Blazer Sports Beat moving

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.

Blazers to rely on Dean's past championship experiences this week

David Dean

FLORENCE, Ala. — When the Valdosta State football team takes the field Saturday in the Division II National Championship Game Saturday at Braly Municipal Stadium, it won't be the first time head coach David Dean will have coached in the big game.

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

VSU's Matt Pierce leads the Blazers with four interceptions
this season. (Ed Hooper | The VDT)

VALDOSTA — When the Valdosta State Blazers went through a 23-day long break in game action last month, they got back to the basics in nearly every facet of the game, including in the secondary.

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.

Similarities between the 2007, 2012 football seasons

VALDOSTA — When the Valdosta State Blazers takes the football field in the Division II National Championship Game Saturday in Florence, Ala., they’ll be making the school’s fourth-ever appearance in the championship game, and first since 2007.

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

VSU's Regginald Lewis breaks away from a MSU-Mankato
defender during the national semifinal game.
(The Associated Presss/Mankato Free Press)

VALDOSTA — The Valdosta State football team will face the Winston-Salem State Rams in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala.

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.

A side-by-side comparsion between VSU and WSSU

VALDOSTA — To help get fans ready for Saturday's Division II National Championship Game between Valdosta State and Winston-Salem State in Florence, Ala., here is a side-by-side comparison of the two teams.

                                      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

Schraeder

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State offensive lineman Ryan Schraeder was named to the American Football Coaches Association All-American Team on Monday.

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.

Travel woes affect Blazers' return home

VALDOSTA — Hours after clinching the school’s fourth-ever trip to the NCAA Division II National Championship Game, the Valdosta State football team was left sitting on the tarmac of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, wondering if it would ever get home in time to prepare for next week’s title game opponent, Winston-Salem State.

The Blazers (11-2) were left sitting inside their AirTran Airways charter airplane for more than 2 1/2 hours early Sunday morning, waiting for buses to arrive to finish their journey back home to Valdosta.

After departing Minneapolis, Minn., narrowly missing a heavy snow storm, around 10:40 p.m. Eastern time, the Blazers’ plane was headed for Valdosta. With less than 30 minutes remaining in the flight, the pilot announced that heavy fog made it unsafe to attempt to land the airplane at Valdosta Regional Airport.

The Blazers were diverted to Atlanta and left waiting for buses to arrive and drive them back south to Valdosta.

Once the plane touched down in Atlanta, it was announced that federal aviation guidelines, passed following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, prohibited the Blazers from exiting the plane and waiting on the tarmac while their buses were en route to the airport.

Instead, players, coaches, administration and media were left sitting inside the airplane for nearly the same amount of time it took the Blazers to beat previously-unbeaten Minnesota State-Mankato, 35-19, in the national semifinals on Saturday.

Valdosta State’s buses finally arrived shortly after 3 a.m. The team arrived back in Valdosta just after 6:30 a.m.

The Blazers will face the undefeated Winston-Salem (N.C.) State Rams in the Division II national championship game Saturday at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala.

The Rams enter the game with a perfect 14-0 record, and are looking to become the first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team, and just the fifth-ever undefeated team, to win a Division II national championship.

Meanwhile, Valdosta State is making its fourth-ever appearance in the championship game (the Blazers also played in the title game in 2002, 2004 and 2007). Saturday’s appearance will mark the Blazers’ second appearance under head coach David Dean, and first since beating Northwest Missouri State in 2007.

The Blazers will act as the visiting team for the first time in a championship game. They served as the home team the three previous times, including in 2004, when they knocked off Pittsburg State for the championship.

Tickets for the game go on sale today at 8:30 a.m. at the Valdosta State Athletic Ticket Office, located inside the P.E. Complex off of Baytree Road. VSU has 1,000 tickets for sale. All tickets are $20.

Saturday’s game is scheduled for a 1:04 p.m. Eastern kickoff in Florence.

— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.

Championship information

VALDOSTA — For fans wishing to attend Saturday's Division II national championship between Valdosta State and Winston-Salem State, here is some useful information that might make booking a trip easier.

TICKETS
Tickets will be go on sale Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. at the VSU P.E. Complex in Valdosta. The Valdosta State University athletic department has 1,000 pre-sale tickets. All other tickets will be sold at the stadium. All tickets are $25.

