ROME, Ga. – The No. 13 Valdosta State football team rallied in the second half for a 34-30 victory at Shorter University Saturday afternoon in the Gulf South Conference opener for both teams.  The Blazers used a 31-13 second half to pull out the victory and stopped Shorter on a 4^th down at the VSU 12 with 41 seconds left in the contest to preserve the victory.
 
Trailing 17-3 at halftime, the Blazers (3-1, 1-0 GSC) responded outscoring the upset-minded Hawks in the second half, including a 21-6 third quarter.  VSU's offense came alive in the second half and the special team defense blocked field goal as senior Javiontae Martin got his hand on an attempt in the first half, and a pivotal blocked extra-point from sophomore Sean Coleman in the third quarter came up big, as VSU scored to regain the lead at 24-23 with 1:54 left in the third quarter.  VSU needed four plays for 75 yards, including a 63-yard catch and run for senior Travon Roberts setting up a Durham rush from six yards out for a score.
 
VSU added a field goal early in the fourth quarter, but the Hawks came right back for a touchdown and a 30-27 lead with ten minutes left.  McGill used a 48-yard scamper and then scored from 13-yards out for a 34-30 score with 7:41 left.
 
On the ensuing possession, the Hawks (2-2, 0-1 GSC) moved down the field converting a 4^th and 4 and a 3^rd and 7 to move to the VSU 19.  On 4^th and three from the VSU 12, SU quarterback Aeneas Dennis' pass sailed high over top receiver Dorian Anderson as VSU took over with 41 seconds left and ran out the clock to improve to 3-1 on the year and 1-0 in GSC play.  Anderson, Shorter's leading receiver entering the game, didn't have a reception in the contest.
 
For the game, VSU finished with 413 yards of total offense on 176 yards rushing and 237 yards passing.  VSU had just 12 yards of total offense after the first quarter on just six plays.  Reigning GSC Offensive Player of the Week, senior Ivory Durham, finished 17 of 30 passing for 237 yards and one interception, while he had six carries for 10 yards and two rushing scores.  Senior Seth McGill had a team-high 144 yards on the ground on 12 carries for a 12.0 average per carry and a touchdown. 
 
SU finished with 466 yards of offense on 235 yards on the ground for a 4.9 average, while Dennis was 15 of 27 passing with one interception for 231 yards and one touchdown.  Jaiden Dollard had 14 carries for 71 yards and two rushing touchdowns, while John Dietl III had four catches for 46 yards.
 
Defensively, senior Jameon Gaskin finished with a team-high 11 total tackles, while senior Michael Gayden added ten tackles. Redshirt freshman Jordan Billups came up with a huge 65-yard interception off a tip from Gaskin as VSU used the miscue to cash in with a 26-yard field goal from sophomore Estin Thiele for a 27-23 lead with 11:17 left in the game. 
 
After the game, Gaskin and McGill were named the Guardian Bank Blazer Players of the Game.  VSU improved to 10-0 all-time against Shorter and 5-0 all-time in Rome, Ga.  It also was the closest margin in series history with the previous being a 37-22 VSU victory in Rome on Oct. 22, 2015. 
 
Shorter came out on its opening possession of the game after a three-and-out by the Blazers as Thiele booted a 51-yard punt to the SU 10.  From there, SU moved right down the field, converting two third downs en route to a Dollard 26-yard run for a score and a 7-0 lead, on a ten play, 90-yard drive.
 
SU held the Blazers to another three-and-out and then the Hawks began at the 50 with a poor punt as the Hawks settled for a 41-yard field goal from Brett Bardenwerper early in the second.  Durham hit senior Victor Talley for 18 -yards and the first, first down of the game for the Blazers.
 
Following a punt by the Blazers, the Hawks went for it on fourth down with a fake punt, but didn't convert.  Later, Bardenwerper's 34-yard field goal was blocked with 4:10 left in the half by Martion, but  SU came up with the interception on the ensuing possession.  The Hawks, with a short field at the VSU 18, needed just three plays as Dollard scored from six yards out for a 17-0 lead with 1:18 left in the first half. 
 
VSU's offense began to come alive as VSU used its two-minute drill and moved down the field.  Graduate student B.K Smith looked as if he caught a touchdown in the corner of the end zone, but was called for going out of bounds and coming back in for illegal touching.  VSU settled for a field goal as the half expired, trailing 17-3.
 
For the half. VSU had just 126 yards of offense on 26 plays, including 119 passing yards and just six carries on the ground for seven yards.  SU had 103 yards passing and 118 rushing on 26 carries for the opening 30 minutes.
 
The Blazers came out with a renewed vigor in the second half, as it has trailed at halftime in three of the four games thus far this season. McGill began the half with a 44-yard scamper on the first play from scrimmage and had rushes of 6, 5, 8 and 4 yards as senior Jamar Thompkins scored from one yard out for a 17-10 score.
 
Following the Hawks not converting on fourth down on a fake punt attempt, VSU came right back pounding the ground game and Durham found graduate Davie Henderson for 24 yards through the air and sophomore Council Allen for six to the SU 12.  Durham then called his own number for a 12-yard run, tying the game at 17 with 5:43 left in the third. 
 
Dennis connected with Kyle Morlock for 31 yards on the first play of the ensuing possession and used a pair of big runs from Devin Brown (13) and Dennis (11).  Dennis then scored from one yard out for a 23-17 Hawk lead with the extra-point blocked by Coleman.
 
The Blazers continue on the road next week at Delta State with game time set next Saturday for 7 p.m.  Check back with vstateblazers.com for more information on the game throughout the week.