Juston Lewis | Valdosta Daily TimesSaftey Cory Roberts celebrates an interception with defensive line coach Kenny McClendon during Saturday's 20-15 win over North Greenville. 

VALDOSTA—Valdosta State football has won 23 consecutive games, but Saturday’s contest might’ve been the most strenuous task along the way. A touchdown by Rogan Wells in the final minute and a game-sealing interception by Cory Roberts delivered the Blazers a 20-15 victory over the Crusaders. Here are six takeaways from the game: 

HEART OF A CHAMPION

VSU was in unfamiliar territory for a majority of the game. The Blazers trailed 9-0 at halftime, marking the first time since Sept. 2, 2017 that they failed to score in the first half. 

Rogan Wells had two interceptions and a fumble in his first collegiate game in his home state of his career.

The offense was unusually stagnant, totaling a season-low 385 yards through 67 plays. 

The champions did not look like the champions on the field but off the field was a different story. 

There was not a sense of panic on the Blazers’ sideline. There was frustration for sure, but never panic. It was the maturity of a team that knew its talent and knew it was only a single play away. 

That play came on a fourth-and-two situation, where Rogan Wells broke a tackle just beyond the line-of-scrimmage and outran every defender in tow to score the go-ahead touchdown. 

STAYING STEADY

A large reason for the calmness on the VSU sidelines was the overall solid play by the Black Swarm. 

They allowed three first-half scores but each of those scores were field goals, not touchdowns. 

There’s a huge difference in going into the locker room down 21-0 or going in at 9-0 as they did. 

After the game, defensive coordinator Lee Stalker talked with me about the coaching staff’s “making a difference message” that they passed on to the players. 

The root of the message is not playing otherworldly or outside of the norm but excelling at what you’re good at. I’d say the Blazer’s did that well. They say defense wins championships, after all. 

MR. RELIABLES

One or two players cannot win a football game alone, but they can leave a lasting imprint on the final outcome. Two young men on either side of the ball had a large effect on the final score. 

The first was running back Seth McGill. On an otherwise poor offensive day, McGill displayed his worth. He churned out 80 yards on the ground and added an additional 20 yards from catches out of the backfield. To add to his versatility, he added an additional 74 yards on three kickoff returns. 

Defensively, safety Cory Roberts’ efforts landed him conference player of the week. He intercepted two second half passes while adding two tackles and a pass breakup. His two interceptions skyrocket him to tied for first in the conference with four on the season. McGill and Roberts did their part in helping the Blazers remain undefeated. 

WAKE UP CALL

The contest against the Crusaders will hopefully serve as a wake up call to the top-ranked Blazers. They’re bound to get every team’s best shot from this point on. The Crusaders were one missed tackle short of denying the VSU from etching their name in even more history books.

This should be an announcement that wins are not a foregone conclusion. North Greenville wanted to be the team that knocked the defending champs off of their throne. While they failed, they might’ve exposed that if you throw haymakers from the opening whistle, you may land a shot that will knock them down to the mat. 

BYE, BYE, BYE 

The Blazers are desperately limping into this bye week. They have a lot of bumps and bruises and have guys that need the week to rest their bodies and minds. It’s worth noting that the student athletes are entering the last stretch of the semester and the season at the same time.

Between the time given to practices, meetings and games, they probably need this week to focus on their classes. 

Outside of classes, they’re still college students. The team already has an abbreviated social life because of their packed schedules. It’d be a great week for the players to explore the social activities that aren’t available during game weeks. Nothing crazy,  just something to safely and responsibly refresh themselves. 

TOUGH FINISH

Out of the bye week, the Blazers have consecutive games against the other two teams atop the conference. On Nov. 9, they face West Florida –– the only other undefeated team in the conference.

The Argos are the second highest scoring team in the conference behind the Blazers and have compiled many marquee wins over conference opponents. They beat Delta State 48-3 and West Georgia 30-2. The Argos are on a six-game win streak and their only loss came against non-conference Carson-Newman the first week of the season. 

On Nov. 16, the Blazers travel to Carrollton to take on rival West Georgia Wolves in a battle for the Peach Basket. It’s the hottest rivalry in the Gulf South Conference and although the Wolves are 3-2 this season, records go out of the window when these two teams meet. 

The matchup could be important for West Georgia’s postseason aspirations and the Blazers’ postseason positioning.

The Argos and Wolves are going to look to pick up where NGU left off and attempt to deal the Blazers their first loss of the season.