HOTELS
There are various hotels in the Florence area. Fans are encouraged not to try and book rooms at either team hotel. Fans are also encouraged to book reservations as quick as possible, as the University of North Alabama will hold its fall commencement ceremonies that weekend in Florence. Here is a link to hotels showing vacancy for Friday and Saturday nights.

PARKING
Parking at the stadium is not free. A price for parking has not been released. Fans are encouraged to arrive at the stadium with ample time to navigate the tight Florence streets that surround the stadium, which is located in a semi-residential area in the city. Here is a link to a gameday map of Braly Municipal Stadium.

GAMEDAY
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Eastern from Florence's Braly Municipal Stadium. The game will be carried live on ESPN 2.

RADIO
Saturday's national championship game, like all Blazer games, will be carried live on the Blazer Radio Network.

SOCIAL
Fans can follow the gameday coverage by following me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.

RECAP by the numbers: VSU 35, MSU-Mankato 19

MANKATO, Minn. — Valdosta State scored on five of its final eight offensive possessions, racking up 498 yards of total offense, and beat the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks 35-19 in the NCAA Division II national semifinals Saturday.

With the win, the Blazers will face undefeated Winston-Salem State in the Division II National Championship Game Saturday, Dec. 15, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala.

I’ll have fresh content throughout the week, especially Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Florence. For now, here is a recap of Saturday’s game, by the numbers.

— MSU racked up over 11 minutes of time of possession in the first quarter, gaining 118 yards on 22 plays. From there, the Mavericks gained 318 yards on 45 plays. Despite less than four minutes of T.O.P in the first quarter, the Blazers finished the game with 27:54.

— A large chunk of Mankato’s production early in the game came from quarterback John Wolf, who had rushed for over 100 yards just 18 minutes into the game. From there, Wolf was held to 27 yards for the remainder of the game.

— VSU running back Cedric O’Neal, who entered the game with 1,055 yards rushing and a team-high 13 touchdowns, finished Saturday’s game with just three yards on four carries. O’Neal’s lack of productivity allowed fellow freshman Austin Scott to gain 158 yards on 21 carries, including a fourth quarter touchdown. Scott is just eight yards shy of 1,000 yards rushing this season. VSU has never had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.

— Quarterback Cayden Cochran tossed two touchdown passes Saturday, moving him into 11^th in school-history for touchdown passes in a single season. He now has 25 touchdown passes this season, despite missing 1 ½ games due to injury.

— Gerald Ford became the first Valdosta State wide receiver to eclipse the 1,000-mark since 2007, another season when the Blazers claimed the national championship. Ford now has 1,018 yards this season, the eighth most in school-history. He also has 13 touchdowns.

— Seantavious Jones is now 86 yards away from 1,000 yards receiving this season. With his 122 yards and second quarter touchdown reception, Jones now has 916 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns this season, the same amount of receiving TDs as Ford.

— VSU last had a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in the same season in 1994, when Robert Williams hauled in 86 passes for 1,187 yards with 21 touchdowns and Stanley Flanders finished the year with 70 catches for 1,083 yards with 20 touchdowns.

— With their 13 receiving touchdowns, each, Ford and Jones rank sixth in school history, which is a tie with C.J. Lofton, who caught 13 in the 2000 season.

— With his second quarter interception Saturday, senior cornerback Matt Peirce now leads the team with four interceptions this season.

— Speaking of turnovers, Mankato entered Saturday’s game second in the nation in turnover margin at plus-20. On Saturday, the Blazers committed zero turnovers and forced Pierce’s interception in the second quarter.

— After outscoring MSU-Mankato 21-9 in the second half Saturday, the Blazers have now outscored 85-15 in the second half of their three playoff games this season.

— Valdosta State and Winston-Salem State have never met. Kickoff for the national championship game is set for 1 p.m. Eastern from Florence. The game will be broadcast live on either ESPN or ESPN2.

— Saturday’s game from Mankato will be replayed on ESPNU on Tuesday. Check local listings for a time.

*I received a lot of feedback and appreciation on Twitter Saturday. Sorry that Twitter blocked me from tweeting late in the game because I hit an hourly limit. I’ll make sure to watch my tweet output during Saturday’s national title game.

Don’t fret, though, fans. I’ll still be tweeting a whole bunch, just not play-by-play, probably series-by-series and major points. Plus, the game is on TV.

If you’re not already, follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.

