VALDOSTA — Behind three rushing touchdowns from graduate student Blake Hester, a season-high 502 yards of total offense and the first shutout since 2021, the No. 5-ranked Valdosta State football team handed Fayetteville State a 34-0 loss Saturday evening at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
The Blazers (3-0) tallied their first shutout since a 55-0 victory over Delta State on Oct. 9, 2021, and Saturday’s win marks the 27th shutout victory in program history. The Blazers dominated the game in just about every facet as they had 316 yards through the air and 186 on the ground. Hester finished with six carries for 102 yards and the three scores, including a 73-yard touchdown run just 19 seconds into the second half. VSU amassed a season-high 29 first downs in the game, while going 10 of 16 on third down.
VSU’s black swarm defense held the Broncos (1-1) to just 216 yards of offense, including 117 passing yards and 99 yards on the ground. FSU quarterbacks were just 12 of 30 passing, while FSU had just 14 first downs in the game and went just 5 of 14 on third down and 0 of 1 on fourth down. Demari Daniels was 10 of 23 for 104 yards passing, while Joe Owens, Jr., was 2 of 7 for 13 yards for the Broncos. FSU’s standout wide receiver David Baros was held in check for most of the night with just three receptions for 50 yards.
Blazer senior quarterback Sammy Edwards finished 23 of 33 passing for 290 yards and a touchdown, while Hester’s three rushing scores are the most for one player since current Blazer Bud Chaney had three rushing scores against North Greenville last season (9/23/23). Graduate student Rodney Bullard accounted for three receptions for 77 yards including a fantastic 45-yard reception at the one-yard line on VSU’s first possession, while graduate student Graeson Malashevich had five receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown.
The Broncos moved the ball down the field on the initial drive of the game and, on 3rd-and-11 from the VSU 35, Daniels’ pass was broken up by junior Rance Conner forcing a 20-yard punt from Josiah Boyd to the VSU 15. On the Blazers’ first possession, Edwards hit Malashevich for 16 and Hester had a pair of eight yards gains, before Edwards went upstairs to Bullard for the 45-yard grab to the FSU one. After a review, Hester scored the first touchdown of the game with 8:02 remaining in the first quarter, 7-0 Blazers.
Just as the first drive for the Broncos, the second saw the team move down field, once again, but Daniels was upended on a 3rd and two for a one-yard loss for a 4th-and-3 from the VSU 30. The Broncos went for it, but big #99 Alajujuan Sparks got a mitt on Daniels’ pass to break it up and turn FSU over on downs.
VSU methodically moved down field and had a 4th and 4 from the FSU nine with 1:09 left in the quarter. Head coach Tremaine Jackson, who won his 30th game of his coaching career (30-11) and 20th at VSU (20-8), decided to go for it on fourth down.
Out of a timeout, Edwards found junior Joseph McKay for five yards to the four just before the first quarter ended. On the first play of the second quarter, following a penalty on the Blazers, Edwards hit Malashevich for eight yards for the touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 14:09 remaining in the half.
Following a punt by the Broncos, a big pass interference penalty on the Broncos moved VSU to the 45 and then Hester ran for ten. Edwards hit graduate student Tyler Ajiero for 39 yards to the FSU one, before Hester scored his second on the ground for a 21-0 lead with 6:34 left in the half. VSU then scored on its fourth possession of the half following another punt from FSU as the Blazers began the drive at their 45, but moved down to the 14. Graduate student Austin McKay kicked a 31-yard field goal for a 24-0 lead with 1:03 left in the half.
Coming out of halftime, FSU kicked off and VSU began at its 27. From there Hester found the hole on the far side and got a couple of good blocks racing down the sideline for 73-yards and the 31-0 lead just 19 seconds into the second half. The teams then traded punts as VSU had scored on its first five possessions of the game before sophomore punter Noah Botsford pinned the Broncos at their own seven with 11:02 remaining in the third.
The Blazers missed a field goal on their next possession but the defense kept getting the stops and forcing punts by the Broncos with eight punts by FSU in the contest. With the game well in hand, VSU used a 14-play, 6:18 minute, drive in the fourth quarter for a 25-yard field goal from sophomore Ethan Eddins for the final margin of 34-0.
VSU had a pair of late opportunities for interceptions and did get one, but a penalty nullified the interception. VSU had seven pass breakups for the game and four different Blazers led the team with four tackles each, while VSU accounted for five tackles for loss and one sack.
The Blazers return to the road to open Gulf South Conference play next Saturday at 4 p.m. at league-newcomer Erskine College in Greenwood, S.C. Check back with vstateblazers.com for links to live stats, audio/video streaming, ticket information and more.