The Valdosta State defense, shown here making a team tackle against Newberry, has been a driving force to the Blazers’ 3-0 start this season.

Weeks before his team even arrived back in town from Summer vacation, Valdosta State head football coach David Dean said his teams first three games of the season would be one of the toughest in Division II football.

The fifth-ranked Blazers are through those critical opening three games, and have come away unscathed, posting VSU first 3-0 record since 2008.

“Heck, I am proud of them,” VSU head coach David Dean said. “We went through a gauntlet there. I’m awfully proud of how our guys played. The big thing now is that we have gone through that stretch, is we can’t be satisfied with where we are.”

The undefeated start didn’t come without any challenges, as each game came down to the final series, including this past weekend’s 30-27 victory over Albany State. VSU’s Harrison Dreiling secured the win on ASU’s final drive, intercepting a Stan Jennings pass.

“Defense here has always been outstanding,” Defensive lineman Bubba Boatright said. “It has always been something that we try to hold a strong value in, and I feel like team really puts a lot of emphasis and trust into the defense.”

Although the Blazers are perfect out of the gate, they aren’t slowing down. VSU has seven regular season games remaining, including four conference games to close out the season. Of the games remaining, two teams are ranked inside the newest Division II coaches poll, as North Alabama is ranked second and Delta State is ranked sixth.

Before the Blazers jump into Gulf South Confernce play, they must get through three familiar opponents – Southern Arkansas, Arkansas-Monticello and Ouachita Baptist.

“This is another tough stretch that we go through,” Dean said. “You know, these three teams, this is the last time we will probably play them, unless we happen to meet up with them somewhere down the road in the playoffs.”

The three Arkansas based-schools, along with Arkansas Tech, Henderson State and Harding, decided to leave the GSC and create a new conference, The Great American Conference, with four schools from Oklahoma.

By penalty for leaving the Gulf South Conference, the six Arkansas schools are required to play three games against the five remaining football-playing schools in the GSC.

The Blazers will begin their three Arkansas games this Saturday, when the Southern Arkansas Muleriders visit Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

“It has always been fun playing (the arkansas) teams,” Boatright said. “You don’t normally get to play teams like that, and without this rivarly, and with them not being in our conference anymore, we won’t get to play them anymore.”

Following Saturday night’s game with Southern Arkansas, the Blazers will make back-to-back plane trips to Arkansas, taking on Arkansas-Monticello and Ouachita Bapitst on Oct. 8.

“Having two of those (games) being back-to-back Arkansas trips, those are not easy to do,” Dean said. “You know, those flight trips are not the easiest things in the world, because you have to get up so early and there is so much travel in that day.”