644 DAYS LATER
For the first time in 644 days, the Valdosta State football team will play a meaningful football game versus Savannah State to open the 2021 season.  The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.  VSU dropped its last outing with a heartbreaking 38-35 setback in the second round of the NCAA postseason on Nov. 30, 2019, in Valdosta to evetual national champion West Florida.
 
FLOSPORTS
The Gulf South Conference signed a league-wide, four-year agreement with FloSports to broadcast all GSC football games beginning this fall.  With this new GSC package, all VSU football livestream broadcasts will be available exclusively through FloSports. Fans can purchase a monthly membership for $19.99 or an annual subscription for $150 ($12.50/month).  The yearly membership is a saving of nearly $90.  Subscribe to FloSports at www.flosports.tv/gulfsouth.  The membership will include:

 
CALLING TONIGHT'S 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 games.  Fans also can access the broadcast at www.talk921.com.  This season with the addition of FloSports, Dave Garner will provide play-by-play coverage on the video broadcast of the home games for FloSports, while Will Cooper will be the color analyst.  
 
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH SAVANNAH STATE
This marks the first time the two teams have met on the gridiron since 1996.  VSU leads the series 5-0 and is 3-0 in Valdosta and 2-0 in Savannah.  The Blazers won the last meeting, 21-7 on Sept. 14, 1996, in Valdosta.  VSU has outscored SSU 119-46 in the five meetings.  Current VSU head coach Gary Goff was a student-athlete on the football team for the Blazers when the teams met last in 1996.  This game was supposed to begin the 2020 season, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.  
 
SERIES HISTORY WITH SAVANNAH STATE
09/24/83      Valdosta            W     14-10
09/15/84       Savannah          W       28-7
11/01/86        Valdosta            W       21-7
10/31/87        Savannah          W     35-15
09/14/96       Valdosta            W       21-7
 
VSU TIED FOR SIXTH IN PRESEASON AFCA TOP 25 AND D2FOOTBALL.COM
Coming off the 10-1 record and back-to-back Gulf South Conference titles, the Blazers were tied for sixth in the AFCA Preseason Top 25 released earlier in August.  Defending national champion West Florida was tabbed the favorite, followed by Minnesota State, Ferris State, Northwest Missouri State and Slippery Rock rounded out the top five.  VSU and Lenoir-Rhyne were tied for sixth.  UWF, LC and VSU all are in Super Region Two and in the top ten of the poll.  Bowie State (Md.) is 18th, while Carson-Newman (Tenn.) and Wingate (N.C.) are tied for 24th.  Among others receiving votes from Super Region Two are Fort Valley State, who is the first team just outside the top 25, along with Delta State, West Alabama, Miles, Virginia Union and West Georgia.  On Monday, August 30, the D2Football.com Top 25 poll was released and the Blazers were sixth in that poll.
 
EIGHT BLAZERS EARN PRESEASON ALL-GSC ACCOLADES; PICKED SECOND IN GSC POLL
The Blazers were picked second in the GSC Preseason Coaches Poll, released in early August.  UWF was held a slim margin over VSU with a 47-45 lead in total points and a 5-3 lead in first-place votes.  Delta State was selected third in the poll, followed by West Alabama and West Georgia rounded out the top five.  Mississippi College was picked sixth, followed by North Greenville and Shorter was eighth.  VSU had the second-most selections to the preseason all-conference team with eight.  The Blazers had five players named on the offense and three on defense.  Junior running back duo Jamar Thompkins and Seth McGill were named to the team, while senior wide receivers Brian Saunds and Lio'undre Gallimore each earned a spot, along with senior offensive lineman Ralph Singleton.  On defense, senior defensive lineman Ja'Davien Williams, alongwith senior linebacker Nick Moss and senior defensive back Cory Roberts each were honored.  Saunds also was named return specialist for special teams.
 
