SETTING THE SCENE
The Valdosta State Blazers open Gulf South Conference action Saturday evening versus North Greenville at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium at 7 p.m.  The Blazers enter with a 3-0 record overall, while North Greenville is 2-1 overall and 1-0 in GSC play following a 23-16 victory in Tigerville, S.C., last weekend versus West Alabama.  Blazer Walk will begin at 5:15.
 
CALLING THE GAME
TALK 92.1 FM will broadcast the Blazer games all season long with Mike McDowd having the call.  The game also will be streamed live on FloSports with Dave Garner and Taylor Biddle calling the action.  Fans can access links to the radio broadcast and video broadcast at vstateblazers.com on the football schedule page.
 
BLAZERS CONTINUE RECEIVING VOTES IN AFCA TOP 25
Following the resounding 49-25 victory over Keiser University on Saturday, the Blazers moved up to 26th in the latest AFCA Top 25 as the first team receiving votes in the poll.  West Florida is seventh in the poll this week, while Delta State is eighth.  VSU and West Georgia are among others receiving votes.  In Super Region Two, UWF and DSU lead the way, while Benedict is 14th in the poll, followed by Virginia Union at 15th and Lenoir-Rhyne at 17th.  Tuskegee, Virginia State and Mars Hill join VSU and UWG as others receiving votes.
 
HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Single-game tickets currently are available for purchase online at vstateblazers.com or by calling the Athletic Department Ticket Office at 229-333-SEAT (7328).  The Athletic Department Ticket Office is Open Monday-Friday and tickets can be purchased until 2:45 p.m., the day prior to each home game (i.e. Friday at 2:45 p.m. for Saturday home game).  The Athletic Department Ticket Office is located in The P.E. Complex on Sustella Avenue until 3 p.m. the day before a game.  On Saturday, Ticket Gates and Will Call will open at 5:15 p.m. 
 
WATCH ON FLOSPORTS
The Gulf South Conference enters its second year of a four-year agreement with FloSports to broadcast all GSC football games this fall.  ALL VSU football home regular season and road conference livestream broadcasts will be available exclusively through FloSports.  Check back with vstateblazers.com on how to sign up and watch on FloSports.
 
RECAPPING KEISER
The Blazers posted a resounding 49-25 victory over No. 2-ranked Keiser on Saturday out of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).  The Blazer offense caught fire in the game going for 542 yards with a season-high 479 through the air, marking a career-high for juniorquarterback Sammy Edwards and for head coach Tremaine Jackson from a coaching standpoint.  Edwards was 28 of 36 passing with no interceptions, four touchdown passes in the game, earning him Gulf South Conference Player of the Week honors for the second time this season.  Despite running the ball for just 63 yards on 29 carries, the Blazer passing game worked as Edwards hit nine different receivers in the game and had two receivers over 100 yards receiving for the first time in the Jackson era and the first time since former Blazers Lio'undre Gallimore and Brian Saunds each eclipsed 100 yards receiving versus West Georgia on Nov. 27, 2021, in the second round of the NCAA playoffs.  Defensively, VSU held Keiser to just 346 yards on 63 plays, including 129 on the ground and 217 through the air.  The Blazers recorded five tackles for loss and one sack, along with one forced fumble and one blocked extra-point.  VSU improved to 2-0 all-time against Keiser as the Blazers won last season 36-21 in the season-opener over the Seahawks and Jackson's first game as head coach at VSU.
 
FOR GSC OPENERS 
VSU is 29-11 all-time in GSC openers and has won four-straight dating back to a 30-24 home loss to North Alabama on Sept. 16, 2017.  The Blazers won 17-straight conference openers from 1993-2010 for the longest streak in program history.  The Blazers are 16-6 at home in GSC openers (13-5 on the road) and are 208-93-3 (.689) all-time in GSC play with nine Gulf South Conference titles marking a tie for second-most all-time in league history (Jacksonville State) behind North Alabama's 13 league-titles.  VSU has won its last two home GSC openers.
 
THE TREMAINE JACKSON SHOW (VIDEO)
Returning for another season is the Tremaine Jackson Show.  The show takes place following each game Blazer football game this season and will be available for viewing online in the afternoon on Sunday following the game.  Listen to Dave Garner (home games) and Mike McDowd (road games) as they interview Jackson along with select players following each game this season.  Visit the football page at www.vstateblazers.com for how to access the show.
 
THE COACH TREMAINE JACKSON RADIO SHOW (RADIO)
Each Monday evening from 7-8 p.m. come out to Berta's Pizza Kitchen (formerly The Salty Snapper) to listen to head coach Tremaine Jackson and his weekly radio show with Big EL hosting the show on 105.9 WVGA FM in Valdosta or online at www.valdostatoday.com.  Jackson will breakdown last week's game and preview  the upcoming game.  
 
THROUGH THE AIR
Following a season-high 42 carries for 285 yards and three more rushing touchdowns at Albany State on Sept. 9 on the ground, the Blazers then put up a season-high 479 yards passing through the air on Saturday in the 49-25 win over Keiser.  Quarterback Sammy Edwards went a career-best 28 of 36 passing (.778%) with no interceptions and four touchdown tosses in the game.  He came within six yards of having three receivers with 100 yards receiving or better in the game.  As a team, the Blazers are sixth nationally in passing offense at 339.0 yards per game to lead the GSC.
 
EDWARDS NAMED GSC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAIN 
VSU junior quarterback Sammy Edwards was named GSC Player of the Week for the second time following his efforts on Satuday versus Keiser.  He is the lone repeat winner of any GSC football weekly honor so far this season.  
 
ABOUT NORTH GREENVILLE
The Crusaders enter with a GSC Player of the Week honoree also as kicker Colin Karhu was named Special Teams Player of the Week after he had a record-breaking performance last week in the win over West Alabama.  He was 3 for 3 in field goals and 2 for 2 in PATs, along with a 54-yard field goal setting a new school-record.  He also was good from 43 and 32 yards, while averaging 59 yards on kickoffs.  The Crusaders are coached by Jeff Farrington who is 51-52 in his 11th season, while he is 0-4 against VSU.  Offensively, the Crusaders are led by standout receiver Dre' Williams who has 18 catches for 300 yards and four touchdowns this season.  Williams leads the league with four TD's for ninth nationally, while his receiving yards is tops in the GSC and 18th nationally and his 100.0 receiving yards per game is good for 20th nationally.  Williams leads the GSC in all-purpose yards at 129.33 per game for tops in the league.  Quarterback Dylan Ramirez is 51 of 90 passing for 798 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions this season.  Ramirez is in the top three in the GSC in passing touchdowns (3rd), passing yards (3rd) and passing yards per game at a 266.0 clip for third in the league.  As a team, the Crusaders lead the league in kickoff returns at 23.83 per return to lead the GSC, while the team is stout on defense, as it is seventh nationally and second in the league in red zone defense (.500) and 21st nationally for tops in the league in team passing efficiency defense at just 92.59.  The Crusaders are second in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 14.3 points per game for 18th nationally and third in the league in total defense, allowing just 298.3 yards per game for 40th nationally.  NGU leads the league in time of possession at 31:46. 
 
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH NORTH GREENVILLE
The Blazers and the Crusaders have played four times since NGU joined the league in football in 2018.  VSU is 2-0 in Valdosta and 2-0 in Tigerville, S.C., but each game has been interesting.  Last season, VSU rallied from a 28-14 deficit at halftime, outscoring the Crusaders 44-9 in the second half for a 58-37 victory on the road, while NGU gave VSU all it could handle on Homecoming in 2021 with a 31-21 VSU victory.  NGU scored the opening touchdown in that game, marking the first time VSU had trailed all season.  In 2019, former Blazer Rogan Wells scampered 40 yards on 4th and 2 from the NGU 40 with 59 seconds left for a touchdown and a 20-15 victory in the rain.  In 2018, VSU built a 23-0 lead at halftime en route to a 44-21 victory also on Homecoming.  Each of the previous four meetings were on the home school's respective Homecoming. 
 
THIS BUD'S FOR YOU
Blazer sophomore Bud Chaney scored the final two touchdowns of the game in a 49-25 win over Keiser University on Saturday.  Chaney, playing in his first game of the season, finished with eight carries for a team-high 36 yards on the ground and the two scores.  His two touchdowns came exactly 1:07 apart in the fourth quarter.  KU fumbled deep in its territory on a strip sack fumble from sophomore De'Von Reaves and a recovery from junior Andrew Farley.  
 
BK HAVE IT YOUR WAY
Graduate student wide receiver B.K. Smith was a crucial part of the Blazer offense Saturday night, catching eight targets for a season-high 124 yards and one touchdown in the 49-25 win over Keiser. Smith's biggest catch came on a 17-yard touchdown reception on the first VSU drive of the game, tying things up with the Seahawks early, 7-7. The Louisville, Ky., native, has a total of 14 targets for 224 yards and three touchdowns through three games this season.  Smith earned Steel's Jewelry Blazer Male Athlete of the Week for his efforts as running back Eric Watts earned the honor last week and Sammy Edwards earned the honor following the season-opener.  Smith is 22nd nationally in receiving touchdowns (3) for second in the GSC.  He has a team-high 14 catches for 224 yards this season.
 
THIS WEEK IN THE GSC 
Conference play officially began last week, but VSU and West Florida are playing their first conference games this week.  Shorter (2-1, 1-0) travels to No. 8 Delta State (3-0, 1-0), while Chowan (0-3, 0-2) hosts a non-conference game versus No. 14 Benedict (3-0), while No. 7 West Florida (2-1, 0-0) entertains West Georgia (2-1, 1-0).  Mississippi College  (1-2, 0-1) travels to West Alabama (1-2, 0-1) and VSU (3-0, 0-0) hosts North Greenville (2-1, 1-0).
 
FLOWERS FAST START
Sophomore Isaiah Flowers is seventh nationally in rushing touchdowns with five to lead the GSC, while he is ninth in scoring at 12.0 points per game for tops in the league.  He is ninth nationally in total touchdowns with six to lead the GSC.  Flowers has a team-high 38 carries for 169 yards and the five scores on the ground, while he has four catches for 33 yards and a score.  
 
EDWARDS EXCELS 
Junior Sammy Edwards is sixth nationally in passing efficiency at a 187.3 clip to lead the GSC, while he is eighth nationally in passing yards (905), ninth in passing yards per game (301.7), fifth in completion percentage (.711) and 28th in completions per game (19.67) as all lead the GSC.  Edwards is second in the league and 15th nationally in passing touchdowns (8), while he is third in the league in passing yards per completion (15.34) for 24th nationally.  Edwards is 59 of 83 passing this season for 905 yards, three interceptions and three touchdowns, while he has 22 carries for 124 yards and one rushing touchdown.     Edwards is fifth nationally in total offense at 343.0 yards per game, while he is third nationally in yards per pass attempt at 10.90.  This is the first season he has been the starter under center for the Blazers.
 
THIELE MOVES UP
Graduate student kicker Estin Thiele has scored 18 points this season as he moved into a tie for eighth all-time in career scoring with 228 points.  He now is tied with former Blazer Dominique Ross (1992-94).  Thiele needs just six points to tie former Blazer running back Jamar Thompkins (2018-22) for seventh all-time with 234 points.  Former Blazer kicker Andrew Gray leads the record book in career scoring with 328 points.
 
GOOD ON THIRD
The Blazers this season have been fantastic on third down as they are sixth nationally in third down conversion percentage at a .567 clip to lead the GSC.  VSU is 17 of 30 on the pivotal down, while the team also is outstanding on getting off the field defensively, holding teams to just 9 of 38 on third down for a .237 clip for 13th nationally and second in the GSC.  
 
GETTING THE FIRST
VSU is tops in the GSC in first downs with 77 for the season which is good for seventh nationally, while the team holding the opposition to the fewest first downs in the GSC (43) for 22nd nationally.  
 
BOTSFORD'S BOOT
Redshirt freshman Noah Botsford had a strong game Sept. 16 at Albany State in the punting and kicking game.  Botsford registered five punts for 207 yards and a 41.8 average with a long of 48 and one punt inside the 20, while he had four kickoffs for 250 yards and a 62.5 average with three touchbacks.  As a team, VSU is second in the GSC in net punting at 38.38 for 26th nationally.  Botsford has eight punts for 325 yards and a 40.63 average this season.  He has three punts inside the 20 and three fair catches with a long punt of 48 yards.
 
ON THIS DATE
The Blazers are 4-1 all-time on Sept. 23 and 3-0 in Valdosta.  VSU last played on this date in a 39-19 win at West Florida in 2017.  VSU's last home game on this date was in 2006 with a 51-14 victory over Arkansas Tech.  The Blazers have outscored the opposition on this date 155-70. 
 
GETTING TO THE QB
The Blazers have record nine sacks so far this season in three games for 20th  nationally and second in the GSC. Last season, the Blazers had ten sacks total in 11 games.  This season, the nine sacks are good for 51 yards.  Junior Tyler Morehead leads the team with two sacks for 19 yards both coming against Albany State.
 
THE OPENING DRIVE(S)
Saturday, the Blazers marched right down the field on their opening drive and scored a touchdown, going ten plays for 67 yards and using 4:59 of the clock.  The week before, VSU marched down the field and scored at Albany State on its first drive with a nine play, 69-yard drive using 5:24. The first week of the season, the Blazers marched down the field against Point, but an interception at the goal line ended the first drive of the season.
 
CONTROLLING THE CLOCK
VSU is 38th nationally and second in the GSC in possession time at a 31:42 clip.  VSU has led for 153:00 minutes thus far this season, while it has been tied for 18:50 minutes and trailed for just 10:10 minutes of the 180 "game minutes" thus far.
 
OVER SIXTY 
The 63 points scored by the Blazers on Sept. 2 marked the first time VSU has scored 60 points or more since the Blazers' 66-35 victory versus West Georgia on Nov. 27, 2021 in the NCAA postseason.  The 63 points also was the 14th time VSU has scored in the 60s in program history and 15th over 60 points total with the school-record being a 70-6 victory over Edward Waters on Nov. 7, 2009.  VSU also scored 70 points in a 70-12 victory at Delta State on Oct. 6, 2001.   It was the ninth time VSU has scored 60 or more points at home.  VSU is ninth nationally and tops in the GSC in scoring offense at 44.3 points per game this season.
 
SPREADING THE WEALTH 
All three Blazer quarterbacks saw action on Sept. 2 and each of them threw a touchdown pass.  Edwards finished 21 of 32 passing for 347 yards and four touchdowns, while redshirt freshman Seth Smith was 3 for 3 for 27 yards and a touchdown and sophomore Darius Ocean was 1 for 2 for 85 yards and a touchdown.  Moreover, the three quarterbacks completed 25 of 36 passes overall and hit 11 different receivers.  Edwards then hit nine different receivers on Sept. 16 in the 49-25 win over Keiser as two receivers went over 100 yards receiving.
 
OVER 600
VSU amassed 647 yards of offense in the season-opener on Saturday.  It marked the second time in the Jackson era VSU has eclipsed 600 yards.  The Blazers tallied 700 yards on Sept. 17, 2022, at Miles College.    VSU threw for 459 yards in the game, marking the most of any Jackson-led team in his career.  The 647 yards is eighth-most all-time in school history.  The Blazers are third nationally in total offense at 517.7 yards per game to lead the league, while they are second  in the GSC and 24th nationally in total defense allowing 266.7 yards per game.
 
MAKING POSITIVE GAINS
The Blazers are 20th nationally and tops in the GSC in tackles for loss allowed at 4.33 per game, while they are 19th nationally and second in the league in sacks allowed at 1.00 per game with just three allowed this season.
 
MCCALL BENNETT
With the final extra-point in the win against Point (9/2), VSU sophomore McCall Bennett kicked the EP for the 63-10 margin as she became the first female to play and score a point in a football game in program history.  Bennett hails from Milton, Ga., and Cambridge High School.  
 
SMITH AND THIELE EARN PRESEASON ALL-GSC HONORS
Blazer graduate students B.K. Smith and Estin Thiele were named to the Preseason All-GSC Teams, announced in August.  Smith was named to the team as a wide receiver, while Thiele earned the honor as a punter.  Smith played in all 11 games and started ten in his first season as a Blazer at wide receiver.  He led the team with 726 yards receiving on 42 receptions.  Smith registered six touchdown receptions and averaged 17.3 yards per reception.  He averaged 66.0 yards per game and had a long reception of 72 yards at North Greenville (10/29/22).  Smith had a season-high 148 yards receiving on five catches versus Mississippi College (10/15/22) and had eight receptions and three touchdowns against Virginia Union (9/10/22).  He recorded four punt returns for 28 yards and a long of 12.  Thiele had 30 punts for a 39.57 average with a long punt of 64 yards.  He had two touchbacks, three fair catches, nine punts inside the 20 and ten punts over 50 yards.  He also had 38 kickoffs for a 64.0 average and 24 touchbacks.  Thiele went 17 of 22 in field goals last season for 20th nationally in field goal percentage (.773).  His 17 made field goals were good for second in the GSC and he was third nationally in field goals per game at a 1.55 clip to lead the GSC.  He finished 44 of 45 in extra-points for the season, finishing 19th nationally in scoring at 8.6 points per game for fourth in the GSC and 95 total points for fifth in the league. 
 
THIELE NAMED TO FRED MITCHELL WATCH LIST
Graduate student kicker/punter Estin Thiele was named to the Fred Mitchell Watch List to begin the season.  Thiele was named finalist for the prestigious Fred Mitchell Award in 2022, while he earned second team all-GSC honors in 2021.  Thiele is 31 of 40 in field goals for a 77.5 clip, while he is 117 of 119 in extra-points for his career at VSU.  He has scored 210 points for ninth all-time in school history in scoring.  He has made 38 punts for 1,529 yards and a 40.2 average, while he has 130 kickoffs for a 62.2 average and 71 touchbacks.  He is ninth all-time in scoring at VSU with his 218 points and is 10 points from tying Dominique Ross (1992-94) for eighth all-time with 228 points.  
 
