UNC-PEMBROKE - GAME 9 Saturday, November 8 • 1:00 p.m. vs. Pembroke, N.C. • Grace P. Johnson Stadium (4,000) VSU Media Relations • (229) 333-5903 • www.vstateblazers.com Football Contact: Shawn Reed ([email protected]) RV/#18 VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS STEP OUT OF CONFERENCE PLAY FOR FINAL TIME IN 2014 (6-2, 4-2 GSC) Valdosta State plays its final non-conference game of the 2014 regular season as the Blazers travel to UNC- Pembroke. VSU, which is playing its second road game in as many weeks, enters the contest with a 6-2 record while 9/6 ALBANY STATE W, 38-10 the Braves are 1-7 on the season. 9/13 vs. #12 Winston-Salem State W, 22-17 Valdosta State, which has won each of its first two non-conference games this year, is currently out-scoring op- 9/20 #14 DELTA STATE* L, 49-32 ponents 35.5 to 17.0 points per game. On the year, the Blazers featue a balanced offense as they run for 227.9 yards 9/27 at #5 North Alabama* L, 31-29 per game while passing for 239.5. Jake Medlock has completed 122 of his 176 passes for 1,532 yards and has run 10/11 #21 WEST GEORGIA* W, 40-6 for 473 yards on the year. He has passed for 14 touchdowns and ran for five more. Austin Scott leads the team with 10/18 at Mississippi College* W, 62-0 526 rushing yards and Cedric O’Neal is just behind at 516 yards while Chris Anderson leads the receivers with 39 10/25 SHORTER* W, 37-6 receptions for 467 yards. 10/30 at West Alabama* W, 24-17 The Blazer Black Swarm defense, which surrenders 137.1 rushing yards and 211.5 passing yards a game, has 11/8 at UNC-Pembroke 1:00 p.m. caused havoc for opposing offenses as it has recorded 51 tackles for loss on the year. Kenny Murphy has recorded 11/15 at Florida Tech* 6:00 p.m. a team-high 60 tackles while Justin Williams has 57 tackles, including 9.0 for loss. The VSU defense has tallied 16 turnovers on the season, including 11 fumble recoveries and five interceptions, while also registering 14 sacks. all times Eastern; *GSC UNC-Pembroke averages 208.2 yards of total offens as the Braves rush for 81.9 yards a game while passing UNC-PEMBROKE for 126.4 while averaging 11.1 points an outing. Meanwhile, UNCP surrenders 124.6 yards on the ground and 211.2 (1-7) through the air and gives up 22.9 points a game. Quarterback Seth Owen has passed for 692 yards and has run for another 112. B.J. Bunn leads the receiving 9/6 at Winston-Salem State L, 38-7 corps with 45 catches while Blake Hickman has a team-high 75 tackles, including 4.0 for loss, and has broken up six 9/14 FAYETTEVILLE STATE W, 16-14 passes on the season. 9/20 at Shaw L, 20-17 9/27 at Wingate L, 21-3 GAME CENTER 10/11 NORTH ALABAMA L, 27-6 VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS UNC-PEMBROKE BRAVES 10/18 CATAWBA L, 30-17 Record: 6-2, 4-2 GSC Record: 1-7 10/25 NEWBERRY L, 13-6 Ranking: RV AFCA / #18 D2Football.com Ranking: Not Ranked 11/1 at Tusculum L, 20-17 Last Game: Defeated West Alabama 24-17 Last Game: Lost 20-17 at Tusculum 11/8 VALDOSTA STATE 1:00 p.m. Coach: David Dean (Georgia State, 1986) Coach: Shane Richardson (Northern Michigan, 2001) 11/15 at Limestone 1:00 p.m. Record: 66-23 (8th season) Record: 1-7 (1st season) all times Eastern; *GSC at VSU: 66-23 (8th season) at UWA: 1-7 (1st season) vs. GSC: 36-17 vs. VSU: 0-0 ABOUT THE GAME vs. UNCP: 0-1 TV • None QUICK NOTES • Valdosta State is in its 33rd year of intercollegiate football and owns an overall record of 254 wins, 115 losses RADIO • VSU RADIO NETWORK and four ties. Play-by-Play Dick Rockey • David Dean is the second-winningest coach in Valdosta State history, having compiled 66 wins, against just 23 Analyst Spencer Van Horn losses, during his eight-year coaching career. He owns a .742 career winning percentage. Sideline Tom Odom • The Blazers have scored in 277 straight games, tops among DII schools. Network Stations WDDQ Talk 92.1 FM (Valdosta) • The Blazers have won 57.2 percent of their games played in the month of November, compiling a record of 50- WJEM 96.1 FM / 1150 AM (Valdosta) 37-3 during the 11th month over the years. WSFB 97.7 FM / 1490 AM (Quitman) • For the second week in a row, Valdosta State is ranked fifth in the NCAA Super Region 2. WJHC 107.5 FM (Jasper, Fla.) • Valdosta State’s schedule is currently ranked toughest in the nation by the NCAA as Blazer opponents have a WCFO 1160 AM (Atlanta) .717 winning percentage, outside of games played against the Blazers. • Valdosta State currently leads the