VALDOSTA —
The Valdosta State football team is moving on from Saturday’s season opening four-point (28-24) loss to Saginaw Valley State. The Blazers aren’t focused on the past, but rather the future and this week’s home opener with Fort Valley State.
“We left it in Michigan,” said wide receiver Gerald Ford of the loss. “As Coach (David) Dean said, ‘If anyone doubted our chances of going any further and reaching our goals of winning a national championship, they can get off right here,’ and nobody raised their hands. So we are all focused on Fort Valley this week.”
The Blazers wasted little time returning to work. Just over 14 hours after landing back in Valdosta, they were back together reviewing the game film and beginning their preparations for the Wildcats of Fort Valley State. After an off day on Monday, the Blazers were back on the field Tuesday, practicing under cloudy conditions.
“It was a lot better than our last Tuesday practice,” said Dean of practice. “Most of the time on Tuesdays, you are putting a lot of new things in because you are introducing some new wrinkles into the game plan, so everything is a little slower. But, I thought our kids picked things up very well.”
When the Blazers take the field Saturday night in their home opener, they will be looking to end a four-game losing streak, VSU’s first since the end of the 1990 season. They’ll also be without some key weapons.
Quarterback Cayden Cochran and senior linebacker Chas Matthews will both miss Saturday’s game due to separated shoulders, according to Dean.
“Cayden and Chas will both be out this week,” he said. “They will not be able to play. I think Cayden is getting better, but he is not going to be ready. Hopefully, we are going to get him back for the Angelo State game.”
Matthews and Cochran are the only players expected to miss Saturday’s game due to injury, other than cornerback Greg Reid, who will miss the entire season with a torn ACL. Cornerback Alex Webster and linebacker Trokon Gaye will also miss Saturday’s game, as both continue to serve two-game suspensions.
Sophomore Graham Craig will start in the absence of Cochran. Craig played the entire second half in Saturday’s loss to Saginaw Valley State, after it was determined that Cochran was unable to play. Craig completed 12 of 19 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown.
“We have three or four really good quarterbacks,” Dean said. “I felt really good about Graham going into the ball game. As you can see, we didn’t change our gameplan. He does the things that Cayden does very well, it’s just one is a lefty and one is a righty. I feel comfortable with (Graham) this week. He had a good day. He is a smart kid, he understands what we are trying to do and he understands our system. I mean, you’d like to have your starter, but if you don’t have your starter, he is a good one to have.”
Unlike in Division I-FBS football, losing on opening day doesn’t unofficially eliminate teams, like the Blazers, from winning a national championship. In 2004, VSU dropped its first game of the season to in-state rival Albany State, and then reeled off 13 straight wins to claim the school’s first national title.
“It is very eerily the same,” said Dean when making the comparison to 2004. “(Albany State) hit a field goal late and we actually drove down to about the 35-yard line and turned it over on downs and they took a knee to end the game. It was very similar.”
“The only difference between 2004 and now is the schedule,” Dean continued. “The schedule is much tougher than 2004. Back then, you really only had to beat Delta (State). ... This one is going to be a little bit different just because of the schedule. We have six other teams that are all left in the top 32 in the country.”
If 2004 isn’t enough proof to the Blazers that a national championship is still attainable, some might remember that the Valdosta State softball team lost on its first day of the regular season last year, before making one of the most impressive championship runs in recent history.
“Hey, if the Lord permits, then I would love for that same luck to move in our favor,” Ford said.
Although the Blazer defense forced four turnovers in Saturday’s season opener with SVSU, the secondary was under much scrutiny for its performance in stopping Cardinals quarterback Jonathon Jennings. The preseason All-American torched the Blazers for 378 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winner with 1:01 remaining in the fourth quarter.
“We have a lot of good quarterbacks in our league, but that was definitely one of the best we are going to face,” said junior safety Chris Caspari. “He was real smart and savvy, good with his feet — he was a duel threat quarterback.”
“We are a better secondary than the last couple of games has showed,” Caspari continued. “We know what we are capable of doing, and we know we can be one of the better secondaries in the country, honestly. We just have to focus and have a good week of practice.”
Local Sports
Blazers moving on following season opening loss
QB Cochran to miss Saturday’s game with shoulder injury
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Blazers lose to Delta State, fall to loser’s bracket
If the Valdosta State baseball team is going to win the South Region Tournament, the Blazers going to have to do it from the loser’s bracket.
The Blazers (33-17) dropped their first game of the tournament Thursday, falling to Delta State 4-2 at UT Baseball Stadium.
VSU will face Stillman College, which lost to No. 1 seed and tournament host Tampa Thursday, Friday at 11 a.m. to advance to the weekend portion of the tournament. The loser will be eliminated. - More Local Sports Headlines
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