NORTH ALABAMA NCAA PLAYOFFS - GAME 11 Saturday, November 22 • 1:00 p.m. vs. Florence, Ala. • Braly Stadium (14,215) VSU Media Relations • (229) 333-5903 • www.vstateblazers.com Football Contact: Shawn Reed ([email protected]) #21/#15 VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS OPEN NCAA PLAYOFFS AT NORTH ALABAMA (8-2, 5-2 GSC) Valdosta State makes its 13th appearance in the NCAA Playoffs as the Blazers travel to Florence, Ala. to face off against Gulf South Conference foe North Alabama. The Blazers enter the contest with an 8-2 record on the year 9/6 ALBANY STATE W, 38-10 and went 5-2 in GSC play while UNA went 9-1 overall, including a 31-29 victory over VSU in the regular season, and 9/13 vs. #12 Winston-Salem State W, 22-17 finished the year 6-1 in league action. 9/20 #14 DELTA STATE* L, 49-32 The game features two of the best defenses in the Gulf South Conference as the Lions lead the league as they 9/27 at #5 North Alabama* L, 31-29 allow only 16.7 points a game while VSU is second at 17.2 points allowed per outing. North Alabama is also first in 10/11 #21 WEST GEORGIA* W, 40-6 total yards allowed at 318.3 per game as well as in passing yards per game allowed at 168.2. While Valdosta State is 10/18 at Mississippi College* W, 62-0 fifth in the league in total defense at 351.9 yards allowed, it gives up just 134.1 rushing yards a game, which ranks 10/25 SHORTER* W, 37-6 second-best in the league. 10/30 at West Alabama* W, 24-17 Valdosta State currently scores 35.1 points per game. On the year, the Blazers featue a balanced offense as 11/8 at UNC-Pembroke W, 36-7 they run for 220.7 yards per game while passing for 243.7. Jake Medlock has completed 122 of his 176 passes for 11/15 at Florida Tech* W, 31-29 1,532 yards and has run for 473 yards on the year. He has passed for 14 touchdowns and ran for five more. Austin 11/22 at North Alabama^ 1:00 p.m. Scott leads the team with 684 rushing yards along with four scores and Cedric O’Neal is just behind at 652 yards all times Eastern; *GSC; ^NCAA Playoffs to go along with nine scores. Chris Anderson leads the receivers with 52 receptions for 567 yards and has three #12/#11 NORTH ALABAMA touchdowns. (9-1, 6-1 GSC) In addition to the 134.1 rushing yards per game that the Blazer Black Swarm defense allows, VSU also gives up 217.8 passing yards a game. The Blazers have caused havoc for opposing offenses as they have recorded 60 tackles 9/13 at Mississippi College W, 58-0 for loss on the year, including 18 sacks, and have recorded 23 turnovers. Kenny Murphy has recorded a team-high 9/20 LANGSTON W, 56-7 72 tackles while Justin Williams has 66 tackles. 9/27 VALDOSTA STATE* W, 31-29 10/4 WESTERN OREGON W, 30-10 GAME CENTER 10/11 at UNC-Pembroke W, 27-6 VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS NORTH ALABAMA LIONS 10/18 at Florida Tech* W, 34-31 Record: 8-2, 5-2 GSC Record: 9-1, 6-1 GSC 10/25 WEST GEORGIA* W, 31-28 Ranking: #21 AFCA / #15 D2Football.com Ranking: #12 AFCA / #11 D2Football.com 11/1 at Delta State* L, 33-28 Last Game: Defeated Florida Tech 31-29 Last Game: Defeated West Alabama 24-16 11/8 SHORTER* W, 45-7 Coach: David Dean (Georgia State, 1986) Coach: Bobby Wallace (Mississippi St., 1975) 11/13 at West Alabama* W, 24-16 Record: 68-23 (8th season) Record: 151-146-1 (25th season) 11/22 VALDOSTA STATE^ 1:00 p.m. at VSU: 68-23 (8th season) at UNA: 106-45-1 (12th season) all times Eastern; *GSC; ^NCAA Playoffs vs. GSC: 37-17 vs. GSC: 73-53-1 ABOUT THE GAME vs. UNA: 4-7 vs. VSU: 8-10-1 TV • None QUICK NOTES • Valdosta State is in its 33rd year of intercollegiate football and owns an overall record of 256 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 68 wins, against just 23 Analyst Spencer Van Horn losses, during his eight-year coaching career. He owns a .747 career winning percentage. Sideline Tom Odom • The Blazers have scored in 279 straight games, tops among DII schools. Network Stations WDDQ Talk 92.1 FM (Valdosta) • The Blazers have won 58.2 percent of their games played in the month of November, compiling a record of 52- WJEM 96.1 FM / 1150 