FOR ALL THE MARBLES
Saturday's game is for the outright Gulf South Conference title for both Valdosta State and West Florida.  The Blazers are seeking their 12th GSC title, while West Florida is looking for its third and first outright title since football began there.  UWF tied VSU in 2021 for the league title and tied Delta State in 2022. VSU has won or shared five league titles since 2018.  The Blazers enter at 5-4 overall and 2-0 in GSC play, while West Florida enters with a 9-0 record and a 2-0 mark in league play.
 
THE NCAA SUPER REGION TWO RANKINGS
The Blazers are outside the region top ten again this week, while West Florida leads the rankings, followed by Albany State, Newberry, Benedict and Wingate rounds out the top five.  UNC Pembroke sits sixth, followed by Kentucky State and dropped one spot following the loss to VSU last week to eighth.   Emory & Henry is ninth and Carson-Newman checks in at tenth.  The top eight teams will qualify for the NCAA postseason as the field of 32 will be announced on Nov. 16.  This year, eight teams in each of the four super regions qualify and there are no "byes" for the top-seed anymore.  Saturday's game is definitely a postseason elimination game for VSU, while UWF should be safely "in" if it loses on Saturday.  The winner of Saturday's contest earns the GSC's automatic berth into the NCAA postseason, beginning Saturday, Nov. 22. 
 
CALLING THE GAME
TALK 92.1 FM will broadcast the Blazer games all season long, both home and away, with Wade Beale and Scott James having the call on the radio. Fans can access links to the radio broadcast and video broadcast at vstateblazers.com on the football schedule page.
 
RECAPPING DELTA STATE
The Blazers roared back from a 21-7 deficit for a thrilling 27-23 victory over then-No. 21 Delta State on Senior Day.  DSU scored on its first three drives of the game for a 21-7 lead, but the Blazer "D" clamped down and did not allow a point the rest of the game as Delta State got a safety.  The Blazers scored on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Jameson Holcomb to Jaheim Arnold with nine seconds remaining in the game for the only lead of the game for VSU.  The Blazers swept the GSC Weekly Awards with junior Corey Reddick, Jr., rushing for a season-high 151 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown in the game.  VSU improved to 22-22-1 all-time against Delta State.  VSU held Delta State to 86 yards on the ground as the Statesmen entered averaging over 170 yards rushing per game.  Holcomb finished 21 of 29 passing for 159 yards, one interception and one touchdown, while senior wide receiver Council Allen had seven catches for 77 yards.  On defense, Julius Pascal had 14 tackles, while Tyler Morehead added 11 tackles as Pascal had nine solo stops in the game, one tackle for loss and combined on a sack.  Senior Rance Conner had an interception as well as senior Nick Mercer.    
 
NEW BLAZER MOBILE APP
Valdosta State Athletics in partnership with Renasant Bank is thrilled to announce the official launch of the Blazer Athletics Mobile App, available for free on iOS and Android devices via the App Store and Google Play Store.  The new Valdosta State Blazers Athletic App integrates news, team information, gameday notifications gameday notifications for all Blazer athletic events both home and away and schedules, as well as ways to purchase VSU tickets and apparel.  The Valdosta State App offers a user-friendly interface with easy access to many services and features.  Check vstateblazers.com for more information on the new Mobile App.


OUT IN THE SUN
This season, the Blazers play all day games through the regular season with no game starting later than 4 p.m. local time.  Traditionally, the Blazers have had a mix of day and evening/night games, but this is the first season in program history with no night games planned for the regular season.  
 
COACH GRAHAM CRAIG SHOW
Following each game this season, The Coach Graham Craig Show will feature the head coach along with select players as they dissect the game both home and away.  Check back with vstateblazers.com and on the Blazer social media channels each Sunday evening for the newest edition of The Coach Graham Craig Show.  
 
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH WEST FLORIDA
The Blazers lead the all-time series with West Florida 6-3 and won the last two in the series, including a 28-7 win last season in Valdosta and a thrilling 31-28 win in Pensacola in 2023, where the Blazers scored with 36 seconds remaining for the first lead of the game.  The Blazers are 3-1 all-time against UWF in Pensacola and 3-2 in Valdosta.  UWF head coach Kaleb Nobles played at Valdosta State as a quarterback for the Blazers in 2013 and 2014, before transferring to West Florida.  Blazer head coach Graham Craig also played quarterback at VSU in 2012 helping lead the team to the program's third national title.  Craig and Nobles missed each other at VSU as Craig transferred to LaGrange College in 2013, when Nobles arrived as a freshman. 
 
