VALDOSTA —
Some minor changes were made to the 2012 Valdosta State football schedule on Monday.
The Blazers were informed that seven of their 10 games will be played at night, four of which will come at home.
One of the night games will be on Thursday, Nov. 1, when the Blazers host Texas A&M-Kingsville at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
The game will mark the close to the regular season for the Blazers, giving them over 2 1/2 weeks off to prepare for a potential playoff game. The postseason begins Nov. 17.
The Blazers will also visit the Shorter Hawks for a Thursday night contest, coming Oct. 25. This season will mark the first year of membership in the Gulf South Conference for Shorter.
Both Thursday night contests will be carried on television as part of the GSC-TV Game of the Week, and both will kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Of course, VSU kicks its season off in 89 days, when it visits Saginaw Valley State University (Mich.) on Sept. 1. That game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. Eastern time kickoff.
VSU’s home opener will come Sept. 8 against Fort Valley State. The Blazers and Wildcats haven’t met since 2008, when VSU posted a 56-3 victory. VSU has won its last eight games versus FVSU, winning by an average margin of 37.7 points across that span.
Following the meeting with Fort Valley State, the Blazers will face Angelo State for the first time in school history. The two teams will meet at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The game is part of the Lone Star Football Festival.
The Blazers return back to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium for back-to-back games against West Alabama and Edward Waters, an NAIA opponent out of Jacksonville, Fla., on Sept. 22 and 29, respectively. Both games are set for 7 p.m. kickoffs.
After the pair of games at home, the Blazers face a brutal stretch of the schedule, featuring games at West Georgia and North Alabama before returning home to face in-conference rival Delta State. VSU lost to all three opponents in 2011, giving up game-winning touchdowns in the final minute in all three contests.
The Blazers’ meeting with the Wolves of West Georgia will start at 2 p.m. in Carrollton, while the visit to Florence, Ala. to face North Alabama is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
VSU’s home game with Delta State, which is set for Oct. 20, will begin at 3 p.m. The game will also mark the final regular season game that will be played on a Saturday for the Blazers.
All 10 of VSU’s games will be carried live on 92.1 FM, 92.9 FM and 107.5 FM in Valdosta this season.
Valdosta State 2012 football schedule
Sept. 1 — VSU at Saginaw Valley St., 7 p.m.
Sept. 8 — Fort Valley St. at VSU, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 — Angelo St. vs. VSU (at Cowboys Stadium), 1 p.m.
Sept. 22 — West Alabama at VSU, 7 p.m.*
Sept. 29 — Edward Waters at VSU, 7 p.m.
Oct. 6 — VSU at West Georgia, 2 p.m.*
Oct. 13 — VSU at North Alabama, 7 p.m.*
Oct. 20 — Delta State at VSU, 3 p.m.*
Oct. 25 — VSU at Shorter, 7:30 p.m.* **
Nov. 1 — Texas A&M-Kingsville at VSU, 7:30 p.m.**
* denotes GSC game
** denotes GSC-TV Game of the Week
