SETTING THE SCENE
For the second time in three years, Valdosta State and Ferris State will meet for the national championship, Saturday, Dec. 18 at 9 p.m. ET in McKinney, Texas, at McKinney ISD Stadium.  Ferris State enters riding a 13-game winning streak, the longest in NCAA Division II, and the top-ranked team, while VSU is 12-1 on the year and entered the playoffs No. 5 nationally.   
 
CALLING THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
TALK 92.1 FM will broadcast the Blazer games all season long with Spencer Van Horn and Wade Beale having the call of the game.  Fans also can access the broadcast at www.talk921.com.  The game will be broadcast on ESPNU and the Watch ESPN App.  Drew Carter, Kelly Stouffer and Kristen Budden will have the call of the game on ESPNU.
 
HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Tickets currently are available for purchase online and each team has access to 2,000 reserved and general admission tickets.  VSU will be on the visitor sideline for the game.  Reserved tickets are $25 each for chairback seats, while general admission bench seating is $20 per ticket.  Children ages two and younger are admitted free of charge.  Additional ticket information and a link to purchase can be found at vstateblazers.com.
 
THIRD STRAIGHT GSC TITLE
VSU and West Florida shared the Gulf South Conference title this season, marking the third-straight year VSU has either won outright or shared the league title.  The Blazers won the outright title in 2018 and 2019.  The Blazers have won or shared nine titles in program history to tie for second-most all-time in GSC history (Jacksonville State) and the nine titles are the most of any current GSC school.  Former member, North Alabama, had 13 league titles.
 
SIXTH TRIP TO NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
This marks the sixth trip for the Blazers to the national championship game in program history - all since 2002.  VSU lost its first trip in 2002 versus Grand Valley State, but has won each of the next four trips, 2004, 2007, 2012 and 2018.  The Blazers are 29-13 all-time in the NCAA postseason in their 18th postseason appearance in program history.  The four national championship victories are tied with Grand Valley State for the third-most in NCAA Division II history and are tied for second among active Division II programs (Northwest Missouri State, 6). The 29 victories by the Blazers in the playoffs are good for fifth-most all-time in NCAA Division II and third-most among active institutions behind Northwest Missouri State (52) and Grand Valley State (36).
 
FOURTH COACH TO REACH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
With the victory on Saturday over Colorado School of Mines, VSU became the first program in NCAA Division II to have four different coaches reach the national championship game in program history.  Chris Hatcher went 1-1 in 2002 and 2004, while David Dean was 2-0 with wins in 2007 and 2012 and Kerwin Bell won in 2018 over Ferris State.  Only VSU and former D2 member North Dakota State are the only two schools with three different coaches winning national titles.
 
REPEAT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHUP
This marks the fourth time of repeat championship matchups or within two/three years in NCAA Division II history.  Carson-Newman and Northwest Missouri State played in 1998 and 1999 with Carson-Newman winning both, while Grand Valley State defeated Northwest Missouri State in 2005 and 2006.  Grand Valley State and North Dakota split two championships in 2001 and 2003, with GVSU and VSU sandwiched in between in 2002.  VSU and Ferris State played in 2018 and now this season, three years later as there was no championship in 2020 due to COVID.
 
GSC A REGULAR IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
This marks the fifth-straight championship a Gulf South Conference team has been one of the two participants.  Former GSC member North Alabama lost in 2016 to Northwest Missouri State, while West Florida lost in 2017. VSU won in 2018 and West Florida won in 2019.  Since the D2 Championship began in 1973, the GSC is 13-8 in the championship game.
 
