VALDOSTA, Ga. – The final Peach Basket Game was a memorable one and had a little bit of everything with big special teams plays as the No. 17 Valdosta State football team silenced West Georgia in the final meeting between the two teams Saturday evening with a 58-28 Blazer victory.  VSU won a share of its tenth Gulf South Conference title, marking the second-most all-time in league history.
 
The Blazers (10-1, 7-1 GSC) share the league title with Delta State (9-1, 7-1 GSC) who defeated Mississippi College Saturday afternoon and the ten titles by the Blazers are the most among current GSC schools.  VSU entered the year tied for second all-time in GSC history in league titles with former member Jacksonville State behind North Alabama's league-most 13 titles.  Delta State is tied with JSU for second all-time with nine titles.  In addition, the ten Blazer victories this season, under second-year head coach Tremaine Jackson, marks the 13^thtime in the 41-year history of the program of achieving double-digit victories in a season.  
 
The 2023 NCAA Division II Football Selection Show is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m. ET and broadcast on NCAA.com.  Click here for the NCAA Division II football page for the link to the show tomorrow evening.
 
For the game, VSU amassed 520 yards of offense and arguably played its most complete game of the season against the Wolves (6-4, 5-3 GSC).  The Blazers had 29 carries on the ground for 137 yards as the team found the running game again after sub-100-yard games each of the past two weeks.  The 520 yards of total offense was the most since 542 yards against Keiser (Sept. 16).  VSU also had 30 first downs for the second-most this season behind 31 first downs against Point (Sept. 2) in the season-opener.  
 
The Blazer "D" held UWG to 390 yards for the game, marking the eighth time of allowing a team under 400 yards of offense and just 19 first downs.  The Blazers also picked off the Wolves three times, including a pick-six for the final score of the game, and two fumble recoveries.  
 
West Georgia announced earlier in the fall its move to NCAA Division I next season.
 
Prior to the game, VSU honored sixteen seniors playing in their final regular season game in a Blazer uniform as the 2023 senior class included; B.K. Smith, Caleb Sutherland, Trey Trawick, Eric Ross, Kyle Cass, Jacob Harris, Justin Jeffery, Nick Jackson, Ryan Nixon, Rayne Tanega-Doster, Estin Thiele, Austin McKay, Andrew Farley, Devin Hannan, Jalen Norwood and Jerson Jacques.  Best of luck to each of them in their future endeavors.  
 
Blazer junior quarterback Sammy Edwards was 28 of 42 passing for 383 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while he had six carries for 42 yards.  Sophomore running back Bud Chaney finished with 14 carries for 56 yards and two rushing scores, while he also had one reception for 39 yards.  B.K. Smith had five carries for 88 yards and reigning GSC Freshman of the Week Rodney Bullard had seven receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown.  Thiele went a season-best 3 for 3 in field goals and 7 of 7 in extra-points for 16 points as he surpassed former Blazer standout running back Seth McGill for sixth all-time in school history in scoring with 280 career points.  
 
Defensively, Harris finished with 14 tackles and one tackle for a loss, while three different Blazers had interceptions, including a pick-six from junior Akil Lampley as he returned it 33-yards for a score in the fourth quarter.  It was the first pick-six for VSU since former Blazer Taurus Dotson returned one 47-yards at West Alabama on Oct. 16, 2021.  
 
UWG won the toss as the fireworks began from the get go with graduate student Xavier Williams and junior Kam Scott returning the opening kick for a touchdown on a lateral, but was called back for an illegal block in the back.  The Blazers moved down field with a big pass to Bullard for 12 yards and then Edwards used his feet for 31 yards on a second and ten to the UWG 24.  VSU's drive stalled as it settled for a field goal and a 3-0 lead on a 34-yarder from Thiele with 10:04 left in the quarter.  
 
The Blazer "D" came up big on UWG's initial drive, forcing a three-and-out as the Blazers took over at their own 25 with 9:03 left in the first quarter.  Graduate student Kennedy Parker came up with a big tackle in the backfield and, on third and four, Bennington Whitlock's pass went incomplete forcing the punt from Reilly Mason of 44 yards. 
 
On the ensuing drive, a huge flip throw to Chaney went for 39 yards and B.K. Smith caught a 13-yard pass and an 18-yard pass, setting up Chaney, who then scored on the ground for an early 10-0 lead with 6:33 left in the quarter.  It was Chaney's eighth touchdown of the season as he finished with nine.  
 
A big run from UWG's Wesley Kennedy got the Wolves' first, first down for 27 yards and then Whitlock hit T.J. Lockley for 15 yards and a first down at the VSU 48.  UWG had a third and four at the VSU 27 and VSU came up with its first INT of the game, but a pass interference penalty on the Blazers gave UWG a first down negating the pick for a first and ten at the VSU 12.  VSU wouldn't be denied, however, as UWG had a third and seven from the VSU 9 and Whitlock's pass was picked off in the end zone by redshirt sophomore Jordan Billups.  
 