LOOKING AT SAVANNAH STATE
The Tigers enter the season with a lot of talent returning on both sides of the ball as the team played two games in 2020, losing a close game in Mobile, Ala., versus West Alabama (36-28) and defeated Middle Georgia State in Savannah, 85-0.  In 2019, the Tigers went 7-3 and 5-0 in the SIAC.  The Tigers are under the direction of third-year head coach Shawn Quinn who is 8-4 in two seasons there.  SSU returns 63 total letterwinners, including 32 on defense and 31 on offense.  SSU returned to NCAA Division II in 2019 after leaving the division in 1999.  SSU's 5-0 record was its best since 1998, but it was unable to compete in the SIAC Championship due to its move to D2 from D1.  SSU was tabbed league-favorite in 2021 in the SIAC East Division Preseason Poll, while D'Angelo Durham was named Preseason SIAC Offensive Player of the Year.  Durham tallied 1,029 rushing yards on 192 attempts for second in the league in rushing yards and led the SIAC in touchdowns with 12 in 2019.  As a team, the Tigers tallied a new school-record for rushing yards in 2019 (2,603).  Savannah State finished second in the league in scoring offense and was second in rushing offense.  The Tigers were 12th nationally in rushing offense.  SSU had four players earn preseason first team all-league honors, while having four more named to the second team, including Durham.  DL Cam Brown was named to the 2021 Black College Football Hall of Fame Watch List.  Brown helped lead SSU to the top rushing defense in the SIAC and the top scoring defense in 2019.  SSU also was the No. 19 rushing defense nationally that season.     
 
DURHAM UNDER CENTER
Just as Savannah State has a Durham, the Blazers do, too, as junior quarterback Ivory Durham takes the reins of the program in 2021 at quarterback.  Durham, who has played in 25 games for the Blazers and completed 39 of 70 passes for 609 yards, ten touchdown passes and two interceptions for his career.  Durham, has 82 rushes for 769 yards and nine rushing touchdowns, while he has two punt returns for 25 yards.  Blazer fans won't soon forget Durham, as a freshman in 2018, had an electrifying 53-yard scamper to end of the first half in the Gulf South Conference championship game against West Georgia in the regular season finale.  The TD gave VSU a 34-21 lead at intermission as VSU went on for a 47-31 victory and won the program's fourth national championship, 49-47 over Ferris State for a perfect 14-0 record.  Durham has worked very for the opportunity to be the starter for the Blazers this season.
 
OVER 1,000-YARD RUSHERS X2
Not every team has one 1,000-yard rusher entering their junior season, let alone two.  The Blazers have an outstanding two-headed running attack with Thompkins and McGill.  McGill has played in 25 games and rushed 240 times for 1,395 yards and 23 touchdowns for his career as he is a two-time all-conference selection and named to the prestigious GSC All-Decade Team as an all-purpose back in 2020.  Not to be outdone, Thompkins has rushed for 2,279 yards on 261 carries and 20 rushing touchdowns for his career in 25 games with 22 starts.  He has 27 catches for 237 yards and two scores, while he has returned seven kicks for 207 yards.  Thompkins rushed for 1,329 yards in 2018 as a freshman earning GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year honors and honorable mention All-America.  His 1,379 yards rushing was good for fourth all-time in VSU history for a single season.  He also was named to the GSC All-Decade Team earning honorable mention accolades.  Thompkins is eighth in school history in career rushing yards (2,279) and ninth in rushing touchdowns (20).  
 
LAST TIME COMING OFF A LOSS
Prior to the NCAA second round game against West Florida on Nov. 30, 2019, the Blazers had won a GSC-record 25-straight games dating back to 2017.  Saturday's game marks the first time VSU is coming off a loss since Nov. 4, 2017, in a 38-14 setback against West Alabama on Homecoming.  Following that game, VSU began the 25-game winning streak with a 52-0 victory at Shorter the following week to end the season.  VSU has won its three games following a loss - all in 2017.
 
NO SHUTOUTS
The Blazers lead all of NCAA Division II with 339 consecutive games without being shutout dating back to a 12-0 loss to Central Florida on Sept. 14, 1991.  VSU only has been shutout five times in program history. 
 
A HISTORY OF SUCCESS
The Blazers have had an outstanding 38 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 304-127-4 record (.701) behind Grand Valley State (406-143-3) with a .738 clip.  VSU went 88-27 from 2010-2019 for a .765 average which is good for eighth in NCAA Division II for the decade.
 
GUYS WHO CAN CATCH
Along with a pair of outstanding running backs, the Blazers have a number of returning veterans at receiver.  Saunds returns for a final season as he has played in 34 games with 25 starts.  He has 114 receptions for 1,782 yards and 21 touchdown catches.  Saunds has 2,354 all-purpose yards with 40 punt returns for 466 yards.  He earned D2CCA All-Region honors in 2019 and both Academic All-GSC and Academic All-District.  Saunds recorded a school-record 246 yards receiving against Florida Tech (10/19/19).  Senior Lio'undre Gallimore returns with 30 games played and 25 starts.  He has 87 catches for 1,685 yards and has hauled in 16 touchdowns.  He was named first team all-conference in 2018 and second team all-league in 2019.  Gallimore has five games over 100 receiving yards and a career-high 194 yards against Delta State in 2018.   McGill finished third on the team in 2019 in receptions with 24 and Thompkins was fifth with 21 receptions.  
 
