CLEVELAND, Miss. – Valdosta State graduate student B.K. Smith scored from 24-yards out with nine seconds to play, breaking a 31-31 tie for a thrilling 38-31 victory at No. 8 Delta State Saturday afternoon in the second round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs. 

The Blazers, ranked No. 14 in the latest American Football Coaches Association Top 25 poll, improved to 12-1 on the year under second-year head coach Tremaine Jackson and exacted a bit of revenge against the Statesmen, who finished 10-2 on the year as DSU won 49-25 in Valdosta in October. 
 
VSU, a No. 3-seed in the playoffs, now will host No. 4-seed Lenoir-Rhyne in Valdosta on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 1 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.  Tickets for Saturday's game will go on sale in the VSU Athletic Ticket Office on Monday, Nov. 27 at 9 a.m.  Fans can purchase tickets by going online or calling 229-333-SEAT (7328).  Season ticket holders will have until Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 5 p.m., to renew their season tickets before they are released to the public.  Lenoir-Rhyne won at top-seeded Benedict Saturday, 35-25.
 
Ticket prices for all VSU hosted NCAA playoff games will be $20 for reserved seats, $12 for adult general admission and $8 for senior citizens (65 and up) and youth (age 5 through college with student ID).  Additionally, your football ticket will get you free admission to the Blazer basketball doubleheaders on both Dec. 1 and Dec. 3, at The Complex. 
 
Delta State took its first lead of the game at 31-28 with 7:58 to play in the fourth quarter.  The Statesmen were gifted the ball deep in VSU territory on a fumble, but the Blazer "D" stood tall and forced the field goal from Nick Herber from 18-yards out.  The never-give-up Blazers came back as junior quarterback Sammy Edwards hit junior wide receiver Council Allen for 15-yards on a big third and five from the VSU 22.  Later in the drive, the Blazers dialed up some trickeration as Smith hit Allen for 28-yards on a critical third and eight from the VSU 49.  Graduate kicker Estin Thiele nailed a 46-yard field goal for a 31-31 score.
 
Once again, the Blazer defense made the stop when needed as it forced a three-and-out by the Statesmen stopping DSU on a second and one and a third and three on the drive.  DSU punter Parker Burleson had just a 26-yard punt to the DSU 47.  From there, with 43 seconds left, Edwards found redshirt freshman Rodney Bullard for12 yards and then 11 more for Bullard down to the DSU 24.  From there Edwards found Smith who put a hand on the ground to brace himself and then shook a tackle for the winning score with nine seconds to play.  It marked the second game this season VSU has won with a last-minute touchdown strike as VSU won at West Florida 31-28 with a 28-yard touchdown reception from sophomore Ted Hurst with 36 seconds remaining in that game.
 
For this game, the Blazer defense held DSU to just 327 yards of total offense and just 104 passing yards from quarterback Patrick Shegog, while Edwards went an impressive 34 of 46 passing for 347 yards and two touchdowns and he had 13 rushes for 50 yards and one rushing score.  Shegog was just 9 of 15 passing for 106 yards and one touchdown, while he had 15 rushes for 122 yards and one score.  Both Edwards and Shegog have been the top two quarterbacks in the GSC all-season.  Delta State ran for 417 yards and 529 total yards in the meeting in October so the Blazer defense held the high-powered DSU offense in check pretty much all game Saturday.
 
VSU held a 29-17 lead in first downs in the game and the Blazers amassed 477 yards on Saturday with 102 on the ground and 375 through the air.  The Blazers had 80 plays in the game to just 53 for the Statesmen, while VSU went 9 of 14 on third down and 2 of 3 on fourth down prolonging key drives throughout the contest, holding a staggering 37:11 to 22:42 advantage in time of possession.
 
Bullard finished with a career-high ten receptions for 93 yards and a score, while Allen had eight receptions for 78 yards and Smith had three catches for 52 yards and the biggest touchdown reception of his career.
 
The win moved VSU to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs for the tenth time in program history and gave VSU a 31-14 record all-time in the playoffs.  It was the sixth true playoff road win for the Blazers in playoff history (5-5), while the win gave VSU its 12^th victory of the season, marking the eighth time VSU has won 12 or more games in a season in program history.  VSU now is 1-1 all-time in the playoffs versus Delta State and head coach Tremaine Jackson now has beaten every team in the GSC as he improved to 17-7 in his two seasons in Titletown. 
 
The Blazers, who had a great and focused week of practice came out and moved the ball down the field with Edwards converting one third down to Bullard for 27 yards and then he hit Hurst for 22 to the DSU six.  Sophomore Bud Chaney, who had two rushing scores in the game, scored from three yards out for a 7-0 lead with 10:40 left in the quarter.  The Blazer "D" forced a punt by the Statesmen.  After a three-and-out by VSU, the Statesmen moved down field, converting a third and eight at the VSU 23 and then Christian Malloy scored from four yards out for a 7-7 score.  With 4:26 left in the first quarter, VSU had another outstanding drive offensively as Edwards hit graduate student Justin Jeffery for 30 yards down the sideline on a second and ten to the DSU 16.  Chaney scored his second rushing touchdown of the game for a 14-7 lead with 50 seconds left in the opening quarter.
 
VSU came up with the first takeaway early in the second as Kelvin Smith fumbled and graduate student Jacob Harris came up with the recovery.  The Blazers turned the Statesmen over three times in the first meeting, leading to just three points off the miscues.  This time, however, the Blazers would not be denied the end zone off the turnover.  A roughing the passer penalty on DSU got things started for VSU and Edwards hit Smith for 16 and then, on fourth and one from the one, Edwards scrambled for the touchdown and a 21-7 lead.
 
Shegog and the Statesmen responded as Shegog broke free for a 38-yard touchdown run and a 21-14 VSU lead with 5:33 left in the first half.  The Blazers used the remaining 5:33 of game time and converted two third and fours and one third and 11 getting down to the DSU 5.  Smith caught a touchdown reception with eight seconds left, but was called for a pick play nullifying the touchdown.  Edwards was sacked and looked like VSU had one second left for a field goal, as one official ruled Edwards down, but another overruled him and said Edwards fumbled giving the ball to DSU as time expired in the half.
 
The Statesmen had to punt on the first possession of the second half and VSU was denied going for it on fourth and one at the DSU 40.  The Statesmen then tied the game with the help of a couple of penalties on the Blazers as Shegog hit Jaylen Green for a four-yard strike and a 21-21 score.  The Blazers held the ball for the remaining time of the third quarter and Edwards hit Bullard for a touchdown early in the fourth and a 28-21 lead.   DSU tied the game at 28 on its next possession, prior to the Blazers' fumble on the ensuing possession.