**More material to come this week. Stay tuned. I will be traveling to Florence Wednesday, so I won’t have too much to offer that day. Here is a mini schedule for Florence this week.

Wednesday:

Team departs and arrives at night

Thursday:

Press conference at noon with both head coaches and select players

Teams practice

Friday:

Community service in Florence

Teams hold walk-through (closed to media)

Saturday

Kickoff at 1 p.m. Eastern in Florence.

Blazers advance to national championship

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MANKATO, Minn. — The Valdosta State Blazers couldn’t help but chant it, “We’re going to the ship.”

The Valdosta State football team clinched its fourth-ever trip to the NCAA Division II National Championship Game, beating the previously unbeaten Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks 35-19 in the national semifinals Saturday night in near freezing temperatures.

The Blazers will face either Winston-Salem State or West Texas A&M in the championship game next Saturday at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala.

“It is really surreal,” said receiver Seantavious Jones, who smiled during the entire postgame press conference. “We have worked so hard all year. It is amazing.”

Playing against the nation’s third best defense, which entered Saturday’s game allowing just 267 yards per game, the Blazer offense overcame a sluggish opening 18 minutes and a 10-0 deficit and racked up 498 yards of offense and scored on five of the final eight possessions to secure the win.

Quarterback Cayden Cochran completed 16 of 28 passes for 278 yards, including several down the field passes to Seantavious Jones (4 catches, 122 yards with a touchdown) and Gerald Ford (8 catches, 76 yards with a touchdown), in the win. Freshman Austin Scott ran for 158 yards with a late fourth-quarter touchdown.

Defensively, the Blazers stepped up after allowing 118 yards on 22 plays in the first quarter and were able to limit the Mavericks offense, especially in the red zone. Inside the red zone, VSU’s defense rose to the occasion, forcing a turnover on downs in the first quarter and a field goal later in the game.

*A full preview will be available in Sunday's Valdosta Daily Times.

— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper. 

PREVIEW: Blazers to visit Mavericks in semifinals Saturday

MANKATO, Minn. — The Valdosta State football team is just four quarters away from playing for a national championship.

The Blazers (10-2) will have to get through the undefeated Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks (13-0) to advance to their fourth national championship game in 11 years. The two teams square off in the Division II national semifinals today at 3 p.m. Eastern from Mankato’s Blakeslee Stadium.

“We feel pretty good,” said receiver Quin Roberson when meeting with reporters this week, “just like any week when we lock into the game plan and trust what the coaches have put together.”

Blazers balance football, finals this week

Receiver Quin Roberson cuts up the field against Saginaw
Valley State Sept. 1 in Saginaw Valley, Mich.
(Bubba Thomas | Special)

VALDOSTA — For nearly every college student across the country, finals week is one of the toughest, most stressful weeks of the year.

This week, members of Valdosta State’s football team were forced to balance the hectic schedule of final exams and a full practice schedule in preparation for Saturday’s Division II national semifinal matchup against Minnesota State-Mankato.

“It is pretty hard,” receiver Quin Roberson said. “But at the end of the day, we are student-athletes and our books come first. It is hard to balance this week.”

One major obstacle players faced this week was rescheduling exams that were originally scheduled for today. The Blazers are set to depart for Mankato from Valdosta Regional Airport at 11 a.m.

Blazer O-line paving the way in record-season

The Valdosta State offensive line has guided the Blazers to
479.8 yards per game this season, while also paving the way
for the school's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2007.
(Bubba Thomas | Special to the Times)

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State running backs Cedric O’Neal and Austin Scott have combined to rush for 1,889 yards this season on 295 carries. That is an average of 6.4 yards per rushing attempt.

But, neither back will take credit for all the rushing success they’ve enjoyed this season. Instead, the two freshmen backs will give all the credit to their big, tough, physical, veteran offensive line that is working hard in the trenches.

“My offensive linemen do a great job blocking for me,” said O’Neal, following VSU’s 48-26 win over Carson-Newman last weekend in the national quarterfinals.

Blazers not worried about natural playing surface

VALDOSTA — Saturday's national semifinal contest between Valdosta State and MSU-Mankato will be played on a natural playing surface.

It will be just the second time this season the Blazers will play on a natural field, as 11 of Valdosta State's 12 games this season have been played on artificial field turf.

The Blazers' only other time playing on natural grass this season was Oct. 6 at West Georgia. They won the game 42-6.