VALDOSTA STATE COACHING TREE RUNS DEEP
Since football began in 1982 at Valdosta State, there has been an outstanding lineage of coaches who have come through Titletown.  Beginning in 1992, Hal Mumme took over the Blazer program and was off and running in 1994 with the program's first playoff berths in both 1994 and 1996.  Under Mumme, who is considered the founder of the air raid offense, has a fantastic coaching tree.  Both he and Mike Leach conceived the Air Raid Offense at Iowa Wesleyan College and perfected it in Titletown.  Among the coaches under Mumme who came to Titletown are; current Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach, current Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen, Guy Morriss (Kentucky, Baylor, Texas A&M-Commerce), current Samford head coach Chris Hatcher (also Blazer head coach), along with current Samford offensive line coach Shawn Bostick.  Current Blazer head coach Gary Goff played wide receiver for Mumme at VSU, while Leach was his offensive coordinator and Holgorsen was the quarterback coach of Hatcher.  Hatcher then took over as head coach at VSU in 2000.  On is inaugural coaching staff were Bostick, current University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, along with current Georgia analyst Will Muschamp, who also served as head coach at Florida and South Carolina.  In addition, former Blazer head coach and two-time Blazer national champion David Dean served on Hatcher's staff.  Dean now is the head coach at West Georgia and is the only Blazer head football coach to win two national titles in 2007 and 2012.  On January 10, 2020, Leach became the third former Blazer assistant football coach to be named the current head coach at a Southeastern Conference school.  (Leach, Mississippi State), Smart (Georgia) and Muschamp (South Carolina).  Former Blazer head coach Kerwin Bell, who won the national title in 2018, now is the head coach at Western Carolina.  Along with the coaches listed above, some other notable coaches who have come through Valdosta include; Seth Wallace (Iowa), Doug Belk (Houston), Joe Cauthen (Buffalo), Danny Verpaele (Kennesaw State), Kerry Webb (Western Carolina), Jeremy Darveau (Southern Miss), to name a few.
 
FORMER BLAZER KENNY MOORE II NAMED COLTS' NOMINEE FOR NFL MAN OF THE YEAR
Former Blazer standout defensive back and current member of the Indianapolis Colts, Kenny Moore II, was named the Colts' nominee for the 2021 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.  The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is the most prestigious honor an NFL player can receive. The recipient of the 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award will be announced on February 10, 2022.  Moore, who played for the Blazers during the 2013-2016 seasons, has four interceptions, seven pass break-ups and 77 tackles in 13 games this season and set the tone for the Colts' 31-0 win over the Texans in Week 13 with an interception on the first play of the game and a forced fumble that ended Houston's second possession.  Moore supports numerous causes and charitable organizations in Indianapolis and his hometown of Valdosta, Ga. In addition to participating in the inaugural "Tee Off For Tyler" event In June, Moore has raised over $6,000 for the Mighty Mason Fund and also has pledged $12,500 per year to the Kenny Moore II Reach Scholarship, which annually provides $2,500 to five students.
 
RECAPPING THE NATIONAL SEMIFINAL
The Blazers hosted Colorado School of Mines in their third-straight home playoff game last Saturday and the upset-minded Orediggers gave a great effort, falling 34-31.  CSM outscored VSU 14-0 in the fourth quarter, more importantly in the final 3:37 to pull within the final margin.  VSU graduate wide receiver/return specialist Brian Saunds came up the second of two outstanding onside kicks by CSM with 34 seconds left to secure the victory.  VSU amassed over 500 yards of offense for the ninth time this season with 538 yards against the Orediggers and went over 300 yards on the ground for the sixth time.  Junior quarterback Ivory Durham had a career-high 153 yards rushing with one touchdown and threw three touchdowns in the game.  Graduate student wide receiver Lio'undre Gallimore had three catches for 101 yards and a touchdown in the game, while sophomore kicker Estin Thiele hit two key field goals in the contest.  Defensively the Blazers were led by seniors Nick Moss (11 tackles) and Cory Roberts (10 tackles), while the team had four sacks and five tackles for loss in the game.
 
STRONG AT HOME
VSU finished the home season with a 9-0 record, matching the program's best home mark set in 2002 when the Blazers qualified for their first national championship in program history, falling to Grand Valley State that year.  VSU has won its last 16 regular season home games dating back to 2018 and 22 of the last 23 home games overall.
 
FIVE BY 1,000
Valdosta State has three players who already have eclipsed 1,000 yards either at receiver or running back this season in junior RB Seth McGill (1,206), along with graduate student wide receivers Brian Saunds (1,134) and Lio'undre Gallimore (1,114).  Junior running back Jamar Thompkins sits with 966 yards rushing, while junior quarterback Ivory Durham has 948 yards on the ground as both are close to 1,000 for the season. 
 
