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.
 
URBAN EDGE NETWORK STREAM
Check out https://urbanedgenetwork.net/watch/1533 to watch the game for free.  The game will be streamed on Urban Edge Networks with Lance Medow, Fred Farrier, Vickie Perez and Hayley Lewis having the call of the game.  Links for live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more at available at vstateblazers.com on the football schedule page. 
 
NEUTRAL SITE GAMES
This marks the first neutral site regular season game for the Blazers since VSU won 55-6 versus Fort Valley State on Sept. 8, 2018, in Waycross, Ga.  Overall, the Blazers are 15-4 all-time in neutral site games the Blazers are 11-1 in neutral site games during the regular season with the only regular season loss at a neutral site being against Troy on Oct. 6, 1984, in a 27-12 loss in Dothan, Ala.
 
CRAIG NAMED 12TH HEAD COACH OF VSU FOOTBALL
Valdosta State announced the hiring of Graham Craig on Jan. 20, 2025, as the 12th head coach in program history.  He served as offensive coordinator for the Blazers last season helping lead the team to the national title game for the seventh time in program history.  Craig's offense finished 11th nationally and tops in the GSC at 448.6 yards per game, while it was eighth nationally in scoring offense at 40.1 points per game which was best in the league.  The Blazers led the nation turnovers lost for the season with just five.
 
AGAINST TEAMS FROM THE PEACH STATE AND THE SIAC
VSU is 94-25 all-time against teams from Georgia and is 58-5 all-time against current members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).  VSU has won its last nine meetings against the SIAC dating back to a 29-12 setback at Albany State on Sept. 2, 2017, in the season-opener. 
 
KICKING OFF IN AUGUST
This marks the second-straight year the Blazers have opened the season in August.  VSU defeated Albany State in Valdosta on Aug. 31, 2024, 42-10.  The Blazers are 11-2 all-time in the month of August.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH CLARK ATLANTA
The Blazers Panthers have met three times in series history as VSU has won all three meetings.  This is the first neutral site matchup in series history as all three previous meetings have been in Valdosta.  VSU won 49-0 on Sept. 8, 1984, in the first meeting, while it won 41-12 on Sept. 25, 1993, and won 63-6 on Sept. 24, 1994.  VSU has outscored CAU 153-18 in the three meetings.  
 
GRAHAM CRAIG COACHES SHOW
The Graham Craig Coaches Show follows each Blazer football game this season as Coach Craig will provide an in-depth perspective of the game immediately following each contest along with interviews and highlights of key players and plays.  Fans can watch the Graham Craig Show on Sunday evenings.  Check back with vstateblazers.com for how to access The Graham Craig Show each week throughout the season.
 
FOR OPENERS
The Blazers begin their 43rd playing season of football in 2025 and are 30-12 all-time in season-openers.  The Blazers have won their last six-straight openers dating back to a 29-12 loss at Albany State on Sept. 2, 2017.  VSU is 19-4 in home season-openers, 9-8 in road openers and 2-0 in neutral opening games.  This marks the second time VSU and Clark Atlanta have met in the opener with VSU winning 49-0 on Sept. 14, 1984 in Valdosta.
 
BLAZERS TIED FOR SECOND IN PRESEASON GSC POLL
The Blazers were picked tied for second in the 2025 Gulf South Conference Preseason Coaches Poll with West Alabama.  West Florida was tabbed as league-favorite garnering nine points and three first-place votes.  VSU and UWA each had six points and UWA had the remaining first-place nod, while Delta State had three points for fourth. 
 
FOUR BLAZERS EARN PRESEASON ALL-GSC HONORS
Blazer graduate wide receiver Tyler Ajiero, along with senior offensive guard James Robinson, senior defensive lineman Jermarrlowe Sykes and senior defensive back Rance Conner all earned preseason all-league honors.  Ajiero, earned second team all-GSC honors helping lead VSU to the program's seventh national title appearance in 2024.  Ajiero with 40 receptions for 550 yards and six touchdown receptions.  Robinson, a native of Montgomery, Ala., came to VSU last season from South Alabama.  In 2024, he blocked for Harlon Hill finalist quarterback Sammy Edwards as Robinson played in 12 games earning second team all-league honors.  Robinson helped VSU to a 13-1 record overall last season, while the Blazers finished eighth nationally in scoring offense at 40.1 points per game, 11th nationally in total offense (448.6 yards/game) and 23rd nationally in passing offense at 248.0 yards per game all to lead the league. Sykes was key for the Blazers' run to the championship game in 2024, as he played in nine games on the defensive line with 30 total tackles.  He finished with 8.5 tackles for loss for 36 yards and 4.5 sacks for 21 yards to lead the team.  Sykes had two quarterback hurries for the season.  Sykes had four games of registering at least one tackle for loss and one sack.  Conner earned second team all-league honors last season in his first season for the red and black.  Conner helped a secondary as he played in all 14 games recording 17 tackles, one tackle for loss for two yards, two interceptions and a team-high ten pass breakups.  
 
2025 SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
The Blazers play in the Week Zero Labor Day Classic for their first neutral site game during the regular season since 2018, while they have five home games at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium and play at a Division I school for the first time since 2003.    The Blazers host UNC Pembroke (Sept. 27), Lenoir-Rhyne (Oct. 4), North Greenville (Oct. 25), West Alabama (Nov. 1) and Delta State (Nov. 8).  Last season VSU went 8-0 at home and are 191-59-1 all-time in home games and 182-55-1 in games played at Cleveland Field/Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.  The Oct. 12 game at The Citadel marks the first game against a Division I opponent since VSU won 45-17 on Sept. 6, 2003, at Florida Atlantic.  
 
ROAD WARRIORS
The Blazers open versus Clark Atlanta in Birmingham, before traveling to Johnson C. Smith in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 6 and then play at Chowan on Sept. 13.  Following a bye week on Sept. 20, VSU opens at home on Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. versus UNC Pembroke at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.  It is the third-longest wait to have a home game in program history as VSU opened with four-straight on the road in 1992 with the home-opener being on Oct. 10, and VSU opened with a neutral site game and two road games in 1986, debuting at home on Oct. 4 of that year.
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
The Blazers sit 12th in the preseason AFCA Top 25 and 17th in the D2Football.com Top 25.  In the D2Football.com poll, West Florida is 11th, while West Alabama is 23rd and 2025 foe Lenoir-Rhyne is 14th.  In the AFCA Top 25, UWF is eighth, while LR is 17th, while UWA, Delta State and Johnson C. Smith all are receiving votes.
 
NO SHUTOUTS
Valdosta State has gone 392-straight games without being shutout as it is the longest active streak in NCAA Division II.  The last time VSU was blanked came on Sept. 14, 1991, at Central Florida.
 
ABOUT CLARK ATLANTA
The Panthers enter coming off a 7-3-1 record overall in 2024 and a 6-2 mark in the SIAC.  Clark is under the director of head coach Teddy Keaton who is beginning his second season there and is in his tenth season of coaching with a 44-45-1 record with stops at Stillman and Allen before CAU. Returning for the Panthers on defense this season is Kurtis Waye who finished the 2024 season with 34 total tackles, nine tackles for loss for 39 yards and three sacks for 18 yards.  He had one pass breakup, one hurry and one forced fumble.  He earned second team all-league honors last season as a sophomore.  Clark Atlanta took Jackson State transfer quarterback Zy McDonald to Media Day, along with Waye.  McDonald, who began his career at Louisiana, went 7 of 12 passing for 104 yards and two touchdowns, along with one interception last season in seven games for Jackson State.  
 
A VICTORY OVER CLARK ATLANTA WOULD . . .