2018 Valdosta State Blazers football team

The 2018 Valdosta State Blazers football team represented Valdosta State University as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 2018 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by third-year head coach Kerwin Bell, who also served as offensive coordinator. The Blazers played their home games at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia. Valdosta State compiled an overall record of 14–0 with a conference mark of 8–0, winning the GSC title. They beat Ferris State in the NCAA Division II Championship Game to win the program's fourth national title.

2018 Valdosta State Blazers football
NCAA Division II champion
GSC champion
ConferenceGulf South Conference
Ranking
AFCANo. 1
Record14–0 (8–0 GSC)
Head coach
Defensive coordinatorDanny Verpaele (2nd season)
Home stadiumBazemore–Hyder Stadium
(capacity: 11,249)
2018 Gulf South Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 1 Valdosta State $^  8 –0   14 –0  
No. 16 West Georgia ^  7 –1   10 –2  
Florida Tech ^  5 –3   8 –4  
West Alabama ^  5 –3   8 –4  
West Florida  4 –4   6 –5  
North Greenville  3 –4   4 –6  
Delta State  2 –6   2 –8  
Mississippi College  1 –6   3 –7  
Shorter  0 –8   0 –11  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from AFCA Poll

Preseason

Gulf South Conference coaches poll

On August 2, 2018, the Gulf South Conference released their preseason coaches poll with the Blazers predicted to finish in fifth place in the conference.[1]

Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1West Alabama62 (6)
2West Florida59 (3)
3West Georgia44
4Delta State41
5Valdosta State38
6Florida Tech32
7North Greenville24
8Mississippi College16
9Shorter8

Preseason All-Gulf South Conference Team

The Blazers had five players at five positions selected to the preseason all-Gulf South Conference team.[2]

Schedule

Valdosta State's 2018 regular season football schedule consisted of five home games, four away games, and one neutral site game. The Blazers hosted GSC foes Delta State, North Greenville, Shorter, and West Georgia, and traveled to Florida Tech, Mississippi College, West Alabama, and West Florida.[3] Three games were broadcast on ESPN3, as part of the Gulf South Conference Game of the Week.[4]

The Blazers hosted non-conference foe Albany State from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and competed in the Okefenokee Classic against Fort Valley State, also from the (SIAC).

After an undefeated regular season, the Blazers were the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 17:00 p.m.Albany State*
W 45–146,770
September 87:00 p.m.vs. Fort Valley State*
ESPN3W 55–63,107
September 157:00 p.m.at No. 8 West Alabama
W 58–243,285
September 227:00 p.m.ShorterNo. 16
  • Bazemore–Hyder Stadium
  • Valdosta, GA
W 52–05,130
September 298:00 p.m.at Mississippi CollegeNo. 13
W 63–422,654
October 61:00 p.m.Delta StateNo. 10
  • Bazemore–Hyder Stadium
  • Valdosta, GA
W 59–282,036
October 131:00 p.m.at Florida TechNo. 8
W 51–213,679
October 203:00 p.m.North GreenvilledaggerNo. 7
  • Bazemore–Hyder Stadium
  • Valdosta, GA
W 44–215,514
November 35:00 p.m.at West FloridaNo. 7
ESPN3W 48–215,893
November 107:00 p.m.No. 3 West GeorgiaNo. 5
  • Bazemore–Hyder Stadium
  • Valdosta, GA (rivalry)
ESPN3W 47–3110,558
November 241:00 pmNo. 25 Bowie StateNo. 3
W 66–162,467
December 11:00 pmNo. 17 Lenoir–RhyneNo. 3
  • Bazemore–Hyder Stadium
  • Valdosta, GA (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal)
W 61–211,999
December 812:00 pmNo. 11 Notre Dame (OH)No. 3
  • Bazemore–Hyder Stadium
  • Valdosta, GA (NCAA Division II Semifinal)
ESPN3W 30–244,672
December 154:00 p.m.vs. No. 2 Ferris StateNo. 3
ESPNUW 49–474,306
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[5]

Rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
RV = Received votes.
Week
PollPre1234567891011Final
AFCARVRVRV1613108777531

Game summaries

Albany State
1 2 3 4 Total
Rams 0 0 0 14 14
Blazers 14 14 10 7 45

Fort Valley State
1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 0 3 3 0 6
Blazers 21 0 6 28 55

At West Alabama
1 2 3 4 Total
Blazers 21 14 10 13 58
Tigers 7 7 7 3 24

Shorter
1 2 3 4 Total
Hawks 0 0 0 0 0
Blazers 10 0 21 21 52

At Mississippi College
1 2 3 4 Total
Blazers 7 35 14 7 63
Choctaws 7 14 14 7 42

Delta State
1 2 3 4 Total
Statesmen 14 14 0 0 28
Blazers 14 14 17 14 59

At Florida Tech
1 2 3 4 Total
Blazers 14 10 0 27 51
Panthers 0 0 7 14 21

North Greenville
1 2 3 4 Total
Crusaders 0 0 7 14 21
Blazers 13 10 7 14 44

At West Florida
1 2 3 4 Total
Blazers 14 3 7 24 48
Argonauts 0 14 7 0 21

West Georgia
1 2 3 4 Total
Wolves 7 14 7 3 31
Blazers 10 24 3 10 47

Bowie State
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulldogs 7 9 0 0 16
Blazers 0 21 17 28 66

Lenoir-Rhyne
1 2 3 4 Total
Bears 0 7 7 7 21
Blazers 10 24 13 14 61

Notre Dame (OH)
1 2 3 4 Total
Falcons 0 10 7 7 24
Blazers 9 0 21 0 30

Ferris State
1 2 3 4 Total
Bulldogs 10 14 14 9 47
Blazers 7 21 14 7 49

Players drafted into the NFL
See also: 2019 NFL Draft
Round Pick Player Position NFL Club
7238Stephen DenmarkCBChicago Bears

References
  1. "West Alabama Tops GSC Football Preseason Poll". Gulf South Conference. August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  2. "Gulf South Conference" (PDF). s3.amazonaws.com. 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  3. "Okefenofee Classic among games on VSU's 2018-19 football schedule" (Press release). Valdosta Daily Times. February 14, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  4. "GSC Announces 2018 Football Game of the Week Schedule". Gulf South Conference. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  5. "2018 Valdosta State Blazers Football Schedule". Valdosta State University of Athletics. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
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