VALDOSTA, Ga. – Behind five total touchdowns by senior Alfonso Franklin, the top-ranked Valdosta State football team posted a 35-21 victory over visiting Minnesota State Saturday afternoon in the first of two NCAA Division II football semifinals.
 
Franklin had a career day as he had 24 carries for 152 yards and three rushing touchdowns and two receiving scores.  He accounted for all five touchdowns in the game for the Blazers.  It marked his second game this season of three rushing scores (at Erskine, Sept. 21) and a season-high two receiving scores.  Franklin's five scores marked the most touchdowns in a game at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium and the most points by one player as well.  He came within one touchdown of tying the school-record of six total touchdowns set by Seantavius Jones set against Delta State on Nov. 2, 2013. 
 
The Blazers (13-0) will await the winner of the Ferris State vs. Slippery Rock game on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m. ET at McKinney ISD Stadium in McKinney, Texas.  This marks the seventh time VSU has advanced to the national championship game and the third time since 2018.  The Blazers are 4-2 all-time in the national championship game with wins in 2004, 2007, 2012 and 2018.  VSU improved to 34-15 all-time in the NCAA postseason and 7-0 all-time in NCAA National Semifinals.  The seven appearances are tied for second all-time in D2 behind ten trips by Northwest Missouri State.  Former D2 member North Dakota State also had seven trips. 
 
The 13 wins marked the fifth time in school history VSU has won 13 or more games in a season.  The Blazers won 14 games in both 2002 and 2018, along with 13 in 2004 and 2007. 
 
Blazer head coach Tremaine Jackson won his 40^th game of his career (40-11) and 30^th at VSU (30-8) and became the fifth different Blazer head coach to take a team to the national championship game.  Chris Hatcher (1-1 / 2002 and 2004), David Dean (2-0 / 2007 and 2012), Kerwin Bell (1-0 / 2018), Gary Goff (0-1 / 2021) and now Jackson marking the most all-time of different coaches at on program in NCAA Division II.  Grand Valley State is second with three different coaches as is former D2 member North Dakota State.
 
VSU finished with 385 yards of offense in the contest with 172 passing yards and 213 yards on the ground.  Senior quarterback Sammy Edwards was 14 of 19 passing for 172 yards and two touchdowns, while he had four carries for 25 yards.  VSU held a 21-18 lead in first downs, while it was 7 of 11 on third down and 2 of 2 on fourth down.   Defensively, graduate student Larry Elder had nine tackles, while junior Joko Willis finished with eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and assisted on one sack.  Graduate student Rance Connor had 48-yard interception return in the final minute. 
 
Minnesota State ended its season with an 11-4 record and played a total of nine games on the road this season.  The Mavericks finished with 177 yards on the ground, while registering 148 yards through the air for 325 total yards.  Quarterback Hayden Ekern was 14 of 25 passing, one interception and one touchdown.  Running back Sam Backer had ten carries for 109 yards and two scores on the ground, while Christian Vasser had 16 carries for 67 yards.  Antonio Alzheimer had seven tackles to lead the team.   
 
Minnesota State was not penalized in the game and VSU had four penalties for 45 yards – all in the first half. 
 
The Blazers took the opening kickoff with a great return from graduate Rodney Bullard past the VSU 40 on a 36-yard return to the 42.  Edwards and Co., moved down the field, converting a 3^rd and two and then a 4^th and two.  Two big penalties – a hold and a blind side block on the same play moved VSU back to the MSU 47 for a 1^st and 35.  VSU kept its poise and were able to make up the penalty yardage, including converting a 4^th and 6 from the MSU 18.  Edward then found Franklin out of the backfield for a 4-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead with 4:55 to play in the quarter using 10:05 off the clock.  It was the longest drive of the season for VSU.
 
The Mavericks took over and used a great drive spanning the rest of the first quarter and into the second as MSU converted a pair of 3^rd and six plays with Backer scoring from one yard out with 11:03 to play in the half for a 7-7 score.  It marked the first time VSU had been tied in a game that far int since UWF and VSU played to a scoreless first quarter and the Blazers scored with 8:55 to play in the first half going on for a 28-7 victory on Nov. 16.  VSU has only trailed in one game this season in a 32-24 thrilling victory at North Greenville (Oct. 12).
 
VSU came right back as Edwards hit junior Ma'jon Wright for 11 yards and a huge rush of 32 yards from Franklin set the Blazers up at the MSU 21.  Edwards used his feet for eight yards and Franklin for two, before he found Frankin in the back of the end zone for a 14-7 lead with 7:27 remaining in the half.
 