Gulf South Conference and is ranked third nationally in net-punting at 39.4 INTERNET RADIO yards per punt. Live Audio talk921.com • The Blazers have played five teams this year that are currently ranked in the NCAA Regional rankings. Live Stats uncpbraves.com/sports/fball/2014-15/ • Jake Medlock has completed122-of-176 passes this year. His 69.3 completion percentage is the third-best in boxscores/20141108_2qrn.xml the nation, just .004 behind the national leader, Ferris State’s Jason Vander Laan. Webcast www.ustream.tv/uncpembroke • Anthony Pistelli is currently ranked fourth in the nation in field goal percentage at 92.9 percentage. He has made 13 of his 14 attempts this year. SERIES HISTORY AGAINST UNC-PEMBROKE Saturday’s game marks just the second time that Valdosta State and UNC-Pembroke have met on the gridiron. The Braves won the first meeting between the two schools as they built a 20-0 lead before holding on for a 34-29 victory in Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in Valdosta. 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 AND 2010 GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS STATISTICAL LEADERS RECORD-BREAKING PASSING PERFORMANCE BLAZERS PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN GSC Senior quarterback Jake Medlock enjoyed a record- Valdosta State was picked to finish third in the Gulf Valdosta State breaking performance passing the ball at Mississippi College South Conference this season in a preseason vote of the Rushing Austin Scott, 526 yards on October 20. Medlock completed 19 of his 20 passes in league coaches. Passing Jake Medlock, 1532 yards the game to establish a new Gulf South Conference record North Alabama was picked to win the conference as they Receiving Chris Anderson, 467 yards for completion percentage at 95.0 percent. The old mark garnered five of the seven first place votes and 35 points. Scoring Anthony Pistelli, 70 points of 93.8 percent was held by two players, including former Delta State followed with the remaining two first place votes Punting Jake Medlock, 44.0 average Blazer Lance Funderburke, who completed 15-of-16 passes and 30 points while Valdosta State had two second-place Tackles Kenny Murphy, 60 versus Tarleton State on October 9, 1993. nods and four for third place for 26 points. Tackles for Loss Justin Williams, 9.0 Medlock completed his final 19 passes of the game, West Alabama was picked to finish fourth with 21 points Sacks Bryson Brindle, 3.0 which marked the fourth highest total in GSC history and while West Georgia followed with 17 and Florida Tech at 12. Interceptions Brandon Brown, 2 the second-most in Blazer football history, behind the 20 Shorter, in its first season as a NCAA Division II member, Pass Breakups Larry Murphy, 6 straight passes Chris Hatcher completed against New Haven rounded out the poss with six points. Kickoff Returns Nick Davis, 20.0 on October 8, 1994. Punt Returns Nick Burgman, 5.7 average Overall, the Blazers completed 25-of-27 passes against NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS the Choctaws, as Kaleb Nobles was successful on six of his Overall, VSU has tallied an 85-33-1 record all-time in UNC-Pembroke seven attempts. VSU’s 92.6 percent completion percentage non-conference games, a winning percentage of .718 in Rushing Tamari White, 199 yards in the game also set a new school record. non-GSC games. Passing Seth Owen, 702 yards Head Coach David Dean has directed VSU to a 30-6 Receiving B.J. Bunn, 312 yards RE-WRITING THE RECORD BOOKS record and an .833 winning percentage in his first seven-plus Scoring Connor Haskins, 35 points Passing marks weren’t the only area that VSU entered years leading the squad. Of the six losses under Dean, two Punting Michael Doss, 38.6 average the record books with its experience against Mississippi have come to GSC foe North Alabama in the NCAA playoffs. Tackles Blake Hickman, 75 College. The 651 yards of total offense VSU garnered in the Tackles for Loss Mat Turner, 10.0 contest marked the second-highest total in school history, BLAZER FOES LOOKING TO POSTSEASON PLAY Sacks Mike Keck, 3.5 behind the 659 posted against North Alabama on October One area that shows the strength of Valdosta State’s Interceptions Three tied, 2 27, 2001. Meanwhile, VSU’s 62 points against the Choctaws schedule this year is the number of Blazer opponents that Pass Breakups Blake Hickman, 6 was tied for the 10th-best output in school history.