ALBANY STATE - GAME 1 Saturday, September 6 • 7:00 p.m. vs. Valdosta, Ga. • Bazemore-Hyder Stadium (10,500) VSU Media Relations • (229) 333-5903 • www.vstateblazers.com Football Contact: Shawn Reed ([email protected]) VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS OPEN 2014 AGAINST OLD RIVAL (0-0, 0-0 GSC) Valdosta State kicks off its 2014 season as it faces one of its oldest rivals as the Blazers host Albany State at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The game features the 16th meeting between the two schools in a series that dates back 9/6 ALBANY STATE 7:00 p.m. to VSU’s first season when the Blazers claimed a 36-13 victory on October 23, 1982. However, the game is the first 9/13 vs. Winston-Salem State 4:00 p.m. meeting between Valdosta State and the Golden Rams since the Blazers won 30-27 on September 17, 2011. 9/20 DELTA STATE* 7:00 p.m. Valdosta State returns 12 starters and 51 letterwinners off of their 2013 team that went 6-4. The Blazer offense 9/27 at North Alabama* 7:00 p.m. will be led by two-time All-Gulf South Conference running back Cedric O’Neal, who has rushed for 2,173 yards, the 10/11 WEST GEORGIA* 2:00 p.m. sixth-highest total in school history, over the course of the last two years. He is joined in the backfield by fellow junior 10/18 at Mississippi College* 4:00 p.m. Austin Scott, who is eighth in school history with 1,703 rushing yards. Meanwhile, VSU returns its entire offensive 10/25 SHORTER* 3:00 p.m. line from a year ago as well as quarterback Kaleb Nobles, who passed for 967 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. 10/30 at West Alabama* 7:00 p.m. VSU’s greatest losses from last year come on defense as it returns just two of its top 11 tacklers. Senior linebacker 11/8 at UNC-Pembroke 1:00 p.m. Justin Williams, who had 79 tackles and two forced fumbles last year, leads the returners on the Black Swarm while 11/15 at Florida Tech* 6:00 p.m. senior safety Isaiah Gresham also returns after recording 32 tackles in 2013. Albany State returns the majority of its offense this season as the Golden Rams welcome back eight of their all times Eastern; *GSC 11 starters, led by quarterback Frank Rivers, who was voted the SIAC Preseason Player of the Year after earning ALBANY STATE All-SIAC honors last year. Rivers threw for 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns last season, with 51 of his completions (0-0, 0-0 SIAC) going to wide receiver Jesse Atkins, who finished the year with 661 yards and eight touchdowns. Meanwhile, ASU will rebuild its defense as Head Coach Mike White, who is in his 15th season with Albany State, returns four starters. 9/6 at Valdosta State 7:00 p.m. On defense, Albany State will rely heavily on its line as preseason All-SIAC selections Grover Stewart and Damien 9/13 at Tuskegee* 2:00 p.m. Goolsby both return, as does 2013 leading tackler Larry Whitfield in the secondary. 9/27 MILES* 7:00 p.m. 10/4 at Paine* 4:00 p.m. GAME CENTER 10/11 LANE* 7:00 p.m. VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS ALBANY STATE GOLDEN RAMS 10/18 at Morehouse* 2:00 p.m. Record: 0-0, 0-0 GSC Record: 0-0, 0-0 SIAC 10/25 CLARK ATLANTA* 2:00 p.m. Ranking: Receiving Votes Ranking: Receiving Votes 11/1 at Benedict* 2:00 p.m. Last Game: First game of 2014 Last Game: First game of 2014 11/8 vs. Fort Valley State* 2:00 p.m. Coach: David Dean (Georgia State, 1986) Coach: Mike White (Albany State 1990) 11/15 SIAC Championship Game TBA Record: 60-21 (7th season) Record: 105-48 (15th season) at VSU: 60-21 (7th season) at ASU: 105-48 (15th season) all times Eastern; *SIAC vs. SIAC: 6-0 vs. SIAC: Not Available ABOUT THE GAME vs. ASU: 2-0 vs. VSU: 1-9 TV • None QUICK NOTES • Valdosta State is in its 33rd year of intercollegiate football and owns an overall record of 248 wins, 113 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 60 wins, against just 21 Analyst Spencer Van Horn losses, during his seven-year coaching career. He owns a .741 career winning percentage. Sideline