VALDOSTA — Blazersportsbeat.com will be discontinued, effective immediately. The coverage of Valdosta State University's championship teams will not be affected, though.
The Valdosta Daily Times' sports blog dedicated to covering Blazer athletics is now available via the newspaper's official Web site, www.valdostadailytimes.com.
The Blazers Blog is available by visiting www.valdostadailytimes.com/blazersblog.
From there, readers will be able to access other local content, including local news, features and sports coverage.
Readers are urged to continue to visit www.valdostadailytimes.com/blazersblog for continuous coverage of VSU's athletic success.
Follow VSU beat writer Ed Hooper on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Ed_Hooper.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Blazers to rely on Dean's past championship experiences this week
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| David Dean |
It won't be his second or third time either.
Dean will coach in his fourth Division II national championship Saturday, his second as a head coach. He enters with a 2-1 record in his previous three appearances, including a 1-0 mark as a head coach after he guided the Blazers to the championship in 2007.
As the Blazers continue their week of preparation for undefeated Winston-Salem State in Florence, Dean will turn to his past experiences to prepare for the hectic and often chaotic scheduling demands of playing in the championship game.
"I can gain on a lot of experience," Dean said. "What we need to do and how we need to handle things and just the approach of our football team and letting them know what will happen. When you don't know what is going to happen and go in blind like we did with Grand Valley (in 2002), everything was just a whirlwind to you. I think that is the one thing that has helped us all along. You learn from that experience."
For Dean himself, he says the championship week is "crazy" and is one of the toughest weeks of the season.
"It's crazy. It is absolutely insane," Dean said. "There are so many things you have to do, as far as preparing your team. Basically, you are doing six days of work in three days because you work Sunday to Friday to get ready for a game. Now you have to cram six days of work into three. And we are really handicapped with the way we have to approach this, because we (had) to leave early Wednesday and we (lost) a whole day of preparation as a staff.
"There are so many demands when you play for a national championship. The papers in North Carolina want to talk to you, ESPN wants to talk to you, the people here want to talk to you, but it is good. I'll take it every year. When you have this kind of recognition and people actually want to talk to you, you know you are actually playing for something."
Valdosta State enters Saturday's game riding a 9-game winning streak, which started with a 58-10 drubbing of Edward Waters Sept. 29. The Blazers' last loss was a 39-28 defeat to West Alabama Sept. 22 in Valdosta.
Following the loss to West Alabama, which was the Blazers' second loss in four weeks, an appearance in the championship game by Valdosta State looked nearly unlikely, and Dean and other Blazer coaches were unofficially placed on the dreaded "hot seat".
"People got down on this coaching staff and down on this football team," Dean said. "And that is understandable. When you are 2-2 and you are supposed to be pretty good, everyone is going to question. Everybody wants us to be undefeated and we want to be undefeated. For us, we knew we had a good football team and we just had to start playing better and fortunately we did. We got a little bit better each week."
But, the Blazers never wavered and stayed focused, winning nine consecutive games, including three straight playoff games in which they trailed by double digits in either the second or third quarter. Now, the Blazers are one win away from claiming the school's third national championship in football.
"When you get into this business, you want to win a national championship, so when you get the opportunity it is very satisfying," Dean said. "I've been there in 2002 and lost. It is probably the sickest feeling you can have but then the joy and elation that I felt in 2004 and 2007, you can't, from a professional standpoint, you just can't explain it."
— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.
Blazer DBs ready for Winston-Salem passing attack
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| VSU's Matt Pierce leads the Blazers with four interceptions this season. (Ed Hooper | The VDT) |
The Blazers got back to what they were taught throughout training camp.
“It wasn’t so much, ‘Lets put in something new,’ it was, ‘Lets get back to the coverage’s we put in during camp,’” senior cornerback Matt Pierce said. “We wanted to work those and make sure everyone knew their specific job and what to do.”
Since that break in action, the Blazers have faced three primarily run-based teams, including the triple-option attack of Carson-Newman, in the Division II playoffs.
But now, as the Blazers are just days away from their fourth-ever appearance in the Division II National Championship Game, the Blazer secondary is preparing for the passing attack of the Winston-Salem State Rams.
Despite entering Saturday’s game allowing just over 187 yards passing per game, the Blazers have been challenged in the secondary this season.
