Adam MacDonald
armacdonald@valdosta.edu

Time flies when you’re winning. It’s already the midway point of the football season and the undefeated Blazers have cruised through their first five games, winning by an average score of 38 -12.

“I think we’ve played very well, we’ve taken care of business each and every week,” Head Coach Chris Hatcher said.

“Our defense has played solid all season long, we’ve been very good in the special teams except for maybe the first ball game of the year, and recently our offense has come along. I’d give us a very high grade so far in the season.”

The offense started the season slowly. The Blazers put up only 20 points in the opening game at Albany State, but played best when it counted. Trailing 16-13, junior quarterback Willie Copeland drove VSU 71 yards in the final minutes for a gamewinning touchdown. Copeland hit wide receiver Derek Tharpe with 23 seconds left on a nineyard pass to the back of the end zone.

The defense was outstanding, giving up just nine points. The defensive line disrupted the Albany State backfield all night, an astounding feat considering that no one on the defensive line started in 2005.

The four-point victory over ASU has been the closest game to date.

VSU wiped out Fort Valley State 31-3 on Sept. 9 in its first home game. The Black Swarm defense dominated again, holding FVSU to 186 yards and intercepting the ball twice. Linebacker Chris Jones returned an interception for a touchdown, the first defensive score of the year.

Arkansas Tech was supposed to test the Blazers on Sept. 23, but the Blazers wrapped up the victory early in the first quarter.

VSU led the the 18th ranked Wonder Boys 37-0 halftime. The Air Raid offense finally came alive. VSU had 494 yards of total offense but the offense was put in good position all day by the punt returning of Sherard Reynolds. Reynolds returned five punts for a total of 168 yards and was named GSC special teams Player of the Week.

In the Blazers’ first GSC-TV game of the year, they beat Ouachita Baptist 49-21. The Tigers jumped on the Black Swarm defense early, putting up 14 points in the first quarter. The defense responded by forcing starting quarterback Richard Young to leave the game with a broken arm and holding the Tigers to 57 yards of offense in the second half. On offense, Willie Copeland completed 24-30 passes for 332 yards and five touchdowns.

He was named GSC offensive Player of the Week.

The Blazers improved to 5-0 by beating Southern Arkansas 41-7 on Homecoming. The Blazers scored three touchdowns on offense, two on special teams and one on defense.

Once again, Reynolds put the Blazers in great position, returning five punts for 154 yards, including a 78-yard return for a touchdown. But the star of the game was Maurice Leggett.

Leggett, who plays every position in the secondary, had four tackles, a pass defended, an interception, a blocked punt and a 57-yard fumble recovery that he ran back for a touchdown.

Leggett was named GSC defensive Player of the Week and Reynolds was named GSC special teams Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks.