CLINTON, Miss. – The Valdosta State football race out to a 21-3 lead at halftime and went on for a 21-10 victory at Mississippi College Saturday afternoon as the Blazers improved to 6-1 on the year and 3-1 in Gulf South Conference play.
The Blazers tallied 383 yards for the game on 185 yards passing from junior
Sammy Edwards, while the team scored three rushing touchdowns and tallied 198 yards on the ground. VSU held the high-powered MC rushing attack to 191 yards on the ground and 161 through the air. Edwards finished 24 of 29 passing with no interceptions, while he had four carries for 16 yards and a rushing touchdown. Junior
G'Mone Wilson had 14 carries for 114 yards and a score, while junior
Eric Watts had ten carries for 79 yards and a score.
MC entered averaging 221.6 yards on the ground per game for 17
th nationally and second in the GSC, while the Choctaw "D" entered tenth nationally and allowing just 141.6 yards through the air per game to lead the league.
Defensively, graduate student
Kyle Cass tallied a key interception return for 38 yards and had a fumble recovery in the end zone on the first defensive possession of the game for the Blazers. Fellow graduate student
Caleb Sutherland finished with eight solo tackles to lead the team.
For the sixth time in seven games, VSU scored on its opening possession of the game as VSU moved methodically down the field courtesy of quality runs from Wilson. On 4
th and 1 from the MC 41, VSU converted its first fourth down the season with a 37-yard scamper to the MC four and then Wilson scored with a rush up the gut and a 7-0 lead with 10:40 left in the quarter.
MC looked as if it were going to answer as talented running back Marcus Williams used a 34-yard run to the VSU five. Ron Craten then tried to score on the ground, but coughed it up at the goal line on a play that was reviewed as Cass came up with the ball in the end zone for the turnover. MC challenged the ruling on the field, but the ruling of a fumble stood.
Following punts by both teams, VSU was driving to open the second quarter and used a nice pass from Edwards to Wilson for 13-yards and then Wilson rattled off 12 yards on the ground to the MC 14. On 3
rd and seven from the 11, Edwards rolled out and found the end zone for a 14-0 lead with 11:39 left in the half.
MC looked as if it had another good drive going, but Cass came up with a 38-yard interception return at the VSU 16 to turn away the Choctaws, once again in the red zone. With all the momentum, VSU needed just one play as junior
Eric Watts went 46-yards for a score and a 21-0 lead with 6:03 left in the half. The Choctaws then moved down the field to the VSU 22, but sophomore
DeVon Reaves came up with a big stop on 3
rd and 3 to force a fourth down. Ben Pledger put the Choctaws on the board with a 40-yard field goal as VSU headed to the locker room with a 21-3 lead.
MC had to punt on its opening possession of the second half, while VSU was turned away on downs at the MC 11 on its first drive of the half. MC then went for it, once again, on a 4
th and 1 from its 33, but VSU stood tall forcing the turnover on downs. With a short field and looking for the knockout blow, VSU moved to the MC seven. Junior receiver
Council Allen was stripped by MC's Zach Hammann and recovered by David Brown IV at the MC six.
The Choctaws (2-4, 1-3 GSC) then put together their bests drive of the game, going 94-yards highlighted by a 47-yard run for a touchdown from Veontai Williams and a 21-10 VSU lead with 1:06 left in the third quarter. Both teams punted to open the fourth and MC went for it on its next drive getting to the VSU 44, but Davis' pass went incomplete turning the ball over on downs again with 6:39 to play.
VSU put together a drive down to the MC 26, but junior
Estin Thiele was wide right on a 43-yard field goal a MC took over with 2:23 to play. On a 2
nd and 15 from the VSU 34 on MC's final drive, Blazer junior
Andrew Farley came up with a big sack on Davis. After a pass of eight yards, on 4
th and 13 from the VSU 32, Davis' pass went incomplete with 33 seconds left. VSU took a knee to end the game.
The Blazers avenged a 49-40 loss to MC last season with the win and improved to 13-9-1 all-time against the Choctaws and now are 6-0-1 in Clinton, Miss., the last seven meetings. Saturday, VSU held MC to 1 of 4 on fourth down, while VSU was 1 of 2 on fourth down. The Blazers were 5 of 11 on third down, while MC was 8 of 18 on third down. The Blazers held a 31:02 to 28:58 lead in possession time.
For the Choctaws, Davis was 15 of 30 passing for 161 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while M. Williams had 24 carries for 132 yards. V. Williams had three catches for 80 yards and touchdown.
The Blazers return home for Homecoming 2023 on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. versus Shorter at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