Edwards hit junior Council Allen for a huge 39-yard pass to the UWG 23 to end the quarter.  Thiele kicked a 30-yard field goal for a 13-0 lead with 14:47 left in the half.  The Blazers put up a strong opening quarter setting the tone early with 189 yards on 22 plays, while UWG had 11 plays for 58 yards.   
 
Early in the second quarter, the Blazers used a nice pass from Edwards to sophomore Ted Hurst for 15 yards and then Edwards rushed for eight more and hit junior Eric Watts for 18.  The Blazers called the fade route in the end zone for 29 yards to Bullard for a 20-0 lead with 9:42 left in the half.  
 
UWG had its first big play of the game as Whitlock connected with Terrill Cole for 48-yards to the VSU 13 with 6:45 left in the first half.  Valdosta native Rajaez Mosley was stonewalled twice for a third and goal from the one. Whitlock scored on the ground getting UWG on the board with 3:44 left in the half and a 20-7 score.
 
The Blazers offense was clicking, once again, but Edwards' pass was intercepted in the end zone by UWG's Jelen Lee with 2:01 left in the half as VSU went into intermission enjoying a 20-7 lead.
 
VSU finished the half with 320 yards on 35 plays, while UWG had 28 plays for 162 yards.  The Blazers held a 15-7 lead in first downs as Edwards was 14 of 21 passing for 230 yards, one touchdown and one interception.  Smith had three catches for 62 yards and Edwards had four carries for 53 yards.  Kennedy had seven carries for 39 yards and a touchdown for UWG, while Whitlock was 9 of 16 passing for 120 yards and one interception, while Cole had three catches for 65 yards.  
 
The third quarter featured high-octane offense by both teams with a combined 45 points for the frame.  UWG's Lockley coughed up the football on a huge hit from Billups and Nixon giving the ball back to the Blazers at the UWG 47 on the first drive of the second half.  Edwards hit Smith for 18 and then he used a flip throw, once again, this time to freshman Cameron Smith for a 22-yard touchdown and a 27-7 lead with 12:50 left in the third.  UWG came right back as Whitlock took a shot and connected with LaPerion Perry for 59 yards and then Wesley scored on the ground on the ensuing play for a 27-14 score with 10:39 left in the third. 
 
Edwards was sacked and fumbled on a scramble by Keondre Williams as UWG recovered at the VSU 23.  The Wolves used a pair of runs from Mosley to the two.  He then scored on the ground for a 27-21 score with 8:17 left in the third.  
 
The fireworks continued in the quarter and the Blazers took the momentum right back as Bullard took the kickoff 99-yards for a house call and a 34-21 score with 8:01 left in the third.  It was the first kick return for the Blazers since Oct. 9, 2021, when former Blazer Lio'undre Gallimore returned one 96-yards against Delta State.  It also was the longest kickoff return for a touchdown in the GSC this season and tied Billy Poole (Oct. 1, 1994, vs. West Alabama) for the second-longest in VSU history. 

The Wolves, once again, had the answer with an 18-yard pass to Zay Britt, an 11-yard run from Kennedy and a 19-yard touchdown pass to Steven Peterson for a 34-28 score with 6:34 left in the third quarter.  
 
VSU moved down to the 11, but stalled as Thiele kicked a 21-yard field goal for a 37-28 lead and his third made field goal of the game with 2:37 to play in the quarter.  VSU got a huge turnover on a muffed kick by the Wolves, setting up VSU at the UWG 20.  It was the third turnover of the game on the Wolves. Edwards hit Bullard for ten and then he connected with Watts in the end zone for a 44-28 lead and 1:31 left in the quarter.  
 
UWG moved to the VSU 24 for a third and three early in the fourth, but Harris came up with a huge tackle in the backfield on a busted play by the Wolves for a fourth and seven from the VSU 28.  The Wolves went for it, but Whitlock's pass was off target for a turnover on downs.  
 
The Blazers used a 12 play, 72-yard drive chewing 5:47 of the clock as Chaney scored from eight-yards out and a 51-28 lead with 6:09 left.  Two more interceptions came by the Blazer defense with the first being by Cass at the VSU 26 and then Lampley made the house call with 29 seconds left in the game for the final margin of 58-28.  
 
Whitlock finished 19 of 34 passing for 273 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, while Kennedy had 11 carries for 67 yards and two scores and Mosley finished with 14 carries for 50 yards and a score on the ground.  Cole had four catches for 74 yards.