Despite temperatures in Mankato being projected to be in the mid-30's on Saturday and a 30 percent chance of snow being forecast for Friday, the Blazers are not concerned about the playing surface for Saturday's game.

"It looks great," Valdosta State head coach David Dean said. "It's nice and green."

Dean said several Blazer players actually thought the playing field at Mankato's Blakeslee Stadium was an artificial surface, when watching game film.

"Our guys were looking at film and I told them it was natural grass and they all thought I was lying to them," Dean said. "They all thought it was a turf field. It looks that good. It looks like they take good care of it and it is well-manicured. So I think it is going to be a good, fast surface."

Despite the game being played on a natural field surface, the Blazers will not wear their black pants, which they wore at West Georgia. When the Blazers unveiled their new uniforms in August, it was announced they would wear white pants on the road on articifial surfaces, but black pants on natural grass.

That isn't the case this weekend.

"The guys said they wanted to wear white-on-white," Dean said.

— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.

Instant replay to be used in Saturday's game

The Road to Florence.

VALDOSTA — Instant replay will be utilized in Saturday's NCAA Division II National Semifinal game between Valdosta State and Minnesota State-Mankato in Mankato, Minn.

Coaches and administration from both schools will receive more information regarding how replays will be used and how teams may challenge calls during Saturday's game on Friday night in Mankato.

"If it is like it was in 2007, then it is just like you see it on TV," Valdosta State head coach David Dean said. "It is going to be a situation where if you want to challenge something, you can. But, all plays are reviewed; All the touchdowns are reviewed, all the turnovers are reviewed. Now if you feel like they are missing something and you want to challenge, you just tell the official on your sideline."

Instant replay at the Division II level is only used in national semifinal games and the national championship game, which airs live on ESPN2 next weekend in Florence, Ala.

If a coach challenges a ruling on the field and the play is not overturned, that coach's team will be charged a timeout. If the challenge is successful, the team will not be charged and the game will be reset to reflect the outcome of the review.

When Valdosta State was in the midst of its championship run in 2007, the Blazers visited California (Pa.) in the national semifinals. As Dean remembered following Tuesday afternoon's practice, he nearly challenged a play that would have cost the Blazers a timeout in a game that was decided by four points.

"I started to challenge an interception that we had in the end zone, right before Maurice Leggett had an interception to win the game," Dean said. "But I was going to challenge (the first interception), but they blew it dead and reviewed it, and it was actually not an interception. The ball had hit the ground."

A replay booth will be set up in the press box at Mankato's Blakeslee Stadium on Saturday. All scoring plays and turnovers are reviewed by the replay official, who will signal down to the field if play needs to be stopped for a longer review.

— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.

Getting to know MSU-Mankato

VALDOSTA — The Valdosta State football team visits the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks in the NCAA Division II national semifinals Saturday in Mankato, Minn.

The game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. Eastern kickoff from Mankato's Blakeslee Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com.

Here is some information on MSU-Mankato:

—Mankato has been playing football since the 1920's, but the Mavericks are in the midst of their best season yet. The Mavericks are 13-0 this season and ranked fifth in the nation.

— Mankato enters Saturday's game with Valdosta State riding a 14-game winning streak, dating back to the end of the 2011 season when the Mavericks beat Northeastern State University in the mineral Water Bowl.

— The Mavericks are averaging 36. 2 points per game and are allowing just 16.6 points per game this season. They scored a season-high 70 points in a win over Upper Iowa, and shut out MSU-Moorhead, 24-0, on Sept. 22.

— After finishing the regular season with an undefeated record, Mankato was awarded the No. 1 seed and a bye week in Super Region 3. In their first playoff game, the Mavericks beat fourth-ranked Northwest Missouri State 38-35 in double overtime, connecting on a 27-yard field goal in the second OT session to secure the win. Last week, the Mavericks beat Missouri Western State, 17-10.

— MSU-Mankato head coach Aaron Keen was named the National Football Coaches Association Region Coach of the Year Monday. Keen is the Mavericks' head coach this season after full-time head coach Todd Hoffner was arrested and charged with child pornography earlier this season. Hoffner was cleared of all charges last week, when a judge ruled he took innocent videos of his young children after a bath at the families home.

—On the field, Mankato boasts the nation's third-best defense, allowing 269.62 yards per game. The Mavericks are holding opponents to just 83.7 yards rushing and 187.5 yards passing per game this season. Valdosta State's offense is 12th in the nation in total offense, allowing 479.8 yards per game.

