VALDOSTA, Ga. - Behind one of the better first halves of the season, the Valdosta State football team snapped a three-game skid with a 35-24 victory over visiting North Greenville on Homecoming Saturday afternoon.
 
The Blazers improved to 3-4 on the year, while North Greenville fell to 4-4 for the season.  VSU scored on the opening possession of the game and then added 21 points in the second quarter for a 28-10 halftime lead.  The Trailblazers pulled within nine in the fourth quarter, but were unable to get any closer. 
 
VSU finished with 388 yards, while NGU had 387 yards for the game.  The Blazers had 209 yards on the ground, while throwing for 179, while NGU finished with 134 yards rushing and 253 through the air.  Blazer junior quarterback Jamson Holcomb finished 17 of 23 passing with one interception and threw one touchdown pass. 
 
The Blazer "D" sacked NGU quarterback Dylan Ramirez seven times in the game, while senior Mark Robinson finished with nine total tackles, four sacks for 18 yards, four tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, along with one quarterback hurry in a standout performance.   VSU stooped the Trailblazers 14 times behind the line of scrimmage in the game, while the Blazers were only sacked once and dropped for eight tackles for loss.  Robinson's four sacks tied the stadium record for the third time as the last was Tyler Josey of Valdosta State on Nov. 1, 2012, versus Texas A&M-Kingsville. 
 
VSU's seven sacks tied for the third-most all-time in program history, while the 14 tackles for loss tied for second-most all-time in a game in program history with Arkansas Tech (Oct. 30, 2010).  Robinson's four sacks ties for the most all-time in program history in a game and most recently by Richard Freeman versus North Alabama on Oct. 4, 1997.  VSU now has had a player with four sacks in a game three times.   VSU has not had seven or more sacks in a game  as a team since Sept. 4, 1999, versus Fort Valley State. 
 
The Blazers took the opening kickoff and marched right down the field, scoring on their first drive of the game for the first time since the opening game of the season in the 31-28 win over Clark Atlanta at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., on Aug. 30.   The Blazers used a first play rush from junior Corey Reddick, Jr., for 11 yards and then later in the drive he went off tackle for 32 yards and a touchdown just 1:54 into the contest.  Reddick, Jr., finished with 13 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown. 
 
Robinson came up with a strip sack fumble as redshirt-freshman Roy'Marr Thomas returned the fumble 44 yards to the NGU 35 as the Trailblazers were looking to even the score at the VSU 21 on their opening possession of the game.  VSU would have two great chances in the red zone on its next two drives, but a turnover on downs and an interception in the end zone kept the score 7-0, but VSU sophomore Rickey Ransom intercepted Ramirez's pass and returned it 31 yards to the NGU nine on the final play of the first quarter.  VSU punched it in with a nice pass from Holcomb to Richie Ilarraza for a 14-0 lead with 14:21 left in the half. 
 
NGU got on the board with a field goal for a 14-3 score and then a fumble by the Blazers led to a Trailblazer touchdown trimming the lead to 14-10 with 5:45 left in the half.  NGU was called for offsides on the kickoff and had to kick the ball again, as the Blazers made it pay with an electrifying 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from freshman Shawn Paschall, who earned Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Week honors two weeks ago scoring two rushing touchdowns at The Citadel.  The 95-yard kickoff return was the first for the Blazers since former Blazer Rodney Bullard had a 99-yarder on Nov. 11, 2023, versus West Georgia. 
 
The Blazers scored with 36 seconds remaining in the half for a 28-10 lead as the touchdown was setup by Holcomb finding sophomore Joel Houdenou for 50-yards on third down and then senior Council Allen had a 26-yard catch and run to the NGU five.  Reddick, Jr., scored from five yards out for the 18-point lead at intermission. 
 
VSU scored in the third quarter on a 45-yard touchdown run from senior Eric Watts for a commanding 35-10 lead.  NGU threw a 63-yard pass to Eric Rasheed setting up a Ramirez touchdown run and a missed two-point conversion for a 35-16 score through three quarters.  Watts finished with four carries for 61 yards and two touchdowns. 
 
In the fourth, the Trailblazers kept a drive alive with a 19-yard pass from Ramirez to Sam Washam on fourth down late in the game and then Rasheed scored for a 35-24 score with 1:48 to play.  NGU attempted an onside kick and recovered, but the wrong reported kicker kicked the ball therefore it was an illegal procedure, and the Trailblazers had to kick again as VSU recovered to seal the victory.  Rasheed paced the Trailblazers with eight catches for 172 yards and a touchdown, while Ramirez had 15 carries for 50 yards and two rushing scores.   He went 19 of 30 passing for 253 yards, one interception and one touchdown.
 
VSU improved to 7-0 all-time against North Greenville and 3-0 all-time against NGU on Homecoming, while the Blazers moved to 37-6 all-time on Homecoming.  Ironically VSU lost three games in a row in 2022 and that skid also was stopped with a win over North Greenville. 
 
The Blazers open Gulf South Conference Play on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium versus West Alabama.
 
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