Minnesota State used another long drive, all but the final 12 seconds of the clock, with some good runs and steady passing from Ekern as it moved down field.  A miss handled snap to Ekern along with a sack and an incomplete pass, forced a fourth and 17 from the VSU 30.  MSU kicker Matthew Jaeger missed a 40-yard field goal wide left with 12 seconds remaining in the half. 
 
For the half, VSU had 27 plays for 160 yards, while MSU had 28 plays for 120 yards.  Edwards was 8 of 12 passing for 78 yards and two scores, while Franklin had eight carries for 51 yards and had two receptions for 22 yards and the two touchdown catches.

The Mavericks were led by 28 yards on the ground from Christian Vasser, while Ekern was 8 of 10 passing for 86 yards.  Backer had the one touchdown on the ground for the half.   
 
MSU was 7 of 8 on third down, while the Blazers were 5 of 7 on the pivotal down.  VSU was 2 of 2 on fourth down.  The half had a combined four complete drives with MSU holding a 16:07 to 13:53 in time of possession for the half.    
 
On the second play from scrimmage of the third quarter, Backer went up the middle for a 69-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14 with 14:14 remaining in the third.  It was the first major chunk yardage play for the Mavericks in the game.
 
Franklin continued his strong game with a 30-yard reception, moving the ball to the MSU 40.  He then took a 14-yard reception on a 2^nd and four to the MSU 20.  Graduate student Blake Hester rushed twice for nine yards and Franklin converted a 3^rd and one, before scoring from seven yards out on the ground for a 21-14 lead with 9:12 remaining in the quarter.
 
MSU moved down the field on its next drive with a combination of good runs and a pass from Ekern to Backer for 13 yards.  The Mavericks had  a 3^rd and five from the VSU 28 as Ekern's pass was off target forcing a fourth down.  The Blazer "D" got the stop it needed as Ekern then overthrew his intended receiver on fourth down turning the ball back over to the Blazers. 
 
The Blazers converted a third and three on the VSU 45 on a nice run from Jaedon Henry for seven yards and the Wright caught a slant pattern for 16 yards to the MSU 21.  Henry ran for 11 yards to the ten, and then Franklin scored his second rushing touchdown of the game and fourth overall of the contest for a 28-14 lead with 1:21 to play in the third. 
 
Starting the fourth quarter, MSU had a 3^rd and 6 from its own 41.  Graduate student Larry Elder came up with his eighth tackle of the game setting up a 4^th and two from the 45.  MSU elected to go for it as Vasser dove forward for the first down at the 49.  On 3^rd and 7 from the 25, VSU got good pressure on Ekern forcing him to scramble for no gain for the second fourth down of the drive.  Ekern threw the fade route to Isaiah Emanuel for the school-record for career touchdown passes with 73, pulling MSU within 28-21 with 10:56 to play.
 
MSU forced a three-and-out on the ensuing Blazer possession for the first punt of the game by either team as sophomore Noah Botsford had a great kick downing the ball at the MSU 4 for a 62-yard punt and the longest of the season for Botsford which eventually turned out to be one of the biggest plays in the game.  VSU forced a 3^rd and 5 from the MSU 9 as Ekern called his own number, but the Blazers weren't having it as he went nowhere forcing a punt with seven minutes and change remaining.  Connor Fournier's punt went 38 yards to the MSU 47 with 7:02 to play.
 
The Blazers had a 4^th and three from the MSU 40 and decided to call timeout to think about it.  VSU ended up punting, pinning the Mustangs at the nine with 4:54 to play as Botsford finished with two punts for 93 yards and a 46.5 average with two inside the ten really flipping the field position late in the game. 
 
On a 3^rd and nine from the MSU 21, Ekern's pass was broken up by junior Josh Brown forcing a punt with 3:37 to play.  VSU took over at the Blazer 49 and Franklin added big carries for 7, 11 and 8 yards to the MSU 40 with 2:22 to go.  Out of a timeout, Franklin rushed again for eight yards and then went 24-yards for his fifth touchdown of the game and third rushing score with 1:45 to play and a 35-21 lead.
 
VSU's defense came up huge, once again, as Ekern's pass was picked off by Connor at the MSU 49 and returned down to the MSU one with 44 seconds to play.  VSU took a knee to end the game. 
 
Check back with vstateblazers.com for further updates on who VSU will play and for ticket information for the national championship.