WHAT'S RETURNING
The Blazers return over 68 percent of its rushing attack from 2019 with 1,957 yards returning of 2,862, while the team returns 74 percent of its rushing touchdowns (26 of 35) and 70 percent of rushing attempts (295 of 421).  VSU also returns above 50 percent in the receiving game with 69 percent of receptions (160 of 232), 74 percent of receiving yards (2,133 of 2,881) and 55 percent of points scored (234 of 428).  The team returns 38.4 percent of its total offense from 2019 (2,211 of 5,743), but 72 percent of all-purpose yards (4,875 of 6,784).  With COVID and not playing last season, the defensive side was hit harder with just 36.6 percent of total tackles returning (267 of 702), 44.6 percent in tackles for loss (29 of 65) and 48.3 percent of sacks (14 of 29) return.
 
A VICTORY OVER SAVANNAH STATE WOULD  . . .

 
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
The Blazers finished second nationally in third down conversion percentage at a .528 clip, converting 67 of 127 on the pivotal down.  VSU finished fourht nationally in completion percentage at a .701 clip on 232 of 331 passing with five interceptions.  The Blazers' five picks thrown was good for the ninth fewest in the nation.  VSU finished 11th nationally in rushing offense at 260.2 yards per game, while the team allowed just eight sacks for the season for a 0.73 clip per game and fifth nationally.  VSU was 20th nationally in scoring offense at 38.9 points per game, while it was sixth nationally in tackles for loss allowed at 4.09 per game and just 45 for the season.  The Blazers were 12th nationally in passing efficiency (162.12), while the team was third nationally in total offense at 522.1 yards per game.  It marked the third season in school history of over 500 yards of total offense and the second-straight as the 523.9 yards per game in 2018 was a school-record. Individually, among returners, Thompkins finished third nationally in rush yards per carry at a 7.66 clip, while McGill finished 22nd nationally in rushing touchdowns with 13.  Saunds finished 23rd nationally in punt returns at 9.9 per return.  
 
NEW FACES ON THE SIDELINES 
Blazer head football coach Gary Goff welcomed a number of new coaches this season as former Blazer Thomas Reese joined the team as an assistant coach for running backs and special teams.  Reese came to VSU from Mars Hill College and also coached at Valdosta High School and for the Blazers for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.  A pair of new coordinators are in their first season in Titletown as Jason Semore is the defensive coordinator.  Semore came to VSU from Georgia Tech after two years there.  He also had stops at Temple and Montana, along with Colorado School of Mines, Oklahoma State and two years at Tulsa as an outside linebackers coach.  Phillip Ely is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.  Ely came to VSU from Western Carolina as quarterback coach.  Prior to that, Ely served under Goff at Tiffin and worked at Iowa State as a graduate assistant.  Ely was a standout quarterback at Toledo after beginning his playing career at Alabama and backup to A.J. McCarron for two seasons.  Graduate assistants Dwight Jackson, Genard Sims and former Blazer standout offensive lineman Jeremy King also are in their first year on staff.
 
TOUGH ON "D"
The Blazers return defensively a number of key players for 2021, including Roberts who led the team with 61 total tackles.  He had a team-high four interceptions for the season and two tackles for loss.  Senior Mondrell Jefferson also returns with 55 tackles and three TFLs.  Williams finished with 24 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks returns, along with senior Arrington Dulin who tallied 23 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks.  Senior Nick Moss returns after a injury sidelined him for all but three games in 2019.  Junior Jameon Gaskin also returns to the defensive side of the ball as he recorded 19 tackles in 2019 after a standout freshman campaign in 2018.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Following the game against Savannah State, VSU makes its first road trip of the season to Richmond, Va., to face Virginia Union on Sept. 11.  VUU was picked fifth in the CIAA and fourth in the North Division.  The Panthers are receiving votes in the AFCA Preseason Top 25 after going 7-3 in 2019.  Following that game, VSU returns home to host Albany State on Sept. 18, before a bye week to close out the month of September.