VALDOSTA, Ga. – A touchdown by Lenior-Rhyne with 14 seconds remaining handed Valdosta State a 32-25 loss Saturday afternoon at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The Blazers fell to 2-3 on the year, while Lenoir-Rhyne improved to 3-3.
In a tight contest throughout, VSU battled back to regain the lead early in the fourth quarter with a steady diet of running plays and a great 38-yard catch from junior
Zandae Butler, while senior
Council Allen caught a 25-yarder to the LR nine and redshirt freshman
Ostin Perkins ran in from nine-yards out for a 25-21 lead with 9:47 to play.
LR pulled within 25-24 on a 28-yard field goal from Daniel Deneen following a challenge on a field-ruled incomplete pass from LR quarterback Khamoni Robinson to Zion Agnew in the end zone with 5:31 to play. The Blazers went three-and-out, but LR's Maddox Aprile had a 20-yard sack as the Blazers punted from their own seven. Blazer junior punter
Devin Walter got off a nice punt with a good roll for 46 yards.
The Bears began their next drive at their own 47 with 3:07 to play and converted a key 3
rd and 9 from the VSU 42 with a 25-yard pass from Robinson to Antonio Lindsay, Jr., and then converted a 3
rd and 8 from the VSU 15 with Robinson on the ground gaining nine yards. Robinson then scored his third rushing touchdown of the day and also added the two-point conversion with 14 seconds left for a 32-25 lead. VSU had one last chance and an interception sealed the game with seven seconds remaining.
For the game, VSU tallied 425 yards with 306 passing and 119 through the air. Blazer quarterback
Harris Boyd went 18 of 33 passing, but had four interceptions in the game. Perkins finished with 13 rushes for 53 yards and a score, while Watts had 12 carries for 47 yards and a score. Junior
Jamontez Woods also had a rushing score. Allen had five receptions for 80 yards to lead the team, while junior
Zandae Butler finished with two catches for 75 yards and senior
Ma'jon Wright had one catch for 50 yards.
The Bears had 64 yards on the ground and 275 through the air as Robinson was 18 of 29 passing with one touchdown and carried the ball 11 times for 12 yards with three rushing scores. Songa Yates had four receptions for 89 yards and a score.
Defensively,
Jaden Dawkins and
Julius Pascal each had seven tackles, while
Nick Mercer had five tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss for 11 yards and 1.5 sacks for eight yards. LR's Ben Watson finished with nine tackles, while Greene had two of the team's four interceptions.
VSU trailed 21-16 at halftime and scored with 21 seconds remaining in the first half to pull within five at 21-16 on a rush from Watts. VSU flipped the momentum as LR had scored on its previous drive beginning at the VSU one, following a 34-yard interception return for a 21-9 lead.
With the momentum from the score just before the half, the Blazer "D" stood tall and forced a turnover on downs by LR on the first possession out of intermission. VSU then took over and methodically moved down the field as freshman
Matt Rolader kicked a 27-yard field goal to pull within 21-19. Rolader hit two field goals in the game and was 1 of 2 in extra-points.
The Blazers took the ball as LR won the toss and deferred to begin the game. Boyd's pass was picked off by Brodie Bradburn on a 3
rd and 11 from the VSU 24 just 53 seconds into the contest. The Bears used a 13-yard pass from Robinson to Destun Thomas to the VSU two and Robinson called his own number for touchdown with 13:25 to play in the first quarter and a 7-0 lead.
VSU had a nice drive on its ensuing possession moving down to the LR 19. The Blazers converted a 4
th and 6 at the LR 30 on a nice pass from Boyd to junior
Richie Ilarraza for nine yards, but LR's KJ Whitehead came up with an interception on a 3
rd and 8 from the 19 turning the Blazers away in the red zone. The Blazer defense forced a punt as the offense then had two nice rushes from Perkins and a good pass to
Joel Houedenou for 20 yards, while Wright caught a great 50-yarder to the LR six. Woods scored from 1-yard out for the first points for VSU since the Chowan game on Sept. 13, for a 7-6 deficit
LR moved to the VSU 25, but missed a field goal on its next possession and the Blazers came back with a field goal from 41-yards out from Rolader and a 9-7 lead with 8:11 remaining in the half. Allen had a big catch for 16-yards on a 3
rd and 8 from the LR 43 during the drive. The Bears responded with a 46-yard pass from Robinson to Yates and a 14-9 lead with 4:28 to play.
Both teams punted on their next possessions, but LR came up with its third INT of the half Desmond Greene picked off Boyd and returned it 34 yards to the VSU one. Robinson scored his second rushing score of the half for a 21-9 lead with 2:08 to play in the half.
VSU kept fighting and used big pass plays from Boyd to Butler and
Jaheim Arnold to matriculate down the field with Arnold catching a 28-yard reception setting up Watts for a rushing score and a 21-16 deficit at halftime.
For the half, VSU had 277 yards on 47 plays with 73 rushing yards and 205 through the air on 13 of 24 passing with three INTs. LR had 146 yards on 24 plays with 29 rushing yard and 117 though the air.
The Blazers return to the road at Division I and Football Championship Subdivision-member The Citadel on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. in Charleston, S.C. VSU then will have a bye week and host the annual Homecoming Game on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
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