1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2010 Gulf South Conference Champions 1 Opening Game History the Blazer-Golden Ram Comparison All-Time Highs & Lows Vs
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BLAZER GAME DAY ALBANY STATE - GAME 1 Saturday, September 3rd • 7:00 p.m. EST vs. Valdosta, Ga. • Bazemore-Hyder Stadium VSU Media Relations • (229) 333-5903 • www.vstateblazers.com Football Contact: Matt Malone ([email protected]) VALDOSTA STATE A NEW ERA BEGINS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF KERWIN BELL For the first time in nine years, the Valdosta State football team will take to the gridiron under the guidance of a (0-0, 0-0 GSC) newly appointed head coach. Head Coach Kerwin Bell took over during the offseason, and will have big shoes to fill Sep. 3 ALBANY STATE 7:00 p.m. behind David Dean, who established himself last year as VSU football’s all-time winningest head coach. Sep. 17 North Alabama* 7:00 p.m. EST Bell appears to be up for the challenge, however, as he and his newly appointed coaching staff have put in a tremendous recruiting effort during the offseason. The 2016 roster is dripping with both talent and size, but with Sep. 24 WEST FLORIDA* 7:00 p.m. so many new additions, the challenge for both the players and the coaching staff will lie in the development of team Oct. 1 Kentucky State^ 2:00 p.m. chemistry. Oct. 8 WEST GEORGIA* 7:00 p.m. Returning players of note include two of last season’s top wide receivers, Dallas Baldner and Donovan Bolden. Oct. 15 Mississippi College* 4:00 p.m. The pair teamed up for 10 touchdowns and over 500 receiving yards on the year, and Baldner led the team among Oct. 22 DELTA STATE* (HOMECOMING) 3:00 p.m. receivers with 10 or more receptions on the year with an average of 15.7 yards per catch. Xay Howard also returns Oct. 29 Florida Tech* 7:00 p.m. for the receiving corps, as does Anthony Ingram, who recorded six receptions and 83 yards in the Blazers’ thrilling Nov. 5 West Alabama* 3:00 p.m. EST playoff victory over Carson-Newman last November. Nov. 12 SHORTER* 7:00 p.m. New additions this fall at the receiver position include Joe Fortson, an athletic, 6’-6”, 215-pound presence out of all times Eastern; *GSC; ^Cobb County Clash Erie Community College, along with Damien Strange, a junior transfer from Jacksonville University. The list of returning players from the 2015 season also features quarterback Roland Rivers. Rivers has been in competition for the starting role throughout the preseason against transfer Adam Robles out of the University of ALBANY STATE South Florida, and while Robles has performed well, Coach Bell has been very pleased in the progress of Rivers, who (0-0, 0-0 SIAC) made an impact in spurts last season for the Blazers with his big arm and mobility in the backfield. The level of excitement has reached its peak, and Blazer fans have never been more excited to watch their beloved Nov. 3 Valdosta State 7:00 p.m. Blazers take the field. Nov. 10 Tuskegee University 5:00 p.m. Nov. 17 Southeastern University 7:00 p.m. GAME CENTER Nov. 24 WEST GEORGIA 7:00 p.m. VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS ALBANY STATE Oct. 1 MILES COLLEGE 7:00 p.m. Record: 0-0, 0-0 GSC Record: 0-0, 0-0 GSC Oct. 8 Charleston Southern TBA Ranking: Receiving Votes Ranking: NA Oct. 15 Morehouse College 2:00 p.m. Last Game: West Georgia (L, 20-27) Last Game: Miles (L, 7-20) OCT. 22 CLARK ATLANTA (HOMECOMING) 2:00 P.M. Coach: Kerwin Bell (Univ. of Florida, 1988) Coach: Dan Land (Albany State) Oct. 29 Benedict 2:00 p.m. Record: 66-35 (9 years at Jacksonville Univ.) Record: 6-4 (2nd season) Nov. 5 Fort Valley State 2:00 p.m. at VSU: 0-0 (1st season) at ASU: 6-4 (3rd season) Nov. 12 SIAC Championship TBA vs. GSC: 0-0 vs. SIAC: 5-0 all times Eastern vs. ASU: 0-0 vs. VSU: 0-1 QUICK NOTES ABOUT THE GAME • Valdosta State begins its 35th year of intercollegiate football and owns an overall record of 267 wins, 119 TV • None losses and four ties. • The Blazers’ new mantra this year is “New era. Same tradition.” With the exception of Jeremy Darveau, the RADIO • VSU RADIO NETWORK Blazer coaching staff features an entirely new lineup, consisting of four new assistant coaches. The group is Play-by-Play Dick Rockey led by Kerwin Bell, who was named the program’s new head coach in January, and will serve as the eighth head