Playing a schedule that featured a heavy dose of run-first teams, Valdosta State allowed at least 300 yards passing in three games this season.
“Basically, we just got to read our keys,” safety Lance Holder said. “We got linebackers and a D-line that are going to handle the run; it is just us to worry about the pass.”
In the season-opening loss to Saginaw Valley State, the Blazers allowed 378 yards and four passing touchdowns to Cardinals quarterback Jonathon Jennings.
Then, the Blazers were able to limit their next six opponents to an average of 153.6 yards passing per game, although they did allow 232 yards passing to North Alabama, which entered the game averaging less than 100 yards through the air.
Following its 24-21 win over UNA, Valdosta State allowed 340 yards passing in a winning effort over rival Delta State, which entered the game averaging just 191 yards passing.
Two weeks later, the Blazers allowed a season-high 389 yards passing to Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Now after facing three run-first teams in the playoffs, and allowing just 114.3 passing yards per game during that stretch, the Blazers will face a Rams passing attack that features a 3,000-yard passer and has a combined 54 passing touchdowns this season.
“It’s been a while, so it will take some getting used to,” Valdosta State head coach David Dean said. “Thank goodness it isn’t the option, because we are sick of the option. But they do a great job. We are going to have to put pressure on the backfield. We are not going to be able to give them big plays.”
The big plays, as Dean referred to, have been the major downfall to the Blazer secondary this season. In fact, in the three games where they surrendered more than 300 yards passing, the Blazers allowed 13 passes of at least 20 yards in length.
In the win over Delta State, they allowed four pass plays of at least 20 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown pass on the Statesmen’s first play from scrimmage and a 70-yard touchdown pass two series later.
In the win over Kingsville, the Blazers allowed a season-long 94-yard touchdown pass on the Javelinas’ first offensive play.
“If we give up big plays Saturday, we are going to be in trouble,” Dean said. “We have to force them to make play after play, and force them to drive the football down the field.”
If the Blazers have one thing going for them this week, it’s the passing attack they’ve been facing each day in practice throughout the season.
Valdosta State’s offense is averaging 261.3 passing yards per game, but features three receivers with at least 49 catches and two receivers with over 900 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns each.
“To be honest with you, I think we have the best receivers in the nation,” Pierce said. “Going up against them every day, I think it really prepares us to go up against these receivers. The receivers we are going up against are real good, but I think if we eliminate the big plays we will be in a good position.”
Winston-Salem also has a three-headed monster in the receiving corps. Jahuann Butler leads the team with 58 catches for 1,167 yards with 12 touchdowns, while Jameze Massey has 56 catches for 1,156 yards with 14 touchdowns. Jamal Williams has 49 catches for 757 yards with 12 touchdowns this season.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Similarities between the 2007, 2012 football seasons
The Blazers finished the 2007 season with a 13-1 record, claiming the school’s second football national championship.
Now, as Valdosta State prepares for the opportunity to compete for its third football national championship, comparisions between the 2007 and 2012 season have started to surface.
Here are some of those similiarities:
— When the Blazers made their championship run in 2007, Willie Copeland was one of the team’s quarterbacks. Copeland, a left-handed quarterback, passed for 3,160 yards with 28 touchdowns that season. This year, the Blazers are led by left-hander Cayden Cochran, who has thrown for 2,601 yards and 25 touchdowns.
— Freshman Cedric O'Neal became the eighth different running back in school-history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. The last time the Blazers had a 1,000-yard rusher was 2007, when Michael Terry finished the championship season with 1,107 yards and 12 touchdowns. O’Neal has 1,058 yards with 13 touchdowns this season.
— With his 76 yards receiving in last week’s national semifinal win over Minnesota State-Mankato, junior receiver Gerald Ford eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yards for the first time in his career. Ford became the first Blazer to have more than 1,000 yards receiving in a season since Cedric Jones finished the 2007 season with 1,171 yards and 10 touchdowns. Ford has 1,018 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.
— For their 2007 national semifinal contest, the Blazers were forced to fly north and face California (Pa.). Temperatures for the game were in the mid-30’s and snow covered the ground around the stadium. This season, the Blazers flew to Mankato, Minn., where they faced MSU-Mankato in 30 degree temperatures and snow covering the ground around the stadium. On both trips — in 2007 and 2012 — the same flight attendant served on the flight staff for the team’s charter.
