SETTING THE SCENE
The Valdosta State Blazers (3-5, 1-4 GSC) head to Tigerville, S.C., for the final road trip of the 2022 season.  The Blazers and the Crusaders of North Greenville University (3-5, 2-3 GSC) battle at Younts Stadium on Saturday at 3 p.m.  This is Homecoming for NGU, marking the fourth-straight playing season the teams have met on Homecoming for one of the teams.  Last season, VSU won 31-21 on Homecoming in Valdosta, while the Blazers won a 20-15, come-from-behind thriller in 2019 at Younts Stadium, spoiling NGU's Homecoming and VSU won in 2018 in Valdosta, 44-21 on VSU's Homecoming.  
 
SETTING THE GSC WEEKLY SCENE
VSU travels to North Greenville this week, while West Alabama travels to No. 9 West Florida for a 5 p.m. ET kick.  Shorter visits No. 24 West Georgia at 6 p.m., while No. 8 Delta State travels to Mississippi College.  DSU is the lone unbeaten team in the league at 8-0 overall and 5-0 in league play, while West Florida is 4-1 in conference play and 6-1 overall.  Both West Georgia and Mississippi College are 3-2 in conference play.  
 
FLOSPORTS
The Gulf South Conference enters its second year of a four-year agreement with FloSports to broadcast all GSC football games this fall.  ALL VSU football home regular season and road conference 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 THE GAME
TALK 92.1 FM will broadcast the Blazer games all season long with Spencer Van Horn and Wade Beale having the call.  Fans also can access the broadcast at www.talk921.com.  Links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more can be found on at vstateblazers.com on the football schedule page.     
 
LOOKING TO SNAP A SKID 
The Blazers enter the week on a four-game skid for just the third time in program history (1984 & 1990).  The Blazers have lost five-straight games twice in program history spanning the 1984-85 seasons and 1990-91 seasons.  
 
THOMPKINS MOVES TO SECOND ALL-TIME IN CAREER RUSHING
With the 74 yards on the ground last Saturday at then-No. 25 West Georgia, Blazer senior running back Jamar Thompkins moved into second all-time in career rushing yards with 3,880.  He is just 235 yards behind the Blazer all-time leader of 4,115 set by Cedric O'Neal from 2012-2015.  Thompkins' 3,880 yards also is good for fifth all-time in GSC history.  North Alabama's Tyrone Rush (1989, 91-93) leads the league record book with 4,421 career yards on 791 carries.  Thompkins is fifth all-time in school history in rushing touchdowns (33) and eighth in scoring with 36 total touchdowns and 216 points.   Moreover, Thompkins averages 7.8 yards per carry for the best mark in GSC history on 497 rushes.  This season, Thompkins is 14th nationally in rushing yards per carry at a 6.67 clip, while he is 62nd in rushing yard with 600 for the year to lead the team.
 
ALL-PURPOSE MCGILL
Along with Thompkins in the backfield, the Blazers also utilize senior Seth McGill who is second on the team in rushing with 567 yards and three rushing scores.  McGill also returns kicks this season for the Blazers as he is 11th nationally in all-purpose yards to lead the GSC at a 160.62 clip, while he is 42nd nationally and fourth in the GSC in kickoff returns at a 23.7 clip.  He is third nationally in combined kick returns with 641 total yards as he has 27 kick returns this season.  McGill is sixth in the GSC in rushing yards per game at a 70.9 clip, just behind Thompkins at fifth (75.0), while McGill's 567 yards good for seventh in the league.  For his career, McGill 3,218 career yards on 527 carries for fifth all-time in school history.  He is second all-time in team history in career rushing touchdowns (40) and sixth in career scoring with 43 total touchdowns for 258 points. 
 
ON THIS DATE
The Blazers are 3-4 all-time on Oct. 29 and have dropped their last two on this date, including a 36-20 setback at Florida Tech in 2016 and a 23-20 home loss to West Georgia in 2011.  VSU is 1-1 at home on this date and 2-3 on the road.    
 
GUARDIAN BANK PLAYERS OF THE GAME
This season each game a number of players will be selected as the Guardian Bank Players of the Game.  Below is the list of each Guardian Bank Players of the Game from each contest this season.  

 
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH NORTH GREENVILLE
The Blazers are 3-0 all-time against North Greenville and have outscored the Crusaders 95-57 in the three meetings, including a 31-21 win last season in Valdosta on Nov. 6 for Homecoming.  In 2019, the teams met in Tigerville on a cold and rainy day with former Blazer Rogan Wells scoring on a 4th and 2 from the NGU 40 for 40 yards with less than a minute remaining in the game for a 20-15 victory.  The Blazers trailed in the game for the first time all season and were held scoreless at halftime, trailing 9-0.  VSU downed NGU 44-21 in the first meeting between the two teams in 2018 in Valdosta also on Homecoming.  
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
The Blazers are 17th nationally in first down offense for second in the league with 186 first downs, while it is eighth nationally in red zone offense at a 0.917 clip for second in the league.  VSU is second nationally in sacks allowed at a 0.25 clip with just two sacks allowed all season.  VSU is 18th nationally in scoring offense at 35.5 points per game, while the team is 16th nationally in tackles for loss allowed at a 4.25 clip.  The Blazers are sixth nationally in total offense at 482.0 yards per game for second in the GSC.  Individually, sophomore kicker Estin Thiele is third nationally in field goals per game at a 1.62 clip.  He is 13 of 17 in field goals this season and 31 of 32 in extra-points for 70 points.  He is 23rd nationally in scoring at 8.8 points per game for fourth in the league.  Freshman Ted Hurst and senior B.K. Smith are tied for 45th nationally and fourth in the GSC in receiving touchdowns with five, while senior Victor Talley is eighth in the GSC with four receiving scores.  
 
DURHAM RANKS HIGH
Senior quarterback Ivory Durham is 11th nationally and tops in the GSC in passing touchdowns (20), 13th in passing yards to lead the league (2,126), while he is second in the GSC in passing yards per game (265.8) for 16th nationally and second in the conference in passing yards per completion at a 14.66 clip for 18th nationally.  Durham is tenth nationally in total offense at 314.1 yards per game to lead the GSC, while he is eighth nationally in points responsible for with 148 for tops in the league.  For his outstanding career, Durham has 2,164 rushing yards for tenth all-time in school history, while he is tied for sixth all-time in school history in rushing touchdowns (26).  Durham has 62 passing touchdowns for his career for 6,160 yards.  He is third all-time in GSC history in total offense with 8,321 yards.  
 
A VICTORY OVER NORTH GREENVILLE WOULD . . .