Adam MacDonald
armacdonald@valdosta.edu

So far the GSC has been a cake walk for the Blazers. By outscoring their first two conference opponents 100-35, the Blazers look good sitting atop the conference. But things could become very interesting on Saturday at 1 p.m. when VSU contends with the Southern Arkansas Muleriders.

SAU runs a flexbone offense, something the Blazers rarely see. The flexbone formation has two wide receivers and three backs; the fullback lines up behind the quarterback, who is under center, and two slotbacks line up on the line of scrimmage behind the offensive line. It is an ideal formation to run the triple option. The quarterback can hand the ball to the fullback, run parallel to the line of scrimmage and run the ball up field or pitch the ball to one of the slotbacks. This offense is uncommon in college football.

“[SAU] is a complicated offense,” Ashley Anders, defensive coordinator said. “An option offense is hard to simulate in practice, the speed of it. They run it for a living and we only get to see it for a week.”

The Black Swarm has been preparing as best it can for the flexbone by lining up against it in practice this week.

To defend the flexbone successfully VSU, must play assignment football which means that players have specific assignments they must attend to. Someone must always be ready for the fullback dive up the middle, someone must always be responsible for the quarterback and someone must always be responsible for the pitch.

This is a different style for VSU because the Black Swarm is a defense based on everyone getting to the ball. If someone forgets his assignment by going for the ball, SAU will have an opportunity to make a big play.

“That’s what we’re working for right now, making sure all of our assignments are crisp and clean and we don’t have any busts,” Anders said.

Despite opponent’s unfamiliarity with the flexbone, SAU has struggled this season and has been shut out twice in five games. Anders believes part of it is due to the fact that SAU has three freshmen on the offensive line.

“Our objective is to confuse those young players on the offensive line and give our speed a chance to rally to the ball,” Anders said.

The Blazers can be successful against the flexbone because the defensive line has done an excellent job this season getting into its opponent’s backfields and the linebacking core is extremely fast getting to the edge. That combination makes it tough for an offense to run the option.

The Mulerider’s big weapon in the flexbone coming into the season was running back D.D. Holyfield who led the GSC in rushing last year. This season has been a big disappointment for Holyfield, who has rushed 50 times for 207 yards. He is only averaging 37-yards per game and has no touchdowns in five games.

Last year’s quarterback Josh SanFilippo underachieved in his first five games. SanFilippo has completed just 36 percent of his passes for 41-yards per game. He has one touchdown and five interceptions.

Expect to see backup quarterback Damien Melancon. He has seen action in every game this season and has comparable numbers to SanFilippo.

The Muleriders’ defense is struggling as much as its offense. SAU ranks eighth out of 11 in the GSC in total defense (sixth in rushing, ninth in passing). It gives up an average of 381.7- yards per conference game and has the reputation of giving up big plays. That’s not good considering the Blazers’ offense is averaging 535.5 yards and 50 points per GSC game.

Junior quarterback Willie Copeland has led the way for the Air Raid attack, completing 78 percent of his passes and throwing nine touchdowns in the past two games.

“The past two games I haven’t been hit at all so I give a lot of credit to the [offensive] line and I’m starting to learn the offense,” Copeland said. “I feel very comfortable.” Copeland has looked good not just because of his throwing and protection, but because his receivers have been outstanding.

Derek Tharpe leads the Blazers with three touchdowns in GSC games and Zach Parker and Cedric Jones both lead the GSC in average catches per game with six.

Jones, a freshman, has over 100-yards receiving in each of his four games as a Blazer. He gains most of his yards after the catch, having mastered the wide receiver screen. He’s caught a wide receiver screen once in each conference game for a touchdown.

“I don’t really throw too many deep routes, I just throw short routes and [the receivers] turn them long,” Copeland said. “It makes it very easy for me.”

VERDICT: If the Blazer offense plays anything like they did in their previous two GSC games, this game will be over early in the first quarter. The Blazer defense has been excellent against the run this season and has made bad quarterbacks look even worse. SAU likes to run the ball and has poor quarterback play. However, because of the unfamiliarity VSU has with the option and flexbone, SAU might be able to get into the 20s. However, that will not be enough overcome the high powered Blazer offense.

PREDICTION: VSU 56 Southern Ark 14