500 OR MORE
Over the last five games, VSU has amassed over 500 yards of total offense in each game.  The Blazers had a school-record 719 yards in the NCAA Second Round matchup with West Georgia (Nov. 27).  VSU leads the nation in total offense at 527.2 yards per game, while Ferris State is second nationally in total offense at 506.2 yards per game.
 
PLAYING THE BEST
The Valdosta State football team has had a great season playing some of the top teams in the country as No. 1 Ferris State will be the sixth ranked foe the Blazers have faced this season and are 5-1 in those games this season.  VSU is 70-61-2 all-time against ranked opponents and are 5-2 against ranked foes on neutral fields.  Saturday's game marks the first time VSU has played a top-ranked team since Oct. 22, 2011.  VSU is 2-6 all-time against the top team in the country and is 1-1 in neutral site games with the last coming on Dec. 11, 2004, when VSU defeated top-ranked Pittsburg State for the Blazers' first national championship victory,
 
SCORING FIRST LEADS TO VICTORIES
This season the Blazers are 10-0 when VSU scores first and 2-1 when the opposition scores first.  In addition, VSU head coach Gary Goff is 18-0 when the Blazers score first, while he is 4-2 when the opposition draws first blood. 
 
SINGLETON FINISHED A FINALIST FOR GENE UPSHAW AWARD
Senior offensive lineman Ralph Singleton was named one of eight finalists for the prestigious Gene Upshaw Award, which is given to the most outstanding senior offensive or defensive lineman in the country.  This marks the third-straight season VSU has had a finalist for this award as Jeremy King was named runner-up in 2018 and Adonis Sealey was a finalist in 2019.  Singleton, a native of Sumter, S.C., has had an outstanding season on the offensive line for the Blazers.  He earned First Team All-GSC honors this season and second team accolades in 2019.  He has started all 12 games for the three-time GSC champion Blazers and helped lead the team to a 11-1 record.  Singleton also earned D2CCA First Team All-Region honors for the first time in his career.  Ferris State's offensive lineman Dylan Pasquali won the Gene Upshaw Award.
 
STRONG SHOWING ON GSC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
VSU had a GSC-high 16 selections to the All-Conference Teams announced earlier this month.  VSU head coach Gary Goff was tabbed GSC Coach of the Year for the second-straight playing season.  VSU had nine selections to the first team, while Goff now is the second Blazer head coach to earn Coach of the Year honors multiple times as former head coach Chris Hatcher won the honor three-straight seasons from 2000-2002.  Goff is the fifth Blazer head coach to win Coach of the Year honors (Hal Mumme, David Dean, Hatcher and Kerwin Bell) while coaching at VSU.  Earning First Team honors were; Seth McGill, Chris Barrett, Brian Saunds (both WR and Returner), Jamar Thompkins, Ralph Singleton, Brian Williams, Nick Moss and Christian Matthew.  The second team saw Ivory Durham earn a spot for the first time, along with Lio'undre Gallimore, Arrington Dulin, Estin Thiele, Jameon Gaskin, Cory Roberts and Taurus Dotson.
 
HINSON NAMED COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Valdosta State sophomore offensive lineman Ty Hinson was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District.  Hinson has a 3.47 grade-point average in history.  He is one of just two GSC student-athletes to be named to the team (West Georgia, Chris Blackston). 
 
DECEMBER FOOTBALL
The Blazers are 14-2 all-time in December, while Ferris State is 4-5 all-time in December.  VSU has won its last six in December 2018 and 2021), dating back to a 31-17 loss in Valdosta to West Georgia on Dec. 5, 2014. 
 
