VALDOSTA, GA. (vstateblazers.com) — In a top five matchup Saturday evening in the Gulf South Conference, the No. 2 Valdosta State football team held off a furious second half rally by No. 3 West Georgia for a 36-34 victory to remain unbeaten at 8-0 overall and atop the Gulf South Conference standings at 5-0.
VSU keeps the Peach Basket for another year and also takes a 3-0 lead in the new Red Clay Rivalry, which was announced as an annual series between the two schools encompassing all sports both schools sponsor, earlier in the week. VSU finished higher at both cross country championships last weekend in Clinton, Miss., for the early lead.
VSU improved to 27-13 all-time against West Georgia and now has won the last three meetings in the series. VSU improved to 13-4 all-time against the Wolves in Valdosta and won the seventh-straight meeting between the two teams in Titletown. The win also gave VSU its 22nd-straight regular season GSC victory since 2017 and the 29th-straight regular season game overall since 2017. VSU now has won 33 of its last 34 games overall.
UWG (7-2, 5-2 GSC) trailed 27-13 at halftime, but outscored the Blazers 21-9 in the second half and pulled within 33-26 with three minutes left in the third quarter. From there, VSU extended the lead to 36-27 with a field goal from sophomore kicker Estin Thiele with 11:28 remaining in the game.
The Wolves converted two big third downs and had a first and ten at the VSU 32 with 6:30 left in the game. A rush by quarterback Harrison Frost moved the ball to the 21 for a first down, but a big tackle for loss from sophomore Brian Williams brought up second and 13 from the 24. A third and ten followed and UWG converted its fourth third down conversion of the drive to the VSU seven with under four minutes left. On a reverse Frost found Jace Jordan in the back of the end zone pulling UWG within 36-34 with 3:09 left. UWG went 17 plays and 94 yards, chewing up 8:08 off the clock. UWG had two drives in the game of double-digit plays, but VSU held a 30:10 to 29:50 lead in possession time for the game.
UWG elected for the kick into the end zone with 3:09 left and two timeouts. Two runs by the Blazers left them with a third and eight followed by the second timeout by the Wolves with 2:13 left. VSU junior quarterback Ivory Durham scampered for just enough on a nine-yard run for a fresh set of downs. UWG used its final timeout after a short run by the Blazers with 1:20 left. Blazer junior quarterback Seth McGill rushed for three years for a third and five at the VSU 40. McGill, the reigning GSC Offensive Player of the Week, finished with 14 carries for 56 yards and two catches for eight yards. The Blazers let the play clock run all the way down to one with 31 seconds left before calling a timeout. With no timeouts left for UWG, VSU took a knee as the game ended.
In a game that saw the Blazers pile up 488 yards of offense, including 276 on the ground and 212 through the air, Durham finished 19 of 23 passing with two touchdown tosses, while he had ten rushes for 72 yards and two scores. Junior running back Jamar Thompkins had 14 rushes for 150 yards and a score, including a huge 63-yard scamper for a 27-13 lead with 10:39 left in the third. Graduate student Brian Saunds had seven catches for 96 yards, while fellow graduate student Lio'undre Gallimore had five catches for 49 yards and a score. Freshman Noah Gillan had one catch for 12 yards and a touchdown.
The Blazer defense held the high-powered UWG offense to just 339 yards of total offense in the game as the Wolves entered averaging 478.2 yards per game, for second in the GSC behind VSU and eighth nationally. Frost passed for 228 yards on 27 of 43 with one interception and three touchdowns. Frost entered the game averaging 317.5 yards per game through the air for sixth nationally and the Wolves led the nation in passing offense as a team at 340 yards per game. Quan Harrison, Mechane Slade and Jace Jordan each had touchdown catches for the Wolves. Blazer senior Nick Moss had 13 tackles and three solo stops, while senior Cory Roberts had nine tackles and eight solo stops, along with his first interception of the season and sixth of his career. Leading pass defender, senior Christian Matthew, came up with three huge deflections in the game for 14 for the season. He entered the game seventh nationally and first in the GSC in passes defended at 1.7 per game.
UWG won the toss and deferred as the Blazers started with two passes and one rush – all first downs getting to the UWG 29. After a run to the 27, Durham called his own number and scampered 27 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead with 13:01 left in the first quarter. It was Durham's seventh rushing score of the season. VSU went five plays for 75 yards in just 1:59 for the early lead.
