VALDOSTA, Ga. – The No. 2-ranked Valdosta State football team dropped a 45-40 decision to Virginia Union Saturday evening at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.  VSU fell to 1-1 on the year, while VUU improved to 2-0.  
 
The Blazers had a hard time stopping the Panthers' running attack as VUU's Jada Byers had 29 carries for a blistering 283 yards and scored three touchdowns, while he caught three passes for 23 yards and a touchdown.  VUU rushed for 305 yards and tallied 391 total yards for the contest.  
 
VSU, however, out-gained the Panthers 518-391 as senior quarterback Ivory Durham was a career-high 34 of 56 passing for 323 yards and tossed a career-high five passing touchdowns.  His previous best of four passing scores came against Bowie State last season in the NCAA postseason.  Blazer senior running back Jamar Thompkins posted his second-straight game of over 100 yards on the ground with eight carries for 110 yards.  Graduate transfer B.K. Smith finished with eight receptions for 88 yards and three receiving scores.  
 
Defensively for the Blazers, reigning Gulf South Conference Defensive Player of the Week, senior linebacker Jameon Gaskin, finished with a team-high six tackles and assisted on a tackle for loss, while forcing a fumble.  VUU's Christian Reid had a game-high 14 tackles and seven solo stops and Shamar Graham added ten total tackles with seven solo stops for the Panthers.
 
Smith and Blazer sophomore defensive back Phillip Starks were named the Guardian Bank Blazer Players of the Game as Starks finished with five total tackles and two solo stops.  
 
In a wild game from start to finish that saw eight lead changes and 190 yards in penalties combined, the Blazers opened the scoring with two field goals in the first quarter from sophomore kicker Estin Thiele, who was named GSC Special Teams Player of the Week a week ago and D2Football.com National Special Teams Player of the Week, now is a perfect 7 for 7 in field goals this season with kicks Saturday from 36 and 42 yards for a 6-0 lead through one frame.  
 
Late in the first quarter, VUU recorded its first, first down of the game on a 17-yard run from Byers.  Continuing the drive, the Panthers moved to the VSU 6 and a stuffed run and incomplete pass in the end zone forced a third and goal.  Panther quarterback Jahkari Grant hit Byers on what looked like Byers had the ball knocked out of his hands before he broke the plane of the goal line, but the referee called it a touchdown for a 7-6 VUU lead early in the second quarter.  Grant finished the game 8 of 16 passing for 86 yards and the one score.  He also had two rushes for 29 yards.  
 
VSU held VUU to 4 of 11 on third down for the contest, while the Blazers were 8 of 16 on the pivotal down, but VSU was 0 of 5 on fourth down and VUU was 0 of 1 on 4^th down on the last play of the game.  The Blazers led 31-19 in first downs, while VSU was a perfect 5 for 5 in the red zone.  
 
The Blazers then responded with a great drive and highlighted by a catch and run for 31 yards from senior Travon Roberts followed by Durham hitting graduate student Victor Talley on a roll out for a 13-7 lead with 10:27 left in the half.  VUU scored on the ensuing possession with big chunk plays on the ground, including a 24-yard touchdown run from Curtis Allen for a 14-13 lead with 7:04 left in the half.  VSU then answered, once again, as Thompkins set the Blazers up with a big run to the VUU 30, before catching a 22-yard strike from Durham out of the backfield for a 20-14 lead with 5:19 remaining in the second quarter.  
 
The Panthers scored on a 10-yard run from Allen with 1:26 left in the half and then, following a turnover by the Blazers, VUU's Brady Myers hit a 39-yard field goal with 29 seconds left for a 24-20 lead at intermission.  
 
In the wild second quarter, VUU outscored the Blazers 24-14 for the stanza and had 21 carries for 201 yards for the half on the ground.  VSU had 276 yards of offense for the half, with 102 on the ground and 174 through the air. 
 
The Blazers turned the Panthers over as Allen coughed it up as VSU cashed in with a big run by senior Seth McGill and a touchdown strike to Smith for a 27-24 lead and 10:05 left in the third.  VUU then regained the lead later in the quarter with a 22-yard score from Byers he followed that with scores of 52 yards and 50 yards for a 45-27 VUU lead with 12:28 to play.  Those three scoring drives took a total of seven plays.  McGill finished with 11 carries for 64 yards.  
 
VSU made things interesting down the stretch, but ran out of time as Durham and Smith connected for the second time and a 45-33 deficit with 8:42 left.  VSU tried an onside kick and recovered, but was called for offsides after a failed two-point conversion attempt.  With 1:38 left Durham and Smith connected, once again, for a 22-yard strike pulling VSU within 45-40.  The Blazers again tried the onside kick and had a chance at it, but VUU recovered and ran out the clock.  
 
The Blazers now head on the road next Saturday at 7 p.m. ET at Miles College (0-2) in Birmingham, Ala.  Spencer Van Horn and Wade Beale will have the call of the game on Talk 92.1 WDDQ FM in Valdosta and fans can access links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at vstateblazers.com.