VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State football team downed visiting Shorter University 42-14 on Homecoming Saturday afternoon to improve to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Gulf South Conference play.  Shorter fell to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in league play.
 
Behind a total of 445 yards of offense, the Blazers gave up a first drive touchdown to the Hawks, then settled down and outscored Shorter 42-7 the rest of the way.  VSU finished with 275 yards passing from junior Sammy Edwards on 30 of 45 passing, while the team rushed for 170 yards. Edwards tossed three touchdown passes and ran for one.  Valdosta native junior Travis Tisdale led the team with five carries for 61 yards, while he had one reception for four yards and a touchdown.  Edwards had completions to 11 different receivers.  
 
VSU improved to 35-6 all-time on Homecoming and 2-0 all-time against Shorter on Homecoming.
 
The Blazer defense held Shorter to 341 yards of offense for the game with 183 yards on the ground and 158 through the air and 20 first downs.  Blazer graduate student Jacob Harris had a team-high eight total tackles with four solo stops.  Neither team had a turnover in the game, while sophomore Emmanuel Cannon had the lone sack for the Blazers for ten yards.  VSU went 7 of 11 on third down for the game, 2 of 2 on fourth down, while holding Shorter to 3 of 9 on third down.  
 
VSU won the toss and deferred as Shorter moved right down the field with a number of quarterback scrambles from Joshua Brown.  SU completed a 4^th and one at the VSU 37 and then scored on a one-yard run by Lanear McCrary, Jr., for an early 7-0 lead.  
 
The Blazers moved into Shorter territory converting a fourth and one with a seven-yard pass to junior Council Allen.  Then, on a 3^rd and 10 from the SU 39, Edwards hit graduate student B.K Smith for 12 yards and a first down at the 27.  Edwards called his own number from nine yards out for a 7-7 score with 2:44 left in the first quarter.  It marked the seventh-straight game VSU has scored a touchdown on its opening possession of the game.   The fourth down conversion also was the second of the season for the Blazers with the first coming on a touchdown run to open the game last week at Mississippi College.  VSU finished the game 2 of 2 on fourth down.
 
Shorter had another good drive offensively moving into the second quarter and had 124 yards of offense for the first quarter, while VSU had 75.  The Hawks had 86 yards rushing in the quarter and 38 through the air, while VSU had 20 yards rushing and 55 through the air.  Edwards began the game 7 of 9 with a rushing touchdown, while Brown was 4 of 5.  Following the first quarter, Shorter amassed 217 yards of offense the rest of the game.
 
The Hawks had a third and five from the VSU seven, but the Blazers came up with the stop as SU had to go for the field goal.  A great Blazers rush made SU field goal keeper Tyler Simpson push the ball wide. with 12:39 left in the half.  
 
On a 3^rd and ten for the Blazers from the 20, Edwards rolled out and hit graduate student Xavier Williams for ten yards and enough to move the chains.  Smith then had a huge catch and run for 40 yards down to the Shorter 28.  Edwards, on a 3^rd and 4, hit Allen over the middle for a 1^st and goal at the five.  Sophomore Isaiah Flowers went up the middle for the touchdown and a 14-7 lead with 8:58 left in the half.  VSU began the game 3 of 4 on third down, while Shorter was 1 of 3.  
 
The teams then traded punts and then VSU came up with another defensive stop with 2:13 to play in the half.  Edwards scampered for 15 yards and Flowers rushed for 13.  On a 3^rd and 17, Edwards rolled out and rushed for 24 yards, then threaded the needle to Smith for a 5-yard touchdown strike with 19 seconds left in the half and a 21-7 lead.  
 
For the half, VSU tallied 243 yards on 78 yards on the ground and 165 through the air.  Edwards was 16 of 23 passing for 165 yards, one touchdown and he rushed for one score.  The Blazers were 6 of 8 on third down in the half and 1 of 1 on fourth down.  Edwards had a team-high 42 yards on the ground, while Williams had four catches for 41 yards.  
 
SU had 96 yards on the ground, while it had 59 through the air for 155 yards.  Justus Durrant had a team-high 58 yards on the ground, while Brown was 7 of 8 passing.  The Hawks were 1 of 5 on third down for the half, while VSU held a 13-11 lead in first downs.
 
At halftime, the 2024 VSU Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Class was announced.  The 2024 Class includes; Shelby Altman (Softball, 2013-2014), Leo Blay (Men's Tennis, 2015-17), Michael Doscher (Coach, 1996-2020), Skip Fite (Baseball, 1976-1977), Mike Leach (Coach, 1992-1996), Kenny Moore II (Football, 2013-2016), Cedric O'Neal (Football, 2012-2015), Holly Satterfield (Softball, 2009-2011) and Dr. Cheri and Hamilton Tillman (Supporter, 1995-Present).  In addition, Director of Athletics Herb Reinhard also will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.  Reinhard, who has been the AD at VSU for over 32 years, announced his retirement in August for June, 2024.  
 
Tickets are on sale now for the 2024 VSU Athletic Hall of Fame.  Please click here to purchase tickets for the brunch on Jan. 20, 2024. 
 
The Blazers, with the score at the end of the half, received the ball in the second half, but were unable to score as they had to punt.  Shorter moved into VSU territory on the ensuing possession.  On a second and nine from the VSU 31, Durrant went up the middle for a touchdown, pulling the Hawks within 21-14 with 8:11 left in the third quarter.
 
From there, VSU outscored SU 21-0 the rest of the way.  On a third down, sophomore tight end Harrison Hamsley picked up a big first down to continue the drive.  VSU then moved into Shorter territory as Edwards hit Smith to the SU 28 for a first down.  Out of a timeout, Edwards found Smith for his second touchdown of the game and a 28-14 lead with 2:52 left in the third quarter.  
 
VSU came up with a huge defensive stop with a huge sack at the SU 33 by Cannon forcing the Hawks to punt heading into the fourth quarter.  Tisdale, broke off a huge gain on the ground to the SU 14 for 43 yards.  He then ran for ten more to the SU 4.  Edwards hit Tisdale for a touchdown for Edwards' third passing score of the game and a 35-14 lead with 13:35 to play.  Tisdale accounted for 57 yards on the drive.  
 
Following a punt by the Hawks, VSU moved to the one and, on 4^th and goal, sophomore Bud Chaney scored for a 42-14 lead with 1:28 left in the game. 
 
For the Hawks, Durrant finished with 17 carries for 129 yards and a score, while Brown was 16 of 18 passing for 158 yards.  Devonn Lane had a team-high 14 tackles, while Marc Harris added 11 tackles with seven solo stops.
 
The Blazers return to the road for two weeks, beginning next Saturday at 5 p.m. ET at West Florida.