Monday, September 17, 2012

Ford named Player of the Week; Blazers move up in polls

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State wide receiver Gerald Ford was named the Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the second straight time Monday.
Ford guided the Blazer offense to 520 yards in a 43-10 rout of Angelo State Saturday at Cowboys Stadium. Ford was the go-to target for quarterback Cayden Cochran, recording a team-high seven passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. The 100-yard performance was the second straight week Ford eclipsed the century mark in receiving yards.

With the Blazers leading 10-3 in the second quarter Saturday, Ford connected with Cochran on a 24-yard touchdown pass. Ford eluded the entire defense on the play to score the touchdown. In the third quarter, the two connected again. This time, Cochran found Ford in the back of the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown that put the Blazers ahead 29-10 in the third quarter.

The junior, who missed the entire 2011 season due to academic issues, has been nearly unstoppable this season for the Blazers. Through VSU's first three games, Ford leads the Blazers in receptions (17), receiving yards (331) and touchdowns (5). Currently, he is averaging 110 yards receiving per game.

Blazers move up two spots in polls

The Valdosta State Blazers moved up two spots in the latest American Football Coaches Association Poll, released on Monday. The Blazers are now ranked 16th following the win over Angelo State.

Pittsburg State (Kan.) remains the top-ranked team after a 52-9 win over Southwest Baptist last weekend. Minnesota-Duluth is ranked second, followed by Colorado State-Pueblo, Grand Valley State and Winston-Salem State (N.C.).

VSU's opponent this week, West Alabama, is ranked 23rd. Delta State dropped out of the poll, along with Texas A&M-Kingsville — the Blazers' final opponent of the regular season.

Saginaw Valley State, the only team to beat the Blazers this season, fell 10 spots to 20th after suffering its first loss of the season on Saturday. The Cardinals lost to Findley (Ohio) 29-27.

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