Tom Odom • The Blazers have scored in 269 straight games, tops among DII schools. Network Stations WDDQ Talk 92.1 FM (Valdosta) • The Blazers have won 71.5 percent of their games played in the month of September, compiling a record of WJEM 96.1 FM / 1150 AM (Valdosta) 81-32-1 during the ninth month over the years. WSFB 97.7 FM / 1490 AM (Quitman) • This year marks the 10th time that Valdosta State has played Albany State in its season opener. The Blazers are WJHC 107.5 FM (Jasper, Fla.) 8-1 in the previous nine season openers against the Golden Rams, including victories in the last two contests. WKZZ 92.5 FM (Tifton) • Overall, VSU has gone 21-11 in its 32 previous season openers, including a 5-2 mark under Head Coach David Dean. INTERNET RADIO • Valdosta State and Albany State meet for the 16th time in history, with the Blazers holding a 14-1 advantage Live Audio talk921.com in the previous meetings. Live Stats sidearmstats.com/valdosta/football/ • Cedric O’Neal enters the 2014 season with 2,173 rushing yards, the sixth-most in school history. He is just Live Video useducationtv.com/default.aspx?sid=286 1,686 yards behind VSU career record holder Aaron Jenkins, who rushed for 3,859 yards. • Four of the top five Valdosta State home crowds have occurred when the Blazers have faced off against Albany State, including each of the top three home crowds in school history. SERIES HISTORY AGAINST ALBANY STATE Valdosta State and Albany State meet for the 16th time in program history, although just the first time since the 2011 season ... VSU is 14-1 all-time against the Golden Rams and has won the last five games between the two squads ... VSU claimed a 30-27 victory in Albany during the last meeting ... 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 SERIES HISTORY VS. ALBANY STATE THE BLAZER-GOLDEN RAM COMPARISON ALL-TIME HIGHS & LOWS VS. ASU VSU ASU Most Points Scored Fewest Points Scored VSU Roster Breakdown 84 players 73 players 2000 42 1994 14 Year Record H/A/N Opponent Score Seniors 25 15 2001 41 1999 18 9/7/13 21-11-0 N Fort Valley State W, 36-21 Juniors 21 16 2007 41 1998 20 9/1/12 20-11-0 A Saginaw Valley St. L, 28-24 Sophomores 20 12 1996 38 2006 20 9/3/11 20-10-0 A Wingate W, 34-28 (2ot) Freshmen 18 30 2004 38 2003 21 9/4/10 19-10-0 H Wingate W, 25-22 Starting Offensive Line 8/29/09 18-10-0 H Newberry L, 31-24 Height, Weight 6-4, 300 6-4, 328 Most Points Allowed Fewest Points Allowed 8/23/08 18-9-0 A Fort Valley State W, 56-3 Starting Defensive Line 1996 28 2002 0 9/1/07 17-9-0 H Albany State W, 41-3 Height, Weight 6-0, 242 6-4, 323 2011 27 2003 3 9/2/06 16-9-0 A Albany State W, 20-16 Run-to-Pass Ratio - - 2004 24 2007 3 8/27/05 15-9-0 N Fort Valley State W, 32-10 Run-to-Pass Percentage - - 2004 24 Three times 6 9/4/04 14-9-0 A Albany State L, 24-22 Turnovers Gained-Lost - - 2006 16 8/30/03 14-8-0 H Albany State W, 21-3 3rd Down Conversions - - 8/31/02 13-8-0 A Albany State W, 26-0 3rd Down Percentage - - Largest Margin of Victory Largest Margin of Defeat 8/25/01 12-8-0 H Albany State W, 41-6 4th Down Conversions - - 2007 38 2004 2 8/26/00 11-8-0 A Albany State W, 42-6 4th Down Percentage - - 2001 35 8/28/99 10-8-0 H Albany State W, 18-6 Sacks By-Against - - 2002 26 8/29/98 9-8-0 A Albany State W, 20-10 1982 23 8/30/97 8-8-0 A Georgia Southern L, 45-26 EXPERIENCE OF THE TENTATIVE STARTERS 2003 18 8/31/96 8-7-0 A Gardner-Webb W, 42-16 Sr. Jr. Soph. RFr. Fr. 9/2/95 7-7-0 H Gardner-Webb W, 34-21 VSU 9 8 5 0 0 Most Rushing Yards Fewest Rushing Yards 9/3/94 6-7-0 H Knoxville W, 36-0 ASU 9 4 5 0 4 2007 208 1998 -7 9/2/93 5-7-0 H Mount Seranio W, 65-0 1996 163 1994 56 9/12/92 4-7-0 A Georgia Southern L, 24-13 THE BLAZERS AT HOME 2004 161 1982 82 9/14/91 4-6-0 A Central Florida L, 12-0 Valdosta State has won 137 of 184 games, with 41 2001 158 2003 86 9/1/90 4-5-0 A Georgia Southern L, 17-10 losses and one tie (.747), on its home field since beginning 2011 143 2005 86 9/2/89 4-4-0 A Georgia Southern L, 31-10 football in 1982.