A HISTORY OF SUCCESS
The Blazers have had an outstanding 40 years of football since the program began in 1982.  The Blazers have the second-highest winning percentage all-time in NCAA Division II with a 324-135-4 record (.704) behind Grand Valley State (430-147-3) with a .744 clip.  VSU went 88-27 from 2010-2019 for a .765 average which is good for eighth in NCAA Division II for the decade and tenth in overall wins.  The Blazers then went 104-20 (.839) from 2000-2009 for the fourth-highest winning percentage and overall wins for that decade. Since 2000, the Blazers are 212-55 overall.
 
NO SHUTOUTS
The Blazers lead all of NCAA Division II with 366 consecutive games without being shutout dating back to a 12-0 loss to Central Florida on Sept. 14, 1991.  VSU only has been shut out five times in program history.  Grand Valley is just behind the Blazers at over 354 games without a shutout.
 
HEAD COACH TREMAINE JACKSON
Valdosta State Director of Athletics announced at a press conference on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, Tremaine Jackson as the 11th head coach in Blazer football history. Jackson, in his second season leading the Blazers, is known for raising the bar both on and off the field and has quickly made an impact on the total program in Titletown. The 2022 squad ranked in the top 15 nationally in eight different statistical categories including sacks allowed (2nd – 0.27), total offense (5th – 475.6), red zone offense (6th – 0.918), tackles for loss allowed (9th – 3.91), turnovers lost (11th – 12), scoring offense (12th – 36.6), passes had intercepted (13th – 6) and passing yards per completion (15th – 14.71) and was the only program in Division II to rank in the top 25 in both total rushing (16th – 213.5) and total passing (21st – 262.2).  In the classroom, the team earned a combined 2.84 grade point average, the highest in program history, which included 54 student-athletes with a 3.0-or-better GPA, 19 over a 3.5 GPA and four with a perfect 4.0 GPA.  The Blazers were also active in the community throughout the 2022-23 season, accumulating over 1,100 hours of service in Valdosta, assisting with Earth Day Road Cleanup, Habitat for Humanity, Blazer Kids' Day, Jacobs Ladder Therapeutic Riding Center and the #ValdostaMiracles Softball Game. 
 
WE HAVE POWER
In the 2023 season-opener against Point University, VSU played the entire football game at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium without power in the stadium due to the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia.  There was no scoreboard, game clock, public address or lights.  The teams had generators in the locker rooms and generators and solar batteries were used for statistics and streaming of the game.
 
BLAZERS FIFTH IN GSC PRESEASON POLL
Delta State was picked as league favorite garnering 61 points and six of nine first-place nods, while West Florida, who also shared the league title with the Statesmen in 2022, was picked second with 56 points and two first-place votes.  West Georgia picked up the remaining first-place nod with 52 points for third.  West Alabama was picked fourth with 44 points, followed by the Blazers (33 points), just ahead of Mississippi College (32 points).  North Greenville was picked seventh (24 points), followed by Shorter (13 points) and league newcomer Chowan was ninth with ten points.  Chowan joins the league this season as an affiliate member of the GSC.  Chowan is located in Murfreesboro, N.C., and the Blazers visit the Hawks on Sept. 30, at 1 p.m.
 
A VICTORY OVER NORTH GREENVILLE UNIVERSITY WOULD . . .

• Give VSU a 4-0 record this season overall and a 5-0 record all-time against North Greenville 
• Give VSU a 5-1 record all-time on September 23 and a 4-0 mark in home games on this date
• Be the 325th victory in program history (324-135-4)
• Give Blazer head coach Tremaine Jackson his 19th career coaching victory (18-9) and his ninth at VSU (8-6)
• Be the 180th home victory (179-57-1) and the 171st victory at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium (170-53-1)
• Be the 16th time VSU has started a season 4-0 and the fourth in the last five playing seasons
• Give VSU its fifth-straight victory dating back to last season as VSU currently is tied for the ninth longest current streak in D2 (4) to lead the GSC, while Harding (Ark.) and Frostburg State (Md.) lead the way winners of their last seven games for D2
• Give VSU a 30-11 record all-time in GSC openers and a 17-6 record in home GSC openers