VSU Blazers blast West Georgia in Peach Basket, 58-28

Nov. 12—VALDOSTA — The Peach Basket returned to Valdosta State Saturday night with the Blazers taking all the glory from West Georgia's last night as a Division II football program. The 58-28 pounding raised VSU's season record to 10-1, gave them a share of the Gulf South title and cemented a first round home game in the national championship tournament.

Sammy Edwards threw for 414 yards and three touchdowns in the rout, mixing deep shots, with short ones and occasionally improvising on the run. B.K. Smith caught six of Edwards' 29 completions for a team-high 119 yards.

Rodney Bullard had 86 receiving yards and a touchdown, plus had an excellent night as a returner. When West Georgia pulled to a touchdown (27-21) at 8:17 in the third frame, Bullard bolted 99 yards down the sideline to make all that work for naught.

West Georgia struggled defensively all night. It was an especially harrowing night for the Wolves on kickoff returns, both defending them and receiving.

The Blazers went all the way on the opening kickoff for a touchdown. While West Georgia was able to sign in relief that it was called back for a penalty, there would be no such luck on Bullard's 99-yard return in the third quarter.

Later in the third quarter, having held VSU to a field goal and with a still-surmountable 37-28 deficit, the Wolves saw their chances disappear when they could not field Noah Botsford's kickoff cleanly. Samuel Curry pounced on the pigskin at the 20. Three plays later, Edwards hit Eric Watts for a four-yard touchdown. What was possibly surmountable at nine points was now 16 at 44-28. The Wolves went quietly after that.

Smith and Kam Scott also had kickoff returns of 37 and 37 yards, respectively, setting up VSU at midfield on each. Both shortened fields led to touchdowns.

The first half had a normal look on the scoreboard, 20-7.

After a penalty wiped out the opening kickoff return touchdown, the Blazers went 64 yards down the field before bogging at the 24. Estin Thiele came in for a 34-yard field goal at 10:26 and a 3-0 VSU lead. The second drive provided even more points after Bud Chaney got into Wolves' territory on a 39-yard completion from Edwards.

Smith made it first-and-goal on an 18-yard reception, then Chaney needed two rushes, the latter from two yards out, to made it a 10-0 game at 6:33.

West Georgia went roaring down the field. Aided by a direct snap to Wesley Kennedy for 27 yards and a pass interference that nullified a Nick Jackson pick, the Wolves had first down at the VSU 12. Quarterback Ben Whitlock threw for the end zone but found Jordan Billups instead.

Edwards helped his own cause with a scramble, then picked up a much bigger chunk, 39 yards to Council Allen as the quarter ended that landed them at the 20. Thiele came in for a 30-yard field goal at 14:47 in the second period after the drive faded there.

West Georgia challenged and lost an attempt for a targeting flag on an incompletion on their next drive. That forced a punt and the Blazers were immediately on the move again.

With an offensive lineman as his fullback, Chaney picked up a huge third-and-one at the West Georgia 47. The next play saw Edwards flushed out of the pocket, gunslinging on the move to Watts for an 18-yard pickup to the 29. Bullard made it a 20-0 advantage at 9:42 on a diving 29-yard catch by Bullard in the front corner of the end zone.

Kennedy put the Wolves on the scoreboard, finishing off an 84-yard drive by tunneling in from one yard out on another direct snap. Tyler Davalos provided the extra point at 3:39.

Edwards nearly brought the Blazers another touchdown before the half, but was intercepted in the end zone by Jeten Lee on an overthrow. West Georgia never made it into VSU territory, however, and the half ended at 20-7.

Whereas the first half was reasonable, the third quarter became a shootout with 45 combined points.

West Georgia turned it over on their initial drive of the half, Jackson forcing a fumble recovered by Ryan Nixon. The Blazers immediately turned that into more points, a short toss to Cam Smith on a counter becoming much more when Smith sped past everybody for a 22-yard touchdown at 12:50.

Thiele's kick made it a 20-point cushion at 27-7. The cushion, a relief at the moment, soon got uncomfortable as the Wolves woke up on offense.

Whitlock found LaPerion Perry for 59 yards, Jackson temporarily saving a touchdown with a stop at the 4. Kennedy went over on the next snap. West Georgia's defense then hit Edwards as he set up to throw three plays into Valdosta State's drive, Micah Thurman recovering for the Wolves at the VSU 23.

Rajaez Mosley did the honors for the Wolves' second touchdown in 2:22, crossing the goal line for a one-yard rushing score.

VSU's lead was now narrowed to 27-21, but they immediately received help when Bullard broke loose on the kickoff touchdown.

West Georgia countered when Steven Peterson broke a tackle on a 19-yard pass from Whitlock for a touchdown at 6:44, but their defense had no further answers.

Though they could only get a 21-yard field goal from Thiele after driving into the red zone, the drive used up four minutes. Then the Wolves had another special teams miscue, resulting in Curry's recovery at the 20.

Bullard picked up a first down at the 10. Chaney had a short run that added even more yards when UWG was flagged for a player continuing to participate after losing his helmet. Watts went in from the 4 on Edwards' pass, delivering what turned out to be the knockout blow for the game.

Valdosta State stopped the visitors on downs at the VSU 28. Content to run with a 16-point lead, Isaiah Flowers chewed up yards and clock. Edwards mixed in passes to Scott and B.K. Smith before Chaney picked his way to an eight-yard score at 6:19.

The game was firmly decided with the 51-28 score, but the Blazers' defense had some last blows to deliver. Kyle Cass picked off Whitlock on an overthrow at the VSU 28. The Wolves got it back on a punt, but their attempts to get late yardage resulted in an Akil Lampley interception at the 33 that saw him race untouched for the final Valdosta State touchdown with 39 seconds remaining.

VSU players lifted both the Peach Basket and a Gulf South trophy on the field following postgame handshakes.