GAME NOTES

By Jim O'Hara
 
ROME, Ga. – College football teams traditionally measure themselves by how good their opponents are each week.

In the Gulf South Conference, it's a common occurrence.

For the fourth week in a row, that's what the Shorter Hawks will face when they head back to Valdosta Saturday for the second straight year to square off against perhaps the most storied program in GSC history – the Valdosta State Blazers.

"They have the tradition and have been one of the best Division II programs in the nation," Shorter head coach Phil Jones said about the three-time national champion Blazers, who are playing their final home game of the season and have designated the affair as its Homecoming contest. "But it's an opportunity for our team to break through and prove that this program has reached that level."

The Hawks (3-3 overall, 1-2 GSC) enter the game determined to come up with that breakthrough performance against one of the elite members of the conference, striving to regain the level of play they started the season with – they opened the year breaking out to a 3-1 record – and put a two-game losing skid and what was a rugged bump in the road last week via a 55-10 Gulf South setback to West Alabama behind them.

To do that, however, Shorter will be going up against a Valdosta State squad (4-2, 2-2) that overcame its own two-game losing obstacle by putting together a two-game win streak, and will no doubt be determined to use the home-field advantage in a showdown that will see the winner remain in the GSC title hunt.

After opening the year posting non-conference wins over Albany State and Winston-Salem State, Valdosta was handed back-to-back GSC defeat by nationally-ranked Delta State and North Alabama. But since that slide, the Blazers have rebounded with a pair of impressive conference performances, handling West Georgia – the Wolves dealt Delta State its first loss a week ago – and last week manhandled Mississippi College 62-0, a game that saw VSU roll up an amazing 652 yards in total offense.

What makes the Blazers such an offensive threat is balance as head coach David Dean has a stable of weapons.

Quarterback Jake Medlock directs Valdosta's attack with his arm and his legs as the senior has thrown for 1,107 yards and eight touchdowns – he completed 19-of-20 passes a week ago that set a new GSC record – and has rushed for another 378 yards and five TDs.

He, however, is just the tip of the VSU offensive iceberg as Scott Davis and Cedric O'Neal have combined for 771 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, while Chris Anderson and Shane Henderson head up a receiving corps having teamed up to haul in 50 passes for 734 yards and six touchdowns.

Those numbers are buoyed by the fact when Valdosta has the ball, it makes the most of one of the conference's biggest offensive lines.

"You can use the word 'big' when you talk about every position," Jones said of Valdosta's size edge. "All of the players on offense and defense are big and strong kids."

Kenny Murphy leads the Blazers' defense having compiled 45 total tackles and six tackles for losses , while Justin Williams has 42 total stops and Sharmaine Washington has added 40 tackles.

"They are a very potent football team on both sides of the ball," Jones said.

That means the Hawks must get back to what led to their early success – controlling the ball and the clock by running the ball and coming up with the defensive turnovers that is among the best in the nation, two traits that were absent last week against West Alabama.

Averaging 303 yards a game, Shorter's option ground game is one that has shared the load, with quarterback Eric Dodson, slotback Kirk Wilson – he became the team's first 100-plus yard ground gainer against West Alabama – and fullback B.J. McCoy leading the charge having rushed for a combined 1,047 yards this season.

Not to be overlooked is the passing threat Shorter has as Dodson has thrown for 452 yards and five touchdowns this season, and returns to the site where he set a single-game passing record a year ago when the senior threw for 207 yards. Wideout Darius Turner leads the Hawks' receivers having hauled in six passes for 124 yards and a pair of touchdown.

On the defensive side of the ball – the Hawks do not have a single senior in the unit's ranks – Shorter boasts one of the top safeties in the nation in junior Jordan Shaw, who tops the Division II ranks with eight interceptions and leads the GSC with 49 total tackles. Freshman Jevaris Jones had added 39 tackles, while sophomore defensive end Trevaris Horton has 7.5 tackles for losses and is the conference leader with 5.5 sacks.

"We have to play a complete game and be sharp at every position," Jones said, "and keep playing hard."

NOTES: The game can be heard live on 99.5 The Jock and be aired on-line with a link to broadcast available by going to the Hawks' schedule at Shorter's athletic website, www.goshorterhawks.com... This is the third meeting between the two teams with Valdosta having won the two previous contests… The Hawk will return home next week for their Homecoming game against Florida Tech at Barron Stadium with the kickoff set for noon.