VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State football returned home from a three-game road trip and dropped a 34-31 decision to rival West Alabama Saturday evening.  With the loss, VSU fell to 3-3 on the year and 1-2 in Gulf South Conference play.  UWA improved to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in league play.
 
VSU finished with 399 yards of offense with 184 rushing and 215 passing as the team was 17 of 31 passing with two interceptions and two passing scores, along with one rushing touchdown.  UWA finished with 503 yards of offense with 327 on the ground and 176 through the air.  Blazer senior Jameon Gaskin finished with a team-high 11 tackles, while freshman Terrell Dudley added ten stops as VSU finished with 94 tackles in the game.
 
Blazer senior quarterback Ivory Durham finished 17 of 31 passing for 215 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while he finished with eight carries for 36 yards.  Senior Seth McGill had 15 carries for 69 yards, while recording two kick returns for 73 yards.  Senior Victor Talley had five catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.  UWA was led by 114 yards on the ground from Demetrius Battle and one touchdown on 17 carries, while Bry Webb finished with 98 yards on the ground and a score.  Quarterback Tucker Melton was 14 of 31 passing for 176 yards and two scores, while Darius Nalls had a team-high five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.
 
The Blazers came out with a great kickoff return to the 30 yard-line McGill and then he gained ten on the first play from scrimmage, followed by a great pass to Talley for 43 yards down to the UWA 17, just 1:11 into the contest.  Following a third down conversion, Durham hit freshman Ted Hurst on a slant pattern for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.  VSU went six plays for 70 yards in just 2:34 to start the game, marking a much better start to this game than a week ago. 
 
Following a three-and-out by the Tigers, sophomore Council Allen blocked the punt and freshman Akil Lampley recovered the block in the end zone for a 14-0 lead with 11 minutes left in the first quarter.  It was the first blocked punt returned for a touchdown by the Blazers since Jamar Thompkins returned a blocked punt 84 yards against Notre Dame College on Dec. 8, 2018, in the NCAA National Semifinals.  It also marked Allen's first block of his career and the third block of the season for the Blazers.  UWA came right back with a number of big runs from Webb and Melton.  Webb then scored on the ground from six yards out for a 14-7 Blazer lead with 9:15 left in the first quarter.
 
The Blazers had a great ensuing drive moving down to the UWA six, but Durham's pass was picked off in the end zone by Trevon Stanford for a touchback.  Following a missed field goal by the Blazers, UWA moved down to the VSU 24 on its next drive and had a 3^rd and 7 as the first quarter expired.  On the first play of the second quarter, Melton's pass went incomplete as the Tigers came out for a 46-yard field goal following a false start penalty and missed the kick wide right.  VSU went for a toss back to the Durham but his pass sailed high and was intercepted at the UWA 20 by De Mays for the second turnover on the Blazers in the game.  The Tigers hit a 41-yard field goal from Gabe Dunkle for a 14-10 deficit with 10:42 left in the first half. 
 
Following a punt by the Blazers, the Tigers used a great misdirection run by Melton for 43 yards to the VSU 17 with 5:24 left in the first half.   The Red and Black defense stood strong with a big tackle for loss from senior Michael Gayden as UWA settled for a field goal and a 14-13 VSU lead with 4:11 left in the second quarter.  The Blazers then methodically moved down field and were helped out with a pass interference penalty in the end zone on the Tigers with under two minutes left in the half.  On a 3^rd and 8 from the 11, Durham was chased out of the pocket for fourth down and Thiele hit a 28-yard field goal for a 17-13 lead with 1:29 left in the half.
 
The Tigers used a big pass to Nalls for 29 yards to the VSU 38 with 47 seconds left.  On a 3^rd and 10 from the VSU 22 with 16 seconds left in the half, Melton was bailed out with a pass interference penalty on the Blazers for a first and goal at the VSU 8.  Following an incomplete pass with eight seconds remaining, Melton hit Webb for a touchdown and a 20-17 UWA lead at intermission.  The deficit marked the fifth time this season the Blazers trailed at halftime, as UWA outscored the Blazers 13-3 for the second quarter.
 
For the half, the Blazers had 33 plays for 211 yards, while UWA had 50 plays for 321 yards.  Durham was 9 of 16 passing for 107 yards, two interceptions and one touchdown, while McGill had seven carries for 46 yards on the ground.  Webb had 14 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown for UWA, while Melton was 9 of 21 passing for 116 yards and a touchdown to Webb. 
 
VSU went three-and-out on its first drive of the half, but on a bad snap on the punt Thiele rushed 17 yards for a first down to keep the drive alive at the VSU 48.  With a 4th and 1 from the UWA 43, Durham drew the Tigers offsides for a first down via penalty and then hit a wide-open Talley in stride for 39 yards and a touchdown for a 24-20 VSU lead with 7:54 left in the third quarter.  It was Talley's third catch for 84 yards in the game to that point.
 
UWA followed with an eight play, 53-yard drive for a touchdown from Demetrius Battle for a 27-24 Tiger lead with 5:26 left in the third quarter.  Following a VSU punt, a 3^rd and 7 for UWA to begin the fourth quarter, Nalls came up with a ten-yard reception for a first down and the eighth third down conversion (8 of 14) of the game to that point, followed by a 26-yard run by Battle putting UWA at the VSU 30.  Melton then scampered for a first down and Antonio Brown rushed for 12 yards to the VSU seven.  On a third and goal from the six, Melton hit Nalls for a touchdown and a 34-24 Tiger lead. 
 
Late in the fourth following a missed field goal by VSU, the Tigers had more punting woes with a bad snap on the punt and VSU took over at the UWA 23 as McGill scored on the ground from 14-yards out for a 34-31 deficit with 2:51 remaining.  VSU was unable to get the onside kick as UWA took over at the VSU 46.  With no timeouts, VSU had one last shot defensively on a 4^th and 1 for UWA from the VSU 36 and Battle was unable to come up with the first down. 
 
The Blazers took over with 24 seconds remaining.  UWA's Jamal Ellis came up with just the second sack against VSU this season on first down and then Durham had a big run, followed by a number of laterals, but the Blazers were unable to get into the end zone as time expired.
 
VSU continues at home next week for Homecoming at 3 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium versus Mississippi College.