UWG marched down the field, but was stopped on a great breakup from Matthew for his team-leading 12th PBU of the season forcing a 44-yard field goal from UWG's Omar Cervantes for a 7-3 VSU lead with 10:45 left in the quarter. Cervantes finished the game with two field goals and averaged 64.3 yards per kickoff, while making all four of his extra-point attempts.
Durham used his feet, once again, on the ensuing drive for a huge gain on a second and five and then hit Gillan for a wide-open 12-yard touchdown pass for a 14-3 lead with 6:55 left in the first quarter.
A tackle in the backfield by sophomore Eric Williams and a break breakup on a deep past from Frost by junior Sean Colman forced a punt by the Wolves with 4:36 left in the quarter. Following a VSU punt, UWG was in anther third and long situation from its own 34 and pressure by the Blazers forced the second punt of the game by UWG. Saunds coughed up the punt return at the VSU 21 as UWG took over in plus territory. It was just the second lost fumble of the season by the Blazers as they entered leading the nation in fewest fumbles lost with just one this season. Frost connected with Harrison for a nine-yard touchdown pass, pulling UWG within 14-10 with 14:54 left in the first half.
Following a punt by the Blazers, Frost's offering was intercepted by Roberts at the UWG 48 with 11:26 left in the first half. On a 3rd and 8, Durham hit Saunds for 17 yards and a first down at the UWG 29. Following a penalty, making another third and long, Durham found Gallimore for a 30-yard strike and a 21-10 lead with 9:04 left in the half. It was Gallimore's ninth receiving touchdown of the season. VSU finished the game 6 of 11 on third down, while UWG was 8 of 13 on the pivotal down.
The Wolves had a big penalty on their next drive, but moved down the field courtesy of a VSU penalty, but senior Arrington Dulin forced a sack fumble as UWG was lucky to come up with the ball. Later in the drive, Frost missed a deep pass to Harrison in the end zone on third down as Cervantes hit his second field goal of the game for a 21-13 VSU lead with 4:04 left in the half. It was a 14-play, 57-yard drive using 5:00 of game time.
VSU came down the field with more great runs and passing as they got the second unsportsmanlike penalty of the game on UWG on a third down in the red zone. VSU then moved the ball to the UWG three for a second and goal with 27 seconds left in the half. McGill, got to the UWG one for a 3rd and goal with 17 seconds left in the frame. After back-to-back timeouts by both teams, Durham rushed in for his second rushing score of the game and a 27-13 lead as sophomore kicker Estin Thiele missed his first extra-point of the season with 13 seconds left in the half.
For the half, VSU had 39 plays for 307 yards, including 22 rushes for 148 yards and 159 passing yards as Durham was 14 of 17 passing with touchdowns. UWG totaled 36 plays for 159 yards on 10 carries for 30 yards and Frost was 14 of 26 passing with one interception and one touchdown. Durham had seven carries for 59 yards to lead the Blazers on the ground and rushed for two scores. Saunds had six catches for 88 yards, while Gallimore had four catches for 35 yards and a score. Gillan had the one catch for 12 yards and a touchdown. Harrison had five catches for 61 yards and a score for the Wolves, while Christian Royalston had three carries for 20 yards. Defensively, Roberts had eight tackles and seven solo stops with the one interception for the Blazers, while Mike Miller had four tackles for the Wolves with three solo stops.
After punt by the Wolves to begin the second half, VSU took over from its own 12 and a pass interference penalty got the Blazers out of the shadow of the goal line and then on a 1st and five from the VSU 37, Thompkins went up the middle for 63 yards to pay dirt for a 33-13 lead with 10:39 left in the quarter. VSU struggled once again on the point after attempt as freshman holder Sam Edwards had to take the ball and run, but was unable to get in the end zone for a two-point conversion.
The Wolves moved down the field again, courtesy of a pair of pass interference penalties on VSU and had a 3rd and goal from the VSU 4. Frost hit Slade for a four-yard touchdown pass for a 33-20 VSU lead with 5:40 left in the third. It marked the first points allowed by VSU in the third quarter all season.
Harrison returned the ensuing VSU punt to the house for 78 yards and pulled UWG within 33-27 with three minutes left in the third quarter. It was the first punt return for a touchdown allowed by VSU since Marcel Newson of Mississippi College Oct. 15, 2016, returned one for 73 yards.
The Blazers continue at home next week for Homecoming and Senior Day at 3 p.m. versus North Greenville in the final regular season home game of the season.
