No. 3 Blazers Dominate No. 17 Lenoir-Rhyne for Berth in NCAA National Semifinal, 61-21

THE BASICS:

SCORE: #3 Valdosta State 61, #17 Lenoir-Rhyne 21

RECORDS: Valdosta State 12-0, Lenoir-Rhyne 12-2

LOCATION: Valdosta, Ga. (Bazemore-Hyder Stadium)

THE LEAD: The No. 3-ranked Valdosta State football team continued its offensive onslaught with a 61-21 win over No. 17 Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday afternoon for a berth in the NCAA National Semifinals next weekend.  VSU will host No. 11 Notre Dame (Ohio) at 12 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium with a berth in the national championship on the line. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Blazers came out of the gates on fire as Harlon Hill finalist sophomore Rogan Wells hooked up with senior Joe Fortson for an outstanding one-handed grab for 32 yards on a 3^rdand 4 to keep the opening drive alive.
• Wells hit sophomore Brian Saunds, on a 3^rdand nine from the LR 14, for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead on the first possession of the game as the Blazers converted three third downs on the drive.
• On VSU's second possession LR came up with a sack at its 15-yard line as senior Andrew Gray kicked a 35-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 4:14 left in the first quarter.
• The Blazers stopped LR once again, but the Bears went for the fake punt, coming up short as VSU began its next drive with great field position at the 50.
• Early in the second, VSU made the Bears pay for missing on fourth down as VSU converted a 4^thand 6 from the LR 30 and then freshman Seth McGill ran in from 15 out for a 17-0 lead.
• LR quarterback Grayson Willingham's pass was picked off by redshirt sophomore Cory Roberts and returned it 39 yards to the LR seven.  
• From there, Gray hit his second field goal of the game for a 20-0 lead as he broke the school-record for single-season scoring with 128 points as he finished with 13 points for 133 for his career.  The previous record of 126 had three players – Aaron Jenkins (2001), Robert Williams (1994) and Stanley Flanders (1994). 
• Willingham was picked off, once again, on the ensuing LR drive – this time by junior Ravarius Rivers.  VSU turned it into points as McGill scored his second touchdown of the game for a 27-0 lead with 5:29 left in the half.
• For the third-straight series, Willingham was picked off as senior Stephen Denmark tallied the INT at the VSU 22 stymying a potential scoring drive for the Bears.
• Lenoir-Rhyne got on the board with a great pass from Willingham to Jaquay Mitchell for 25 yards, following a VSU punt, and a 27-7 lead with 1:17 left in the half.
• The Bears thought for the 2 for 1 as they received the kick to open the second half, but VSU had other ideas as Wells marched the Blazers down the field and called his own number on a 3^rdand 4 from the 24 for a score and a 34-7 lead with 21 seconds left in the half.
• The Blazers scored two touchdowns in the third to mark the 12^th-straight game of 44 or more points and a 47-7 lead, while Willingham hit T.J. Smith on a slant for 54 yards and a score late in the frame for a 47-14 score.
• In the fourth, senior quarterback Adam Robles threw a strike to senior Stewart Spence for a 54-14 score and junior Quahlin Patterson ran one in from a yard out for a 61-14 score as LR added a late touchdown.  

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• The Blazers dominated the first quarter with 143 yards to just 27 for the Bears, while leading 8-1 in first downs and controlling the clock for 10:25.  
• On the Wells run, VSU broke the Gulf South Conference single-season scoring record of 617 set by the Blazers in 2001.  VSU entered needing 29 points to tie and now has 649 for the season.
• VSU tallied 43 plays for 322 yards in the half, while rushing 23 times for 165 and Wells was 12 of 20 for 157 yards and a score.  
• The Blazer "D" dominate the high-powered Bear offense, holding LR to 27 plays for 137 yards, while Willingham was just 4 of 9 for 70 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.  
• LR had 18 carries for 67 yards, while the LR defense entered the game allowing just 108.2 yards on the ground for 20^thnationally and the offense was averaging over 42.5 points per game and 461.8 yards per game.
• For the game, VSU racked up its third game of scoring 60 or more points and second-straight in the playoffs as the nation's leading scoring team.  
• VSU tallied 597 yards on 77 plays, while holding LR to just 319 yards on 60 plays.  
• The Blazers tallied 382 rushing yards on 47 carries for an 8.1 average, while recoding 215 passing yards on a combined 21 of 30 with no interceptions.  
• VSU forced three interceptions and outscored LR 10-0 in points off turnovers.
• Patterson led the way rushing with 96 yards and a score on nine carries, while redshirt freshman Jamar Thompkins had 91 yards on 13 carries and a score.
• Wells was 19 of 27 for 209 yards, two touchdowns and ran for one.
• 11 different Blazers caught passes in the game.
• Willingham was 7 of 19 for 147 yards, two scores and three picks, while the running game never really got going for the Bears as the Blazer "D" stepped up in the ground game on 36 carries for 112 yards for LR.
• Smith had 81 yards receiving on three carries and two of the three scores.
• VSU tallied one sack, but had seven tackles for loss for 28 yards, while LR had two sacks and six TFL's for 19 yards.  

UP NEXT:

• VSU will host Notre Dame (Ohio) at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium with a berth in the national championship on the line.
• Fans can purchase tickets for the game beginning Monday morning at 9 a.m. the VSU Athletic Ticket Office, online at vstateblazers.com or by calling 229-333-SEAT.