By Valdosta State Athletics

CLEVELAND, Miss. — The top-ranked Valdosta State football team scored on offense and special teams en route to a dominating 49-20 victory Saturday afternoon at Delta State. The Blazers improved to 9-0 on the year and 5-0 in Gulf South Conference play, while Delta State fell to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in league play.

VSU keeps its hopes of an outright Gulf South Conference title alive as it returns home to host West Florida on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. A win in that game would give VSU the outright league title and an undefeated regular season.

 The win marked the seventh time in program history VSU started 9-0 and gave VSU a 31-7 record all-time as the top-ranked team in the country. Valdosta State moved to 21-22-1 all-time against Delta State and 12-11-1 in Cleveland, Miss.

 In a rainy Saturday afternoon, the opportune Blazers forced three costly fumbles by the Statesmen and blocked a punt returning it for a score, while turning the Statesmen over twice on fourth down.  VSU held Delta State to just 113 yards passing and 239 yards on the ground for 352 total yards, while VSU rushed the ball 34 times for 169 yards and senior quarterback Sammy Edwards was 12 of 19 passing for 187 yards, one interception and one touchdown.

Blazer graduate student running back Alfonso Franklin had 14 carries for 107 yards and three rushing touchdowns as he played for Delta State last season, before transferring to VSU. Blazer graduate student Rodney Bullard finished with three receptions for 121 yards and one score on an electrifying 84-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter for a 28-10 lead at that point.

 Defensively, three different Blazers had double-digit tackles led by graduate student Larry Elder with 11 tackles and four solo stops.  Senior Montae Boyd and graduate student Caden Campolieti had ten tackles each. VSU had seven tackles for loss and two sacks, while recovering three fumbles and held a 14-7 lead in points off turnovers.  

 The Blazers opened the game with a great pass from Edwards to graduate student Tyler Ajiero for 23 yards and Edwards then found Bullard for 33 yards to the DSU 16. Following a run from Edwards, a direct snap to graduate student Jaedon Henry scored from two yards out for a 7-0 lead with 11:12 remaining in the first quarter, marking Henry’s first touchdown as a Blazer. 

 VSU’s special teams came up huge on the opening defensive drive as DSU converted one third down on its opening offensive possession, but VSU forced a fourth and seven from the DSU 39 as graduate student Joko Willis blocked Parker Burleson’s punt and he followed with a scoop and score for a 14-0 lead with 7:52 remaining in the first quarter. It was VSU’s second blocked kick of the season and the first returned for a touchdown since Victor Talley at North Greenville on Oct. 22, 2022. 

 The Statesmen responded with big chunk plays as the ground game was working with Jalen May for 21 yards and then DSU quarterback Cole Kirk called his own number for 25 yards and a touchdown for a 14-7 VSU lead with 5:04 remaining in the quarter. VSU punted on its next possession, but the defense stood tall as sophomore Alan Baugh had a strip sack fumble of Kirk with graduate student Kyle Thomas recovering it at the DSU 24.

With a short field, Franklin converted a third and five and then scored from one yard out for a 21-7 score early in the second quarter.  Delta State used a long drive, but had to settle for a field goal for a 21-10 score with 6:52 left in the half.  

 Following punts by both teams, VSU began its drive on its own seven.  A run of nine yards for graduate student Blake Hester and then Edwards went up top for an 84-yard touchdown pass to Bullard for a 28-10 score with 2:09 to play in the half. It marked the longest reception of the season for the Blazers and for Bullard as he had one for 75 yards at Erskine earlier in the season. 

DSU began to get some momentum late in the half as Kirk hit Kelvin Smith for 29 yards down to the VSU 2 with 25 seconds left.  The Blazer “D” stood strong and forced a field goal for a 28-13 score at halftime.

For the half, VSU had 218 yards of offense with 55 yards on the ground and 163 through the air as Edwards was 8 of 12 passing.  DSU had 226 yards of offense and 143 on the ground with 83 through the air as Kirk was 8 of 22 passing for the half.

 Both teams punted to open the third quarter, but the Blazer “D” came up huge once again as junior Sterling Roberts hit Smith hard and forced a fumble as Elder recovered at the DSU 34. From there, Franklin rushed for 23 yards to the 11, and then he scored on the ground for a 35-13 lead with 7:09 left in the third. 

 DSU moved into Blazer territory on its next drive, but on a fourth down, graduate student Jeremy Smith wasn’t faked out by the pull back from Kirk as he sacked Kirk for a five-yard loss turning the ball over on downs. 

VSU took over and Edwards hit junior Harrison Hamsley for 12 yards on a third and four for a first down. Edwards then scrambled for 11 yards and then Franklin made a couple of nifty moves for a 26-yard touchdown run and a 42-13 lead through three quarters. It was Franklin’s third rushing touchdown of the game against his former team.

 Both teams had turnovers on their next possession as Smith fumbled again for the Statesmen and Edwards through just his second interception of the season. Following the interception by the Blazers, a pass interference penalty on VSU and then a touchdown pass from Kirk to Jaylen Green pulled the Statesmen within 42-20 with 13:04 to play. It was Green’s first catch of the day. 

 Burleson kicked an onside kick as DSU recovered with 13 minutes remaining in the game.  DSU converted one third down and then had a third and nine from midfield. Roberts came up with the sack forcing a fourth down. DSU had to go for it on fourth and 14 and threw an incomplete pass turning the ball over on downs at the DSU 45. 

 VSU moved inside the 40 of the Statesmen and then tempers flared as Delta State was issued two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties moving the ball to the DSU 14. Hester scored from a direct snap at the one for a 49-20 lead with five minutes to play for the final margin.

 Kirk finished 13 of 32 passing for 113 yards and one touchdown, while he had eight rushes for 32 yards and a score. Smith finished with 25 carries for 112 yards. He also led the team with four receptions for 57 yards.