PREVIEWING THE CHIPPER
This game has the potential to be a shout between the top two offenses in the country as VSU leads the nation at 527.2 yards per game and Ferris State is second at 506.2.  In addition, both teams are in the top ten nationally in rushing.  VSU is fifth nationally in rushing at 267 yards per game, while Ferris State is sixth at 266.3 yards per game.   These also are in the top five nationally in scoring offense as Ferris State leads the way at 46.4 points per game, while VSU is fifth at 43.2 per game.  This is a rematch of the 2018 National Championship Game, where VSU won in thrilling fashion with a 49-47 victory, stopping FSU's two-point conversion attempt with 40 seconds left and then recovering the onside kick to seal the Blazers' fourth national title.  VSU held off a furious rally from Colorado School of Mines on Saturday and led by an outstanding running trio.  Junior Seth McGill leads the team at 92.7 yards per game and 14 touchdowns, while junior quarterback Ivory Durham has 13 rushing scores and averaging 8.4 yards per carry.  Junior Jamar Thompkins averages 74.2 yards per game.    Durham leads the passing game averaging 251.3 yards per game through the air with 30 touchdown passes.  His favorite targets have been a pair of 1,000-yard receivers this season in graduates Lio'undre Gallimore and Brian Saunds.  On defense, the Blazers lead the GSC in total defense, allowing just 330.5 yards per game, while surrendering just 20.0 points a game for 30th nationally.  Senior linebacker Nick Moss leads the team with 115 tackles, while senior defensive back Mondrell Jefferson has 74 tackles and four fumble recoveries, including two scores on the fumble returns.  The Black Shirt "D" has recorded four touchdowns this season for seventh nationally in Division II.  The Bulldogs also have an outstanding team as they are led by Dylan Pasquali who earned the Gene Upshaw Award as Division II's top lineman this year and American Football Coaches Association First Team All-America.  FSU's ground game is sixth nationally at 266.3 yards per game, while quarterback Jared Bernhardt averages 146.9 yards passing and 141.4 yards rushing per game.  He is fourth nationally in D2 with 23 touchdowns.  Along with Pasquali and Bernhardt, the Bulldogs have outstanding receivers and running backs like Xavier Wade with 10 touchdown receptions and running back Tyler Minor with nine rushing touchdowns.  Defensively, the Bulldogs are 16th nationally in total defense, holding teams to 276.4 yards per game, 15th in rush defense allowing 94 yards on the ground per game and 181.8 yards through the air.  Liam Daly leads the team with 79 tackles, while Caleb Murphy has 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks this season.  All in all, this should be another excellent edition of VSU vs. FSU. 
 
DOUBLE TROUBLE RECEIVERS
Valdosta State graduate wide receiver Brian Saunds and graduate wide receiver Lio'undre Gallimore each eclipsed 1,000 yards for the Blazers against Bowie State.  Saunds is tenth nationally in receiving yards with 1,136, while Gallimore has 1,114 yards receiving for 12th nationally.  VSU is one of four schools (Mary, Bemidji State and Oklahoma Baptist) to have two 1,000-yard receivers this season.  VSU also has Seth McGill who is over 1,000 yards rushing this season.  Only VSU and Oklahoma Baptist are the only schools to have two receivers and one rusher over 1,000 yards this season.
 
LEADING THE NATION
The Blazers lead the nation in sacks allowed at a 0.15 clip and have surrendered just two sacks all season for a total of 17 yards.  VSU also leads the nation in total offense at 527.2 yards per game.  The Blazers are third nationally in first down offense with 320 fresh sets of downs.  Ferris State leads the nation in scoring offense at 46.4 points per game, while it is second nationally in first down offense (322) and second in total offense at 506.2 yards per game.  The Bulldogs are third nationally in passing efficiency at a 174.66 clip.
 
FOR STREAKS
Despite the loss at UWF on Nov. 13, the Blazers have had quite a winning streak over the last four playing seasons.  Since the final five games of 2017, VSU has gone 40-3 overall and won a GSC-record 25-straight games from the final game of 2017, through the 2019 regular season.  VSU won 23-straight GSC regular season games from the final game of 2017 to Nov. 13, 2021. 
 
