TIGERVILLE, S.C. –– Valdosta State football (8-0, 6-0 Gulf South Conference) had to overcome a scoreless first half and fourth quarter deficit to discard the North Greenville Crusaders (3-5, 2-4 GSC).

The Blazers trailed 15-14 with 58 seconds remaining in the final quarter and backed into a fourth-and-two from the Crusader’s 40.

The game was on the line, so the Blazers did what any team would do with a player like Rogan Wells –– they put the game into his hands.

Wells took the snap and was immediately flushed out of the pocket because of the pressure. He took a few steps forward before being grabbed by the ankle, short of the first down marker. 

After breaking free from the defender, Wells sprinted towards the end zone with defenders in tow.

He found a block by David White and cut across the goal line for the go-ahead touchdown to put VSU ahead 20-15 with 49 seconds to play. 

“I was going to take the hit,” Wells said after the game. “I wasn’t going to get down. There was like 40 seconds left, there’s no way I was going to stop. David made a great block out there so I just went behind his butt and got in there.”

On the next possession, Cory Roberts intercepted his second pass of the night to seal the victory for the Blazers. 

Wells’ game-winner came during his first collegiate action in his home state. If the Blazers didn’t pull through, it would’ve been a somewhat forgettable day for the South Carolina native.

Wells threw two interceptions, had a fumble in the game and went 22-of-33 for 203 yards with a lone touchdown.

He didn’t complete a pass longer than 35 yards and was sacked twice by North Greenville.

The uncharacteristic play by Wells fed into the Blazer’s being held scoreless in a half for the first time since Oct. 7, 2017 against West Georgia.

The Blazers were trailing by nine at halftime and unable to find any rhythm offensively, especially running the ball.

The Blazers lead the conference in rushing but were held to 182 yards on 34 attempts.

If not for the late heroics by Wells, no player would’ve eclipsed the century mark on the ground.

Adversely, the defense held the Crusaders to three field goals rather than allowing touchdowns.

Jackson Bull led the charge with five tackles defensively. The team finished with 48 total tackles, nine tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits, two pass breakups and two interceptions.

“We really preached to our guys coming into this game about making a difference,” defensive coordinator Lee Stalker said after the game. “When you have an opportunity for the ball to come your way or the play to come your way, make a difference. Not to do anything out of the ordinary. Just do our jobs.”

“I thought we did a phenomenal job in the first half eliminating touchdowns. We forced them to field goals, it kept us in the game. The offense came out in the second half and put a couple in the end zone for us … I can’t praise our defense and our players enough just being mentally strong and staying through the adversity and through the touchdown at the end and coming away with the takeaway at the end to seal it.” 

The win is good enough to tie a 25-year-old conference record for most consecutive wins. The Blazers have put together 23 straight victories dating back to the conclusion of the 2017 season. 

Saturday’s thriller was the most strenuous win during the Blazers’ streak.

“We didn’t play a good football game tonight but at the same time, hats off to North Greenville—they played a great football game tonight,” head coach Gary Goff said after the win. “We’ve got a much needed week off. We’ve got a lot of bumps and bruises … there’s no excuse. Nobody to point the finger to but we need this bye week to get healthy and to get ready for the last several games.”

UP NEXT

The Blazers will have a bye week before facing West Florida on Nov. 9 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.