— The Mankato defense prides itself on turnovers. So far this season, the Mavericks have forced 22 interceptions and 29 fumbles, 14 of which they recovered. On the year, Mankato is plus-20 in the turnover margin.

— Offensively, Mankato is averaging 235.3 yards rushing and 167.3 yards passing per game this season. Freshman running back Connor Thomas leads the team with 866 yards rushing, while Andy Pfeiffer has 764 yards on the ground. Quarterback Jon Wolf has 568 yards and Mitch Brozovich has 547 yards rushing.

— The Mavericks have 37 rushing touchdowns this season, led by Thomas' and Wolf's 10 rushing touchdowns each.

— In the passing game, Wolf has completed 108 of 181 passes for 1,560 yards with 12 touchdowns in 10 games. He has thrown just four interceptions. Brozovich has completed 41 of 78 passes for 541 yards with five touchdowns.

— Regardless of whom is at quarterback, receiver Adam Thielen is the go-to target. Thielen has a team-high 68 catches for 1,048 yards with seven touchdowns this season.

— The Mavericks' 13 wins this season are already a school-record. Since 2008, Mankato has posted a 47-13 record.

— Mankato is located 85 miles southwest of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. MSU-Mankato has over 15,000 students, 600 from international countries.

— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.

Blazer basketball to feature different schedule Tuesday

VALDOSTA — Due to final exams at Valdosta State University, the scheduled basketball games against Fort Valley State Tuesday night in Valdosta have been pushed forward a few hours and the teams have swapped game order.

The Valdosta State men (6-1) will host Fort Valley State at 5 p.m, while the Lady Blazers (4-2) will tip-off at 7 p.m.

Valdosta State University begins fall semester exams on Wednesday morning, thus the reason for the earlier tip times for the university basketball teams.

The Blazers are 6-1 this season, with the only loss coming in a 95-94 overtime loss to North Alabama on Saturday. The Lady Blazers enter the game riding a two-game losing streak following back-to-back losses to Union University and North Alabama this past weekend.

– Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.

Blazers will face another running attack in playoffs

The Valdosta State defense will face yet another run-attack
offense on Saturday when the Blazers visit the
Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks in the Division II
national semifinals. (Ed Hooper | The VDT)

VALDOSTA — Like much of the season, the Valdosta State football team will face another heavy run-attack on Saturday in the NCAA Division II national semifinals.

The Blazers (10-2) will face the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks (12-0) Saturday at Blakeslee Stadium in Mankato with a trip the Division II National Championship Game on the line.

The Mavericks enter the game averaging 235.3 yards rushing per game and just 167 yards passing.

Sound familiar? It should be right in the comfort zone for the Blazers.

Valdosta State has seen these kinds of slanted numbers a lot this season. In the playoffs, West Alabama entered its matchup against the Blazers a week ago averaging 238 yards rushing a game. Carson-Newman, the Blazers' quarterfinal opponent, entered Saturday's game averaging 380.1 yards rushing a game.

The Blazers held both the Tigers and Eagles below their season averages. The Tigers gained just 69 yards rushing, as the Blazers won 49-21. Carson-Newman was able to gain 362 yards rushing, but that is still 18 yards less than its season average. Valdosta State won 48-26.

There is no denying the Blazers have shown weakness to the passing game this season. But the run, the Blazers have been able, for the most part, to stop it, or at least slow it down.

Once again, VSU will have to stop the run on Saturday in order to play in its fourth national championship game in 10 years and first since 2007, when the Blazes beat Northwest Missouri State.

In their win over Missouri Western State on Saturday, the Mavericks rushed for 289 yards behind freshman Connor Thomas' 159 yards.

On the season, Valdosta State is giving up 155.7 rushing yards a game, compared to 186.4 yards passing. The Blazers have allowed over 300 yards passing three times this season, including a season-high 389 in a win over Texas A&M-Kingsville last month.

On the ground, Valdosta State has held eight teams to under 150 yards rushing in a game, including three occasions where the Blazer defense held an opponent to under 100 yards rushing.

If Valdosta State gets past Mankato and advances to the national championship game, the Blazers will face either West Texas A&M or Winston-Salem State. West Texas is averaging 343.6 passing yards and 139.5 yards rushing per game. Winston-Salem is averaging 296.4 passing yards and 188.6 rushing yards per game.

— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.

Valdosta State to visit MSU-Mankato in semifinals

VALDOSTA — It is official. Get your extra winter clothes out. The Valdosta State football team is headed to Minnesota for its NCAA Division II national semifinal matchup against Minnesota State-Mankota.

The NCAA announced Mankato as the host school for next week's semifinal matchup late Saturday night, following the Mavericks 17-10 win over Missouri Western State Saturday. Valdosta State beat Carson-Newman 48-26.

Weather.com is projecting temperatures in Mankato to be 31 degrees with a 10 percent chance of snow on Saturday. Valdosta State last played in the snow in the 2007 national semifinals, beating California (Pa.).

It will be just the second time all season the Blazers will play on a natural playing surface. The only other time Valdosta State played on a natural surface was Oct. 6 at West Georgia. The Blazers won 42-6.

The game will be carried live on the ESPN family of networks. A specific channel has not been announced.

More on the game will be available Sunday and throughout the week.

— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.

Blazers look ahead to possible game in cold conditions

VSU's Cedric O'Neal makes a move on an Eagle defender
during the first quarter on Saturday.
(Ed Hooper | The VDT)

VALDOSTA — While the Valdosta State football team sits around Saturday evening and night, waiting on an official word on the location of next Saturday's national semifinal matchup against Minnesota State-Mankato, they might want to start purchasing extra winter clothing just in case.

If the Blazers are declared the away team for next week's game — which is believed to be the case, although the official notice will come Saturday night from the NCAA — they will be faced with cold temperatures for their game.

Weather.com is reporting that next Saturday's high in Mankato, Minn. is 31 degrees, with a low of 23 and a 10 percent chance of snow. The Mankato area is projected a 60 percent chance of snow showers Saturday night and Sunday.

With the majority of the Blazers being from the state of Georgia — 23 of the 25 starters are from the state — the Blazers will be faced with the difficult task of adjusting to the weather,.

In the postgame press conference Saturday, all three players present — running back Cedric O'Neal, linebackers Chris Pope and Trokon Gaye — were all asked if they had ever played in snow. All three confirmed they had not.

"There isn't too much snow down here," Pope laughed in front of the room of media members and onlookers.

During Valdosta State's 2007 national championship season, the Blazers visited California (Pa.) in the national semifinals. Head coach David Dean remembers the team's reaction when the plane landed on the ground.

"I know when we went to California (Pa.), we were very timid when we got off the plane," Dean said. "We were descending through the clouds and you could hear a rumbling through the plane and the pilot came across and said, 'Yes, that is snow.'

"Our guys got off the plane and didn't know how to walk in the snow and by the time we got to the bus, they were unloading on each other with snow ball fights. So once we got there, it didn't bother us."

— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.

Blazers crush Carson-Newman 48-26, to face Minnesota State-Mankato

VALDOSTA — The Valdosta State Blazers are heading to the national semifinals and will face Minnesota State-Mankato next weekend with a trip to the national championship game in Florence, Ala. on the line.

The location of next week's game will be announced by the NCAA on Saturday night.

The Blazers (10-2) scored on five straight offensive possessions in the second half and blew out Carson-Newman Saturday in the national quarterfinals at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. Valdosta State racked up 525 yards of total offense, led by freshman running back Cedric O'Neal's 194 yards and three touchdowns, to earn the victory.

During the win, Valdosta State re-wrote several new records in the school record book. Here are the following:

— Valdosta State's Cedric O'Neal became the first Blazer to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season since Michael Terry ran for 1,107 yards in the Blazers' 2007 national championship winning season. O'Neal has 1,055 yards rushing this season, the seventh-most in a single season at Valdosta State.

— The Blazers have rushed for 34 touchdowns this season, the most in school history.

— With 21 tackles on Saturday, linebacker Chris Pope moved into second on VSU's all-time single game tackles list. He finished just three shy behind the school-record, set in 1995 when Ryan Branch recorded 24 against UTEP.

— Valdosta State's 525 yards of offense is the second-most yards of total offense in a postseason game at Valdosta State.

A full recap of Saturday's game will be available in Sunday's edition of The Valdosta Daily Times. When the location for next week's game against Minnesota State-Mankato is released, it will be posted on Twitter and here.

— Follow me on Twitter at @Ed_Hooper.