SETH OVER 1,000
Junior running back Seth McGill has had an outstanding season for the Blazers and outstanding career as he has rushed for 1,206 yards this season with 14 rushing touchdowns for a 92.8 average per game.  He has played in 38 games with 12 starts for his career.  McGill is ninth nationally and fourth in the GSC in rush yards per carry (6.78), while McGill leads the league in rushing touchdowns (14) for 16th nationally and he is tops in the GSC in rushing yards (1,206) for 17th nationally.  His 92.8. rushing average per game is good for 29th nationally and best in the league.  McGill moved into a tie for seventh all-time in rushing touchdowns in a season against West Florida (Nov. 13).  Former Blazer Cedric O'Neal had 17 rushing scores in 2017 for the school-record in a season.  McGill's 37 career rushing touchdowns places him second all-time in school history as he surpassed Dominique Ross (1992-94) with a rushing score against Bowie State.  O'Neal leads the school-record book with 49 career rushing scores.  McGill's 234 career points on 39 touchdowns (including two receiving scores) puts him sixth all-time in school history.  McGill's 2,604 rushing yards places him eighth in school-history in career rushing yards.  From a season-record perspective, McGill's 14 rushing scores are tied for third all-time in a season, while his 1,206 yards on the ground are good for seventh all-time in a season.
 
THOMPKINS MOVES UP
Junior Jamar Thompkins is part of the Blazers' outstanding rushing attack as he, like McGill, has had an outstanding career.  Thompkins has played in 38 games with 24 starts, while recording 395 carries for 3,245 yards and 29 rushing touchdowns.  He has 31 total touchdowns for 186 points for his career.  Thompkins' 3,245 yards on the ground is good for third all-time in school history.  Thompkins' 29 rushing touchdowns are good for fifth all-time in school history behind Aaron Jenkins (2000-03) with 34.  Both Thompkins and McGill have had outstanding three years at VSU thus far and both have their senior years in 2022 as they look to continue to rewrite the record book.
 
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES
VSU is 36th nationally in turnover margin at 0.46, for second in the GSC.   The Blazers have just 13 turnovers on the year for 27th nationally and second in the league, while they have forced 19 for second-most in the GSC.  VSU holds a 62-34 lead on the opposition in points off turnovers.  VSU has not scored off an opponents' miscue, however, since the Oct. 30 meeting with West Georgia in Valdosta - a span of over five games.
 
DEFENSE SCORES
The Blazers recorded their fourth defensive touchdown this season with a 47-yard pick-six in the third quarter at West Alabama on Oct. 16, by junior defensive back Taurus Dotson. The Blazers are seventh nationally in defensive touchdowns as Bowie State leads the nation with eight.  VSU has two fumble recoveries for touchdowns from senior Mondrell Jefferson and pick-six interceptions from graduate transfer Christian Matthew (Oct. 2 vs. Shorter) and Dotson at UWA.  Senior defensive lineman Arrington Dulin also has a safety this season in the season-opener against Savannah State (Sept. 4).
 
SAUNDS OVER 200
Saunds recorded his second game of over 200 yards receiving (Nov. 6) with 220 yards on a career-high 15 receptions and one touchdown.  Saunds was named GSC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time for his efforts Saturday against North Greenville.  He set the school-record for receiving yards with 246 on a then, career-high ten catches against Florida Tech, also on Homecoming in 2019.  The 220 yards receiving marked the fourth-most in school history for a game, while the 15 catches are good for sixth all-time in school history in a game. In addition, the 15 catches sit tied for second in NCAA Division II in a game this season, while the 220 receiving yards is good for ninth in NCAA Division II this season.  Both of his 15 catches and 220 yards receiving are tops in the GSC for a single game this season.
 
SPEEDY SAUNDS
For his standout career, Saunds has played in 47 games with 37 starts, hauling in 183 catches for 3,016 yards and 28 receiving touchdowns.  He has 61 punt returns for 617 yards for his career and one kickoff return for 30 yards.  Saunds has 3,670 all-purpose yards during his time in Titletown.  He also threw two touchdown passes for his career, going 3 for 3 passing for 14 yards.  The 183 receptions are seventh all-time in school history, while the 3,016 receiving yards are third all-time in program history.  He needs 161 yards receiving to tie Cedric Jones (2006-09) for second all-time with 3,177 yards.  Saunds' 28 receiving touchdowns puts him sixth in program history, two shy of 30 from Stanley Flanders (1993-94).  Saunds is two receptions away from the top ten all-time for a single season (71, Calvin Walker, 1992), while his 1,134 yards receiving are good for fifth all-time in a season as he needs just 14 yards to tie Rodney Brown (1996) with 1,148.  Saunds is within striking distance of the top spot held by Reggie Mosley with 1,295 in 2002 as Saunds needs just 148 yards.
 
