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VALDOSTA, Ga .—
Valdosta State used a fourth quarter
touchdown drive and a defensive
stand in the closing minutes to hold
off second ranked North Alabama in a
27-24 Gulf South Conference victory
at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
UNA led
24-20 in the fourth quarter but the
Blazers put together an eight-play,
48-yard drive to take the lead with
5:58 left in the game. On the
ensuing possession the Lions managed
one first down on a fourth-down
conversion before being stopped on a
fourth-and-nine play at their own
41.
The
Blazers were then able to run the
clock down to under a minute and
UNA’s A.J. Milwee was picked off on
the game’s final play on a
desperation pass.
The
loss drops UNA to 7-1 overall and
5-1 in the GSC. The Blazers are now
also 7-1 and 5-1. The win by
Valdosta State snapped UNA’s 19-game
regular-season winning streak and
13-game road winning streak. The
last time the Lions had lost either
a regular-season game or a road game
was on October 20, 2005 at Valdosta.
North
Alabama finished with 346 yards of
total offense to 395 for Valdosta
State. Milwee was 20-of-32 passing
for 207 yards and one touchdown
while VSU’s Copeland was 24-of-36
for 252 yards and one TD. The
Blazers Cedric Jones also came up
big in the game with nine pass
receptions for 145 yards.
After
UNA took a 24-20 lead late in the
third quarter, Valdosta State drove
to the UNA one where the Blazers
faced a second-and-goal. A huge stop
by Michael Johnson for a one-yard
loss on first down and a pass
deflection on a third down pass set
up a fourth-and-goal call. The
Blazers completed a pass but Bobby
Brooks hit the receiver for a
nine-yard loss and UNA took over at
the 11-yard line.
The
Lions couldn’t move the ball and
Will Batson’s punt was blocked and
the Blazers regained possession at
the 28. Just two plays later
Copeland was picked off by UNA’s
Quinn Suggs and the Lions stopped
another Valdosta threat.
The
Blazers forced another punt and took
over at the UNA 48. Eight plays
later Michael Terry scored on a
four-yard run, giving Valdosta State
what would prove to be the
game-winning score. His touchdown
came with 5:58 left in the game to
make it 27-24.
Valdosta State got on the board
first behind the strength of its
ground game. The Blazers marched
from their own 32-yard line to the
UNA two before Willie Copeland dove
in on a quarterback sneek. Zachary
Williams added the extra point and
VSU led 7-0 with 5:44 left in the
first quarter.
North Alabama answered with a
scoring drive of its own as the
Lions moved from their own 38 to the
Valdosta 15 before stalling. Scott
Shurden then booted a 32-yard field
goal to make it 7-3 with 23 seconds
left in the first quarter.
On the
Blazers’ next possession they put
together a 14-play drive that ended
in a 25-yard Williams field goal.
The kick gave VSU a 10-3 advantage
with 10:37 remaining in the second
period.
UNA
quickly moved the ball on its next
possession but Joemal Campbell was
ruled to have lost the ball after a
16-yard gain and the Blazers
recovered at their own 17.
The
North Alabama defense stuffed the
Blazers and forced a punt and UNA
put together a game-tying drive.
Starting at the VSU 49, UNA used a
combination of six runs and two
passes to move to the six with a
first-and-goal. Quarterback A.J.
Milwee threw a six-yard TD pass to
Campbell in the right corner of the
end zone and Shurden’s PAT tied the
game with just 2:11 remaining in the
half.
UNA’s
kick coverage faltered on the
ensuing kickoff and Cedric Jones
39-yard return put Valdosta in good
field position at the 50. After
moving to the Lion 25, the drive
stalled and Williams kicked a
42-yard field goal to make it 13-10
with 24 seconds left in the half.
After a
20-yard kickoff return by David
McCants to the UNA 42, the Lions
threw deep but the pass was picked
off by Sherard Reynolds and he
returned it 47 yards to the UNA 29.
The Blazers attempted a 46-yard
field goal on the final play of the
half but a bad snap ended the
attempt and VSU led 13-10 at the
half.
UNA
received the kick to start the
second half and moved out to its own
46 where the Lions faced a
fourth-and-inches. Brandenn Pickett
was stopped for no gain and Valdosta
State took possession of the ball.
The Blazers were in the end zone
just six plays later as Clay
Callaway caught an 11-yard pass from
Copeland for the touchdown and
Wlliams PAT made it 20-10 with 10:18
left in the third quarter.
North
Alabama’s offense answered
immediately with a 55-yard,
seven-play drive for a touchdown. A
22-yard pass from Milwee to Reggie
Hubbard moved UNA to the Blazers’
seven and Pickett ran it in from
there. His TD run and Shurden’s PAT
closed the gap to 20-17 at the 7:23
mark of the third period.
UNA
hosts West Georgia on Nov. 3 at 6
p.m. at Braly Stadium for
Homecoming. |