ROME, Ga. – The No. 3 Valdosta State football team returned to the field on Saturday in Rome, Ga., with a 59-6 victory over Shorter University.  The Blazers improved to 5-0 on the year, while Shorter fell to 2-1. 
 
With the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Blazers boarded a bus on Tuesday and headed to Atlanta where they practiced at Georgia Tech and were housed in dorms at Georgia State.  The team also received tickets to the Atlanta Falcons' game Thursday, thanks to Lt. Governor Burt Jones.  Despite all of these out-of-routine challenges, the Blazers came ready to play Saturday afternoon improving to 13-0 all-time against Shorter and 6-0 in Rome.
 
For the game, VSU amassed over 500 yards of offense for the third-straight game with 557 yards on 411 passing and 146 on the ground.  VSU scored five rushing touchdowns in the game, marking back-to-back games of five rushing scores, while senior quarterback Sammy Edwards went 19 of 29 passing for 348 yards and two scores, while he ran for a score.  Five different Blazers got into the end zone on the ground, while graduate student Tyler Ajiero had four catches for 97 yards and two touchdown receptions. 
 
Defensively, VSU held SU to just nine first downs (Blazers finished with 28) and 195 total yards with 163 through the air and 32 on the ground.  The Blazer "D" was all over field accounting for seven sacks for 35 yards and 11 tackles for loss.  Blazer graduate student Diego Bremer had a team-high 11 tackles with seven solo stops, two sacks and a forced fumble. VSU intercepted SU once and returned a fumble for a touchdown. 
 
VSU won the toss and forced a three-and-out of the Hawks on the opening possession of the game.  The Blazers did get one first down on their first offensive drive, but Shorter forced VSU to punt, marking the first time VSU had not scored on its opening drive this season.   
 
Following three-and-outs by both teams, Blazer sophomore punter Noah Botsford pinned the Hawks at their own three with a great punt.  On 3^rd and 5 from the SU 8, Hawk quarterback Harold Cook hit Cobie Bates for 55 yards, but Blazer graduate student Montae Boyd made a shoestring tackle saving a touchdown at the VSU 37.  The Blazer "D" stood tall with another sack and an unsportsmanlike foul on Shorter pushed the Hawks back to their side of the field for a 3^rd and 29 from the 44.  VSU got the stop and forced the Hawks into their third punt of the opening quarter.
 
On a 2^nd and 10 for the Blazers at the 20, Edwards connected with Malashevich for 30 yards on a roll out and then found junior Maj'on Wirght for 37 yards on an acrobatic catch to the SU eight. On a 3^rd and 9 from the nine, Edwads hit Ajiero with an over the shoulder catch in the end zone for a 7-0 lead with 2:56 left in the first quarter. 
 
The defense came up big, once again, Cook's pass was intercepted by graduate student Larry Elder at the VSU 48, marking the first turnover allowed by the Hawks this season. On the first pass from scrimmage, Edwards found Ajiero for 39 yards to the Shorter 12 and then graduate student Blake Hester went right down main street for a touchdown on the ground for a 14-0 lead with 1:17 left in the first quarter.  It was Hester's team-leading fifth rushing score of the season. 
 
Shorter used a pass interference penalty on the Blazers early in the second quarter, but was facing a 3^rd and 8 from the VSU 37.  Out of a timeout by the Hawks, Cook hit a crossing route to Jaylin Marshall for 29 yards down to the VSU eight.  Another sack by the Blazers pushed Shorter back to the 15 for a 3^rd and goal and a handoff went nowhere forcing a fourth down.  SU got on the board with a 31-yard field goal by Tyler Simspon as VSU's had its nine-quarter streak of not allowing a point come to an end, 14-3, with 11:17 left in the first half.  Despite allowing the field goal, VSU ended up not allowing a touchdown in the last 12 quarters or three-straight games.
 
The Blazers hit pay dirt, once again, as Edwards found seniort Alfonso Franklin for 23 yards, with a nifty spin move, on a 3^rd an 8 from the SU 28.  Franklin then called his own number from five yards out for a 21-3 lead with 8:15 lett in the first half.
 
After a punt by Shorter, VSU converted a 4^th and 1 at the 50 and Edwards connected with Hester for 21 yards, followed by hitting Bullard for 24 yards to the SU 1.  Edwards called his own number and went in for his third rushing score of the season for a 28-3 lead with 2:45 left in the first half. 
 
Cook was injured on the ensuing drive, but the Hawks were bailed out by a pass interference penalty on the Blazers.  Shorter faced a 4^th and 1 on the VSU 28 with 53 seconds left in the half.  Cook gained the first down on the ground, but was sacked for an eight yard loss for a 3^rd and 18.  Simpson would hit a 37-yard field goal for a 28-6 VSU lead with seven seconds remaining in the half. 
 
For the half, VSU had 31 plays for 286 yards with 219 yards passing and 67 yards on the ground, while gaining 12 first downs.  Shorter had seven first downs with just 10 rushing yards and 148 passing yards on 37 plays for 158 yards.
 
VSU methodically moved down the field to begin the second half and, on a 3^rd and 4, Edwards found Hester for 12 yards down to the SU 15.  Edwards thought he had a fade route touchdown to Bullard, but was called incomplete and, with no replay available for the game, it could not be reviewed.  Then, the Blazers attempted a 29-yard field goal which looked good, but was ruled wide on the opening drive of the second half. 
 
Following a punt by the Hawks, Ajiero caught a 26-yard pass from Edwards after a number of good runs by the Blazers, setting up VSU at the SU 23.  On a 3^rd and 10, Edwards hit graduate student Graeson Malashevich for 14 yards and first and goal.  A delayed handoff to graduate student Bud Chaney for ten yards and a touchdown for a 35-6 lead with 5:42 left in the third quarter. 
 
The opportunistic Blazer "D" came up huge again as Bremer hit Bates and he fumbled as sophomore Rickey Ransom picked up the ball and scampered 26-yards for a touchdown and a 42-6 VSU lead.  The fumble return for a touchdown was the first since former Blazer Jacob Harris returned one three yards on Oct. 28, 2023, at West Florida. 
 
Early in the fourth, Edwards hit Ajiero for 23-yards and a touchdown for a 49-6 lead.  Later, senior Joseph McKay scored on the ground for a 56-6 lead and then the Blazers added a late field goal for a 59-6 final margin.
 
The Blazers return home to get back into a "normal" routine this week and will return to conference play next weekend, with their third trip this season to the Palmetto State, and a 7 p.m. kick at North Greenville on Oct. 12.