BIG GRAB GALLIMORE
Graduate student Lio'undre Gallimore has had a heck of a career for the Blazers as he has played in 43 games with 38 starts, while recording 144 receptions for 2,799 yards and 30 receiving touchdowns.  He has 18 kick returns for 487 yards and one touchdown, while recording 3,273 all-purpose yards for his career.  Gallimore's 2,799 yards receiving are good for fifth in program history.  He had his first career kick return for a touchdown against Delta State (Oct. 9, 2021).  Gallimore is seventh nationally this season in receiving touchdowns to lead the league (15).  Gallimore's 15 total touchdowns this season is good for 18th nationally and leads the GSC.  His 15 receiving scores this year puts him tied for fourth all-time in a season with Reggie Mosley (2002).
 
GOOD ON THIRD
The Blazers are seventh nationally in third down conversions at a 0.500 clip for tops in the GSC.  VSU is third in the GSC in third down defense, holding teams to a 0.362 clip. 
 
STOUT DEFENSIVELY
The Blazers are seventh nationally in defensive touchdowns (4), while the team is 17th nationally in passing yards allowed (162.9) for tops in the GSC.  VSU is 12th in the nation in red zone defense, holding teams to a 0.667 clip, while the team is 30th in scoring defense at 20.0 points allowed per game (tops league) and 20th in passing efficiency defense at a 108.33 clip to lead the GSC.  VSU is 48th nationally in total defense tops in the GSC at 330.5 yards allowed per game.  Individually, Mondrell Jefferson leads the nation in fumble recoveries with four, while graduate student Christian Matthew is 28th nationally in passes defended at 1.2 per game and 15 for the season.  Senior Nick Moss is 35th nationally in total tackles at 8.8 per game to lead the GSC.
 
HIGH POWERED OFFENSE
Not only do the Blazers have a stout defense, but also a strong offense as they lead the nation in total offense at 527.2 yards per game.  VSU is fourth nationally and tops in the GSC in red zone offense (0.929), while it is fifth nationally and second in the league in rushing offense at 267.0 yards per game.  VSU is fifth nationally second in the GSC in scoring offense at 43.2 points per game.  VSU is 26th nationally in passing yards per completion at 14.27 for third in the league, while it has allowed just two sacks on the season to lead the nation in sacks allowed (0.17). 
 
GOFF HITS 60 CAREER VICTORIES
VSU third-year head coach Gary Goff now is 60-52 in his 11th season of coaching.  He earned his 50th career victory on Sept. 4 of this season in a victory over Savannah State.  Prior to VSU, he coached nine years at Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio.  Goff is 22-2 during his time at VSU.
 
COACH GARY GOFF SHOW
The Coach Goff Show will be available each Sunday at vstateblazers.com on the football page throughout the season as it will include interviews from Goff, select players and highlights from the previous game.  Spencer Van Horn and Dave Garner host the show throughout the season and Jamie Abbott of Crashandannie Productions directs and produces the show.
 
NO SHUTOUTS
The Blazers lead all of NCAA Division II with 352 consecutive games without being shutout dating back to a 12-0 loss to Central Florida on Sept. 14, 1991.  VSU only has been shut out five times in program history.  Grand Valley is just behind the Blazers at over 340 games without a shutout.
 
A HISTORY OF SUCCESS
The Blazers have had an outstanding 39 years of football since the program began in 1982.  The Blazers have the second-highest winning percentage all-time in NCAA Division II with a 315-128-4 record (.709) behind Grand Valley State (416-143-3) with a .741 clip.  VSU went 88-27 from 2010-2019 for a .765 average which is good for eighth in NCAA Division II for the decade.
 
A VICTORY OVER FERRIS STATE WOULD . . .