Valdosta State Blazers
Trail Blazing
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In 2022 the Valdosta State Blazers finished the football season with a 5-6 record.
It was their first losing season since 1999.
VSU played for the Division II National Title in 2021, losing to Ferris State.
Tremaine Jackson begins his second year at VSU and hopes to turn things around in 2023. VSU was picked 5th in the Gulf South Conference preseason poll.
2023 GSC Football Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Delta State – 61 pts (6)
2. West Florida – 56 pts (2)
3. West Georgia – 52 pts (1)
4. West Alabama – 44 pts
5. Valdosta State – 33 pts
6. Mississippi College – 32 pts
7. North Greenville – 24 pts
8. Shorter – 13 pts
9. Chowan – 10 pts
*First-place votes in parenthesis ( )
To turn things quickly VSU must improve on the defensive side of the ball. The Blazers gave up 37 points per game in 2022. The stat line must improve drastically if the Blazers want to return to the Division II playoffs.
The road schedule is tough with back-to-back trips to West Florida and West Alabama late in the season. Home schedule has Delta State coming to Bazemore-Hyder in early October.
2023 Schedule/My predictions:
Sat, Sep 2 vs Point University: The Blazers should take care of Point University in the season opener to go 1-0 on the season.
Sat, Sep 9 @ Albany State: If the Blazers struggle in Albany that that could be a sign of trouble ahead. VSU wins this in in a 28-7 type game to go to 2-0 on the season.
Sat, Sep 16 vs Keiser University: Keiser will have athletes, but make the trip to Bazemore-Hyder and come up short 35-24. VSU goes to 3-0 on the season.
Sat, Sep 23 vs North Greenville: The Blazers have had their way with North Greenville and should take this at home. VSU goes to 4-0 on the season with a 38-28 win. Gulf South Conference opener.
Sat, Sep 30 @ Chowan: Chowan is picked last in the preseason poll. Blazers go to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in the GSC.
Sat, Oct 7 vs Delta State: Things get a little tough on the back end of this schedule. VSU gave up 70 points in a 70-31 loss in 2022. DSU is the favorite to win the GSC and come to Valdosta and beat the Blazers 42-31. Blazers drop to 5-1 and 2-1.
Sat, Oct 14 @ Mississippi College: This will be a tough road game for the Blazers, but in the end, they figure out a way to win a close one 34-31. 6-1 and 3-1 on the season.
Sat, Oct 21 vs Shorter: The Gulf South Conference is a tough conference. Shorter will put up a tough fight and come up short 35-21. Blazers go to 7-1 and 4-1 in the GSC.
Sat, Oct 28 @ West Florida: The is a brutal stretch to end the regular season for VSU. Going to West Florida is never a picnic and it will not end well for the Blazers this time around. West Florida wins 38-31. VSU’s conference and playoff hopes get dashed in Pensacola. Blazers drop to 7-2 and 4-2.
Sat, Nov 4 @ West Alabama: Another tough road trip that won’t end well for VSU. Blazers fall to West Alabama 45-35 and drop to 7-3 and 4-3 in the Gulf South Conference.
Sat, Nov 11 vs West Georgia: The football portion of the Red Clay Rivalry has the Blazers hosting the Wolves on Senior Night. West Georgia won big in 2022 and in a hotly contested game West Georgia gets it done against VSU 35-27. Valdosta State finishes the 2023 season with a 7-4 record and 4-4 conference mark.
7-4 and 4-4 just won’t cut it at Valdosta State University. I hope my predictions are way off base. The season rides on the outcomes against the West directional schools in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.
Blazing
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Valdosta State University Blazers are ready to get back into action in 2021.
The Covid-19 Pandemic caused the Blazers 2020 season to be suspended. The last football VSU played was an upset loss to West Florida at home in the Division II playoffs that ended a school record 25 game winning streak.
Gary Goff enters his third year at the helm of the Blazers with a 10-1 record. The Blazers are picked 2nd in the preseason Gulf South Coaches Poll, and picked 6th nationally in The American Football Coaches Association preseason poll.
VSU returns great talent across the board as they have 8 preseason first team all-conference selections.
Headlining the preseason all-conference team for the Blazers are 2019 first team all-conference running backs Jamar Thompkins and Seth McGill, along with wide outs Brian Saunds and Lio’undre Gallimore. Saunds also was named to the preseason all-conference team as a return specialist.
Blazer standout offensive tackle Ralph Singleton also earned a spot on the preseason team as he earned second team all-conference honors in 2019.
Defensively, the Blazers had selections at all three levels with Ja’Davien Williams earning a spot up front, while Nick Moss was selected as a linebacker and 2019 second team all-conference selection Cory Roberts earned a spot in the secondary on the preseason team.
VSU will be attempting to win their third straight Gulf South Conference football title this fall.
Gulf South Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll:
West Florida
Valdosta State
Delta State
West Alabama
West Georgia
Mississippi College
North Greenville
Shorter
Schedule/My Predictions:
Sep 4 vs. Savannah State: The Tigers will be looking for answers early in this one, but none will reveal themselves. Everyone with a Blazer uniform on plays. Blazers start 1-0 with a 52-7 win.
Sep 11 @ Virginia Union: Long road trip for the Blazers, but they shake off a first quarter hangover and end up pulling away for a 34-14 win to go to 2-0 on the season.
Sep 18 vs. Albany State: The Rams travel to Bazemore-Hyder and get a rude welcome. Blazers go to 3-0 on the season with a 38-17 win.
Oct 2 vs. Shorter: Shorter is not a very good football team, and they get blown out on the road 49-3. VSU goes to 4-0 on the season.
Oct 9 vs, Delta State: The Statesmen give the Blazers a test on the road, but come up short in a good contest 31-24. Blazers are 5-0 and ranked #2 in the nation.
Oct 16 @ West Alabama: Trips to Livingston, Alabama are never easy. Blazers pull one out against a very good Tiger team 27-23. VSU is 6-0 on the season.
Oct 23 @ Mississippi College: Back-to-back long conference road trips are never easy. MC is down and VSU whips the Choctaws 42-17. Blazers go to 7-0 on the season.
Oct 30 vs. West Georgia: Rivalry game at home. Wolves get hammered by the Blazers 49-20. Blazers are 8-0 on the season.
Nov 6 vs. North Greenville: Homecoming week where folks like me show up and reminisce about our days at old Valdosta State College from the 1980’s while the Blazers rip the Crusaders just like the Delta Chi’s did the Kappa Alpha Order in anything considered athletic back in the day. VSU wins 42-0. VSU is 9-0 on the season.
Nov 13 @ West Florida: The Argos are preseason #1 in the county and defending national champions. This could be the Division II game of the century.
The Argos ended a 25 game Blazer winning streak in 2019. VSU has been looking forward to this game for two years and will go on the road and get it done in Pensacola with a hard fought 31-28 win, and win their third straight GSC title.
Valdosta State will enter the playoffs as the #1 seed and will be a strong pick to win another National Title for Winnersville, USA also known as Valdosta, Georgia.