— In 2007, the Blazers won the national championship with a 13-1 record. Their only loss was to rival Delta State, which later won the Gulf South Conference. This season, the Blazers’ only conference loss was to West Alabama, which later won its first-ever outright conference championship. Despite not winning the conference either season, the Blazers managed to reach the national championship game both seasons.
— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.
Getting to know Winston-Salem State
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| VSU's Regginald Lewis breaks away from a MSU-Mankato defender during the national semifinal game. (The Associated Presss/Mankato Free Press) |
The meeting will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The Blazers advanced to the national championship game after going 8-2 in regular season play, finishing second in the Gulf South Conference and earning the region’s top seed. In the playoffs, VSU beat West Alabama (49-21), Carson-Newman (48-26) and Minnesota State-Mankato (35-19).
Winston-Salem State advanced to its first-ever national championship with a perfect 14-0 record. The Rams won the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this season, earning the school’s seventh playoff appearance.
Monday, December 10, 2012
A side-by-side comparsion between VSU and WSSU
Valdosta State (11-2) Winston-Salem State (14-0)
National ranking: 17 2
Total offense: 481.2 (10th) 483.1 (9th)
Rushing offense: 219.8 (21st) 190.5 (41st)
Passing offense: 261.3 (41st) 292.6 (24th)
Total defense: 349.3 (46th) 293.8 (12th)
Rushing defense: 162.2 (87th) 89.1 (7th)
Passing defense: 187.1 (29th) 204.6 (55th)
Pass Efficiency rank: 15th 2nd
Opp. pass eff. rank: 32nd 9th
Scoring offense: 42.1 (6th) 42.6 (5th)
Scoring defense: 21 (31st) 16.1 (8th)
Key players:
Valdosta State:Cayden Cochran, QB — 200 of 312 for 2,601 yards with 25 touchdowns, 8 interceptions; 336 yards rushing on 92 carries, 9 touchdowns
Cedric O'Neal, RB — 1,058 yards on 156 carries, 13 touchdowns
Austin Scott, RB — 992 yards on 164 carries, 9 touchdowns
Gerald Ford, WR — 68 rec., 1,018 yards, 13 touchdowns
Seantavious Jones, WR — 49 rec., 916 yards, 13 touchdowns
Regginald Lewis, WR — 52 rec., 712 yards, 4 touchdowns
Chris Pope, LB — 117 tackles, 5 1/2 for loss
Jeremy Grable, LB — 98 tackles, 9 1/2 for loss
Ryan Smith, LB — 78 tackles, 11 1/2 for loss
Tevin Davis, DE — Team-high 15 tackles for loss for negative 68 yards
Matt Pierce, DB — Team-high 4 interceptions
Winston-Salem State:
Kameron Smith, QB — 198 of 322 for 3,042 yards, 42 touchdowns, 9 interceptions; 320 yards rushing on 103 carries, 4 touchdowns.
Jahuann Butler, WR — 58 rec., 1,167 yards, 12 touchdowns
Jameze Massey, WR — 56 rec., 1,156 yards, 14 touchdowns
Jamal Williams, WR — 49 rec., 757 yards, 12 touchdowns
Maurice Lewis, RB — 969 yards on 185 carries, 13 touchdowns
Brand McDonald, RB — 314 yards on 57 carries, 2 touchdowns
Carlos Fields — 107 tackles, 8 tackles for loss
Daniel Mungin — Team-high 11 tackles for loss
Larry Hearne, DB — Leads team with 5 interceptions
Anthony Carrothers, QB — 51 of 96 for 948 yards, 12 touchdowns
— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.
VSU's Schraeder named All-American
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| Schraeder |
Schraeder, an AFCA All-American in 2011, has helped anchor a senior laden offensive line that has guided the Blazers to an average of 481.2 yards per game, including a school-record 219.8 yards rushing.
Entering last week's national semifinal against Minnesota State-Mankato, Schraeder had graded out at 95.7 percent this season, with 799 positive graded plays out of 835. Schraeder entered the game with a team-high 58 knockdowns.
Two weeks ago, Schraeder was named the 26th rated offensive tackle prospect for the upcoming April 2013 NFL Draft.
Valdosta State faces Winston-Salem State in the Division II National Championship Game Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala.
— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.
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