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| Valdosta State wide receiver Seantavious Jones. |
ARLINGTON, Texas — The 18th-ranked Valdosta State football team cruised to a 43-10 win over unranked Angelo State Saturday on the final day of the Lone Star Football Festival at Cowboys Stadium.
Here are notes and stats from the Blazers’ win on Saturday.
Getting it done on the ground Valdosta State racked up the fifth most yards in school history Saturday with 292 yards on the ground. The freshman trio of Austin Scott, Eric Scott and Cedric O’Neal accounted for all but 28 of those yards. Austin Scott led the way with 126 yards on 17 carries, while O’Neal added 74 and Eric Scott added 73. Coming into the game, Angelo State was allowed just over 106 yards on the ground per game.
Ford is in a zone After being academically ineligible in 2010, junior wide receiver Gerald Ford has come back with a lot to prove in 2012. Ford’s seven catch, 110-yard and two TD performance Saturday gives him 16 catches for more 320 yards and five touchdowns this season. All five of his touchdowns have come in the last two weeks, both Blazer victories.
Roelle without a catch again After being hampered by a hamstring and quad injury throughout training camp, which forced him to miss the season opener at Saginaw Valley State, junior wide receiver Griffin Roelle has yet to record a catch since returning to the line up, largely because of the production by Ford (the two share a position). Roelle led the Blazers in receptions last season.
Stat of the day
Valdosta State forced Angelo State to seven punts Saturday night, including four three-and-outs. More impressively, the Blazers held the Rams to just 262 yards of offense, while the VSU offense racked up 520 yards of total offense. The Blazers were also a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone.
Defense finally records a sack After being held without a sack in the first two games, the Blazer defense recorded its first sacks of the season Saturday. Ryan Smith got things started with a sack in the first quarter. Tyler Josey and O’Neil Cohen also recorded sacks later in the game. Altogether, six Blazers recorded tackles for loss, including Lawrence Virgil, whose tackle for a loss resulted in a safety.
Looking ahead After three games in three different states to begin the regular season, the Blazers will finish the year with 6 of their last 7 games in the state of Georgia, including the next two. The Blazers host West Alabama in the Gulf South Conference opener next weekend at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. VSU hosts Edward Waters the following week before visiting West Georgia Oct. 6. Kickoff for the next two home games are set for 7 p.m. while kickoff at UWG is set for 3 p.m.