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS
Saturday marks the third-straight week the Blazers have faced a ranked team this season.  VSU is 76-67-2 all-time against ranked teams and 44-29-1 at home against ranked foes.  VSU is 13-31-1 all-time against ranked teams when it has not been ranked.  VSU is 3-2 all-time against UWF when the Argos have been ranked.  The Blazers are 0-1 when not ranked against a ranked West Florida team with a 32-31 loss in Valdosta in overtime in 2022.  
 
BLAZER SWEEP
VSU swept the GSC weekly awards for the first time since Nov. 5, 2012, with Reddick, Jr., Pascal, freshman kicker Matt Rolader for Special Teams and freshman running back/return specialist Shawn Paschall for Freshman of the Week.  Along with Reddick and Pascal, Rolader went 2 for 2 in field goals and 3 for 3 in extra-points in the win over Delta State.  He kicked field goals of 44 and 30 yards as VSU needed every point in the comeback win.  He improved to 7 of 9 on the year in field goals and 30 of 31 in extra-points.  Paschall had eight rushes for 40 yards and scored the first Blazer touchdown of the game in the first quarter on a 19-yard scamper.  
 
PRETTY CLEAN PLAY
VSU is 12th nationally in fewest penalties this season and tops in the GSC with just 46 infractions this season.  The Blazers average just 5.11 penalties per game for 22nd nationally and tops in the league, while they are 21st nationally and best in the league in fewest penalty yards (454) and 36th nationally for best in the league in penalty yards per game at 50.44.  Conversely, the Argos are in the bottom seven of all of NCAA Division II in the above categories. 
 
FIRST DOWN D
VSU is 22nd nationally and second in the league in first down defense, holding teams to just 158 fresh set of downs this season.  West Florida leads the league allowing just 129 first downs this season for tops in the nation.  
 
STRONG IN THE KICKING GAME 
VSU is eighth nationally in punting for second in the GSC at a 39.85 clip, while junior punter Devin Walter is seventh nationally in punting at a 43.7 clip for second in the league.  Walter has 39 punts for 1,704 yards and a long punt of 67 yards.  He has three touchbacks, with six fair catches, 18 punts inside 20 yards and nine punts over 50 yards.  Rolader is 22nd nationally in field goal percentage at a 0.778 clip on 7 of 9 field goals, while he is 30 of 31 in extra-points.
 
ABOUT WEST FLORIDA
The Argos have been the league's most impressive team this season as they are No. 3 nationally in the AFCA Top 25 and No. 4 in the D2Football.com Top 25.  UWF has won all nine games it has played this season and is one of just five unbeatens in NCAA Division II remaining.  The high-powered Argos arguably have one of their best teams since football began at UWF in 2016, including the national championship year of 2019.  The Argos lead the nation in three areas, 3rd down defense (0.222), first down defense (129) and rushing defense (43.8), while they are in the top ten nationally in seven other areas, including ninth in net punting (39.72) just behind VSU, tenth in passing offense (289.8), fourth in sacks (3.56), third in team tackles for loss (9.1), fourth in time of possession (34:28), fifth in total defense (254.7) and eighth in total offense at 458.4 as all but the net punting lead the league.  Individually, quarterback Marcus Stokes has had a terrific year as he is eighth nationally in passing yards per game (283.0), 22nd in completions per game (19.33), 15th in passing efficiency (161.0), while he is 15th in passing yards (2,547) and 13th in passing touchdowns with 23.  Corey Scott leads the team in receiving with 748 yards for tops in the league and 29th nationally.  He averages 83.1 yards per game for 21st nationally and leads the league.  Ja'Kobe Clinton anchors a defense that allows 210.9 yards through the air, along with the top total defense in the league and top rushing defense nationally.  Clinton averages 0.67 sacks per game for tops in the league and 35th nationally, while he is seventh nationally in tackles for loss per game at a 1.72 clip to lead the league.  
 
A WIN OVER WEST FLORIDA WOULD . . . 

• Give VSU a 6-4 record this season and a 3-0 mark in Gulf South Conference play as the Blazers would win their 12th Gulf South Conference title and the sixth since 2018
• Earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA postseason marking the 21st trip to the postseason in program history
• Be the 37th season in 43 years ensuring a winning record 
• Be the 325nd win in program history for VSU (351-142-4)
• Give VSU a 7-3 record all-time against West Florida and a 4-2 mark in Pensacola
• Be the 79th victory all-time in November (78-43-3)
• Give the Blazers their 77th win all-time against a ranked team (76-67-2)  
• Be the 14th win (13-31-1) all-time against a ranked team when VSU is not a ranked team
• Give VSU a 5-1 record all-time on Nov. 15 and a 3-1 mark on the road on this date
• Give VSU a 4-2 record against UWF when the Argos and VSU have both been ranked and a 1-1 mark when only UWF has been ranked