Statesmen to the VSU 5.  Kory Gainwell rushed to the one and then a huge tackle on fourth down from Blazer sophomore Jaylen Jackson stymied DSU with the goal line stand.  VSU held DSU to 0 for 4 in the red zone as Mantelli missed three field goals in the game.
 
VSU then went 96 yards in six plays using just 1:53 on the clock for a 28-0 lead as Durham hit Gallimore for 35, Thompkins ran for 12 and McGill scored on a 35-yard run with 10:14 left in the half.
 
The Statesmen then had a game-high, 18-play drive for 48 yards, using 7:43 on the clock as DSU converted two fourth downs on the drive.  However, Mantelli missed his second field goal of the game, this time from 44-yards with 2:31 left in the half.  
 
McGill used a 40-yard run and Thompkins finished the drive with a five-yard score for a 35-0 lead with 57 seconds left in the half.  VSU went into the break in complete command of the game and held a 331 to 186-yard advantage in total offense and the Blazers at 223 yards on the ground on just 15 carries.  McGill had ten rushes for 176 yards and a score in the half as he and Thompkins were the only two rushers in the half.  
 
Despite leading 35-0, DSU held a staggering 22:52 to 7:08 lead in time of possession in the first half.  For the game, DSU had the ball for 37:53 minutes, while VSU held it for 22:07.  
 
The Blazers added two touchdowns in the third quarter from senior Chris Barrett and Durham, while sophomore kicker Estin Thiele connected on two field goals in the fourth quarter from 36-yards and 41-yards.
 
Defensively, senior linebacker Nick Moss was all over the field, yet again, as he recorded a career-high 17 tackles and eight solo stops.  Moss entered the game 29^th nationally and tops in the GSC in solo tackles per game at 5.8, while he entered seventh nationally in total tackles at 11.5 per contest.  Moss also had one tackle for loss.  Senior Cory Roberts had a game-high nine solo stops and 11 tackles total, while VSU recorded three sacks and eight tackles for loss in the game.
 
The Blazers head on the road for just the second time this season next weekend in what should be a top ten matchup at West Alabama at 2 p.m. ET in Livingston, Ala.  VSU and UWA are two of the three undefeated teams in the GSC to this point.