Analyst Spencer Van Horn coach in a line of Valdosta State Football head coaches. Sideline Tom Odom • The Blazers have scored points in 294 straight games, which represents a Division II Football record. The last Network Stations WDDQ Talk 92.1 FM (Valdosta) time the Blazers were shutout was in the 1991 season opener against Central Florida. WJEM 96.1 FM / 1150 AM (Valdosta) • With 4,054 total career rushing yards, Cedric O’Neal now holds the school record for most career rushing yards WSFB 97.7 FM / 1490 AM (Quitman) and most career touchdowns (48). His rushing touchdown total of 16 last season placed him at the top of the WJHC 107.5 FM (Jasper, Fla.) Gulf South Conference. WKZZ 92.5 FM (Tifton) • Valdosta State football’s winning percentage of .685 places them second all-time at the Division II level. The only program with a higher winning percentage is Grand Valley State. The Lakers have a record of 371-137-3, INTERNET RADIO which tops Division II with a .729 winning percentage. Live Audio talk921.com • Only three teams in the Gulf South Conference have made appearances in the Division II National Championship. Live Stats www.vstateblazers.com Delta State appeared in both the 2000 and 2010 title games, while North Alabama (1985, ‘93, ‘94, ‘95) and Live Video ESPN 3/WatchESPN Valdosta State (2002, ‘04, ‘07, ‘12) have each appeared four times. The Blazers and the Lions have each won three titles, and DSU has won once. SERIES HISTORY AGAINST ALBANY STATE Valdosta State and Albany State meet for the 18th time in program history, and open their seasons against each other for the third straight year... VSU is 16-1 all-time against the Golden Rams and has won the last seven games between the two squads... VSU claimed a tight 21-13 victory in Albany during their last meeting on September 5, 2015... Albany State’s only victory in the series came in the first game of the 2004 season, when ASU claimed a 24-22 victory in Albany... The Blazers avenged that loss with a 38-24 victory in the NCAA Playoffs later that season. 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 AND 2010 GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS 1 OPENING GAME HISTORY THE BLAZER-GOLDEN RAM COMPARISON ALL-TIME HIGHS & LOWS VS. ASU VSU ASU Most Points Scored Fewest Points Scored VSU Roster Breakdown 95 players 83 players 2000 42 1994 14 Year Record H/A/N Opponent Score Seniors 16 14 2001 41 1999 18 9/3/15 23-11-0 A Albany State W, 21-13 Juniors 29 22 2007 41 1998 20 9/6/14 22-11-0 H Albany State W, 38-10 Sophomores 26 15 1996 38 2006 20 9/7/13 21-11-0 N Fort Valley State W, 36-21 Freshmen 24 32 2004 38 2003 21 9/1/12 20-11-0 A Saginaw Valley St. L, 28-24 Starting Offensive Line 2014 38 9/3/11 20-10-0 A Wingate W, 34-28 (2ot) Height, Weight 6-4, 300 6-4, 329 Fewest Points Allowed 9/4/10 19-10-0 H Wingate W, 25-22 Starting Defensive Line Most Points Allowed 2002 0 8/29/09 18-10-0 H Newberry L, 31-24 Height, Weight 6-2, 268 6-3, 294 1996 28 2003 3 8/23/08 18-9-0 A Fort Valley State W, 56-3 Run-to-Pass Ratio - - 2011 27 2007 3 9/1/07 17-9-0 H Albany State W, 41-3 Run-to-Pass Percentage - - 2004 24 Three times 6 9/2/06 16-9-0 A Albany State W, 20-16 Turnovers Gained-Lost - - 2004 24 8/27/05 15-9-0 N Fort Valley State W, 32-10 3rd Down Conversions - - 2006 16 9/4/04 14-9-0 A Albany State L, 24-22 3rd Down Percentage - - Largest Margin of Defeat 8/30/03 14-8-0 H Albany State W, 21-3 4th Down Conversions - - Largest Margin of Victory 2004 2 8/31/02 13-8-0 A Albany State W, 26-0 4th Down Percentage - - 2007 38 8/25/01 12-8-0 H Albany State W, 41-6 Sacks By-Against - - 2001 35 8/26/00 11-8-0 A Albany State W, 42-6 2014 28 8/28/99 10-8-0 H Albany State W, 18-6 EXPERIENCE OF THE TENTATIVE STARTERS 2002 26 8/29/98 9-8-0 A Albany State W, 20-10 Sr. Jr. Soph. RFr. Fr. 1982 23 8/30/97 8-8-0 A Georgia Southern L, 45-26 VSU 12 5 4 0 1 2003 18 Fewest Rushing Yards 8/31/96 8-7-0 A Gardner-Webb W, 42-16 ASU 10 5 5 0 1 1998 -7 9/2/95 7-7-0 H Gardner-Webb W, 34-21 Most Rushing Yards 1994 56 9/3/94 6-7-0 H Knoxville W, 36-0 THE BLAZERS ON THE ROAD 2007 208 1982 82 9/2/93 5-7-0 H Mount Seranio W, 65-0 Valdosta State has played 189 games away from home 2014 188 2003 86 9/12/92 4-7-0 A Georgia Southern L, 24-13 during its 34 year history and has tallied a 119-67-3 record 1996 163 2005 86 9/14/91 4-6-0 A Central Florida L, 12-0 (.630) in those games.