AM (Valdosta) 37-3 during the 11th month over the years. WSFB 97.7 FM / 1490 AM (Quitman) • The Blazers are making their 13th appearance in the NCAA Playoffs. VSU owns a 19-9 Playoff record. WJHC 107.5 FM (Jasper, Fla.) • With this week’s trip to North Alabama, Valdosta State has traveled 3,100 miles over the course of the last WCFO 1160 AM (Atlanta) three weeks. On the season, the trip to UNA will bring VSU’s travel total to 5,616 miles. • Cedric O’Neal tied a career-high with three rushing touchdowns last week at Florida Tech. He also had three INTERNET RADIO scores against both West Alabama and Carson-Newman in the NCAA Playoffs in 2012. Live Audio talk921.com • Valdosta State has forced seven turnovers in the last two weeks as the Blazers have intercepted three passes Live Stats roarlions.com/livestats/football/xlive.htm and recovered four fumbles during that span. Webcast portal.stretchinternet.com/una/ • This week’s Playoff game against North Alabama marks the sixth time the two schools have met in the post- season. The six games against UNA ties Carson-Newman for Valdosta State’s most oft-played foe in the NCAA postseason tournament. SERIES HISTORY AGAINST NORTH ALABAMA The most played rivalry in Valdosta State history, VSU and North Alabama meet for the 39th time in the 33 year history of Blazer football ... The teams have met all 33 years VSU has sponsored a football team and meet in the NCAA Playoffs for the sixth time ... UNA currently owns a 22-15-1 advantage in the all-time series, including an 11-8 mark in Florence and a 4-1 record in the Playoffs ... David Dean has led his squad to a 4-7 record against the Lions. 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 AND 2010 GULF SOUTH CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS ALL-TIME IN THE NCAA PLAYOFFS VSU PLAYOFF RECORDS ROAD WARRIORS Most Points Scored Fewest Points Scored Valdosta State has covered plenty of miles over the VSU 2007-CAT 55 2008-UNA 10 course of the last three weeks of the regular season as, Year Record Streak Opponent Score 2012-UWA 49 2000-DSU 12 in order to play its three road games during that span, the 1994 1-0 Won 1 Albany State W, 14-7 2012-C-N 48 2005-UNA 13 Blazers traveled 2,116 miles round trip. 1994 1-1 Lost 1 North Alabama L, 27-24 (2ot) 2004-WCU 45 1994-ASU 14 The three game set began with a 734 mile trip to 1996 2-1 Won 1 Albany State W, 38-28 2001-FVSU 40 1996-C-N 19 Livinston, Ala. to face West Alabama on October 30. The 1996 2-2 Lost 1 Carson-Newman L, 24-19 next weekend, VSU traveled 832 miles on a trip to face 2000 2-3 Lost 2 Delta State L, 45-12 Most Points Allowed Fewest Points Allowed 2001 3-3 Won 1 Fort Valley St. W, 40-24 UNC-Pembroke in Pembroke, N.C. and last week, covered 2001 3-4 Lost 1 Catawba L, 37-34 (ot) 2000-DSU 45 1994-ASU 7 550 miles on a trip to Melbourne, Fla. to play Florida Tech. 2002 4-4 Won 1 Catawba W, 24-7 2010-UNA 43 2002-CAT 7 Overall on the season, Valdosta State has traveled 4,632 2002 5-4 Won 2 Carson-Newman W, 31-28 2005-UNA 40 2012-WSSU 7 miles by bus this year as six of VSU’s 10 games were played 2002 6-4 Won 3 Texas A&M-Kings. W, 21-12 2001-CAT 37 2002-TAMUK 12 away from its home field at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. At an 2002 6-5 Lost 1 Grand Valley St. L, 31-24 2008-UNA 37 2004-C-N 12 average of 70 miles per hour, that means the Blazers have 2003 6-6 Lost 2 Carson-Newman L, 35-29 spent more than 66 hours on a bus this year. 2004 7-6 Won 1 Carson-Newman W, 38-12 Largest Margin of Victory Largest Margin of Defeat The Blazers’ traveling ways are not over as VSU faces a 2004 8-6 Won 2 Albany State W, 38-24 2012-UWA 28 2000-DSU 33 984 mile trip, there and back, to North Alabama this week, 2004 9-6 Won 3 West Chester W, 45-21 2012-WSSU 28 2005-UNA 27 Valdosta State’s second trip to Florence, Ala. on the year. 2004 10-6 Won 4 Pittsburg State W, 36-31 2004-C-N 26 2008-UNA 27 That will bring the VSU total on the year to 5,616 miles, or 2005 10-7 Lost 1 North Alabama L, 40-13 2007-CAT 26 2010-UNA 23 27 more miles than if one were to drive from New York, N.Y.