TIGERVILLE, S.C. – Behind a 44-9 second half, the Valdosta State football team snapped a four-game skid with a thrilling 58-37 victory at North Greenville Saturday afternoon.  The Blazers improved to 4-5 on the year and 2-4 in Gulf South Conference play, while North Greenville fell to 3-6 overall and 2-4 in GSC play.
 
After a 28-14 deficit at halftime, the Blazers came out firing in the second half and scored 22 points in both the third and fourth quarters behind standout defensive play and the offense began to get on track in the second half.  VSU finished with 534 yards of offense, including 226 yards on the ground and 308 passing.  Senior Jamar Thompkins finished with 21 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown, while senior Seth McGill had 19 carries for 96 yards and a score.  Senior Ivory Durham finished 17 of 27 passing for 258 yards and four touchdowns, while graduate student Victor Talley had six catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns.  Thompkins is just 126 yards from tying the school-record of 4,115 career rushing yards set by former Blazer standout Cedric O'Neal (2012-2015).
 
After some tough weeks on the defensive end recently, the Blazers recorded a season-high four sacks for 15 yards, including two by senior Brian Rattery as VSU entered with just three sacks on the season.  It marked the first sack(s) since Sept. 17 at Miles College.  Senior Jackson Bull and freshman Terrell Dudley each had a team-high eight tackles.  Graduate student Michael Gayden finished with four tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss for five yards, one sack for three yards, one interception and one hurry.  He, along with Tally were named the Guardian Bank Blazer Players of the Game.  The Blazers finished with ten tackles for loss for 35 yards in the game.
 
NGU, who was celebrating its Homecoming, finished with 423 yards of offense on 99 yards on the ground and 324 through the air.  It marked the first time this season VSU has held an opponent under 100 yards on the ground.  Quarterback Dylan Ramirez was 25 of 40 for 324 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while running back Corey Watkins had 19 carries for 92 yards and a score.  NGU had two players go for 100 yards receiving as Demetris McKelvey had four receptions for 107 yards and Tyler Hamilton had ten catches for 100 yards and a score.  Three different Crusaders each had ten tackles.
 
VSU improved to 4-0 all-time against NGU and is the fourth time the two teams have played on Homecoming for one or the other. 
   
Gayden sacked Ramirez for the first sack for the Blazers since Sept. 17 at Miles College on NGU's first possession after a Blazer opening punt.  VSU forced the punt and garnered a bit of momentum, but a fumble was recovered by the Crusaders at the VSU 45.
 
Ramirez hit Quentin Sanders for 13 and then, on third and ten with a bad snap, the Blazers were called offside nullifying the big loss.  Ramirez hit Tyler Hamilton for 25 yards to the VSU 2 and then Ramirez called his own number for a 7-0 lead at the 6:08 mark in the first quarter.
 
Following a VSU punt by sophomore Estin Thiele to the NGU 9, the Blazer "D" dug deep and forced the Crusaders to punt as Talley, who was just inserted onto special teams, blocked the punt and sophomore Council Allen recovered in the end zone for a 7-7 score.  It marked the second punt blocked by the Blazers for a touchdown this season and the fourth blocked kick overall. 
 
Third down plagued the Blazers once again, as Ramirez hit Demetris McKelvey for 65-yards on a 3^rd and 10 from the NGU 19 and then Ramirez found Sanders for a 19-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds left in the opening quarter. 
 
The offense continued to struggle early in the second quarter for the Blazers as they went three-and-out early in the second quarter.  NGU pushed the lead to 21-7 with a five play, 57-yard drive with rushes from Watkins for 25 yards and a 28-yard touchdown pass to AJ Tolbert with 13:08 left in the half. 
 
Later in the quarter, VSU forced the Crusaders into their fourth punt of the half, but Myles Prosser pinned the Blazers at the one with just under four minutes left in the half.  Thompkins got a first down on third and 4 from the seven to get out the shadow of the end zone.  Durham hit Allen for 12 yards and then found a streaking graduate student B.K. Smith for an 88-yard touchdown pass and a 21-14 deficit with 1:32 left in the half.  It was the longest pass play from scrimmage this season for VSU as Durham had a 75-yard strike to Allen at Miles College earlier in the season.
 
NGU would answer, however, with just over a minute left in the half moved to the VSU 39 on a couple of passes by Ramirez and, with 46 seconds left, Watkins went 39 yards for a touchdown and a 28-14 lead.  Senior Seth McGill had a nice return and the Blazers were benefitted from an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on NGU as they began in NGU territory at the 47.  On a 4^th and 6 from the NGU 45, Durham rushed to the 37 for a first down and a timeout with four seconds left.  Thiele came out for a 54-yard field goal attempt as NGU called two timeouts to ice him.  Thiele's kick was blocked to end the half.  
 
The Blazers forced NGU into a punt on the first drive of the second half.  On the Blazers' first drive, McGill used two long runs to get to the NGU 6 and Durham hit Talley for a rainbow pass in the back of the end zone and a 28-21 deficit with 11:02 left in the third.  A good stop defensively for a three-and-out by the Blazers brought the contingent of Blazer fans to their feet and senior Travon Roberts had a good return on the punt to the VSU 46.  On a rollout on 2^nd and 7, Durham hit Thompkins for a large gain down to the NGU 15.  Durham hit Allen, who was covered well, in the end zone as VSU tied the game at 28-28 with 7:43 left in the third quarter. 
 
VSU was called for a chop block and on a 4^th down, from its own ten, had a false start.  Punting from the five following the infraction, Blazer punter John Miller was tackled in the end zone for a safety.  Thiele then put one of the best kicks of the season from the Blazer 20 to NGU's two on the free kick.  Following a three-and-out, the Blazers took over at the NGU 35.  Tally had a good reception and then Thompkins scored on the ground.  The Blazers decided to go for two as freshman Ted Hurst caught the conversion on a tipped ball for a 36-30 lead. 
 
The Crusaders came right back as McKelvey caught a 20-yarder on 3^rd and 8, while a pass interference penalty on the Blazers and a 26-yard pass to Tyler Hamilton set the Crusaders up inside the 10.  Ramirez then hit Hamilton for a seven-yard touchdown pass for a 37-36 lead on third down with 36 seconds left in the third.
 
Durham picked up the Blazers' fourth third down conversion on a run and then he threw a 20-yard touchdown strike to Roberts as VSU, once again, went two for two with a conversion to Allen and a 44-37 lead and 13:05 left in the game. 
 
Ramirez was pressured and threw an interception to Gayden at the VSU 48 for the first turnover of the game for the Blazers with 12:24 left.  On second down from the 50, Durham pitched to McGill who threw a 50-yard touchdown strike to a wide-open Talley for a 51-37 lead with 11:36 left.  It was the second halfback toss and pass for McGill for a touchdown this season as he also threw one at Delta State earlier this season.
 
A great hit in the backfield by senior Jackson Bull, as he had been one of the catalysts on defense all game long, for a loss of yards and then the second sack of the game, this time by graduate Isaiah Curry, forced NGU to punt as Roberts returned the boot to the VSU 44 with 9:58 left in the game.
 
NGU got a stop trailing by 14 with 6:50 left in the game, but a roughing the kicker penalty gave the Blazers a first down at the NGU 24.  McGill converted a 3^rd and 9 to the NGU eight with under five minutes remaining.  McGill bounced to the outside for a score and a 58-37 lead with 4:24 left as the Blazers began to feel it.
 
The Blazers return home to host West Florida on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.  VSU will honor its inaugural football team from 1982, celebrating 40 years of Blazer football and recognize the first three campaigns under the direction of first Blazer football coach Jim Goodman.