Home / Fall 2012 / Blazers set to play on Super Bowl turf

Blazers set to play on Super Bowl turf

Move over Romo and company,  the Blazers are coming to town.

 The Valdosta State football team is pumped to take over Cowboy Stadium this weekend as the Blazers look for their second straight win in this year’s Lone Star Festival against Angelo State.

 Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is the setting for this year’s festival.

 The largest domed stadium in the world is state-of-the-art, seating over 80,000 spectators.

 “Going into a place where they play the SuperBowl and where the Cowboys play, you can’t help but be excited,” head coach David Dean said. “Yet, when you get in there and start to warm up, you have to forget about all that and remember the job at hand.”

 The $1.3 billion project was completed in the spring of 2009 and is equipped with the world’s largest HD video board and an inclusive retractable roof.

 After shattering LSC attendance records in the inaugural festival last year, officials decided to move forward making the event annual.

 VSU, the only team participating from Georgia, faces ASU, one of the nine members of Lone Star Conference playing this weekend.

 While the Rams come into the contest coming off a 7-19 loss to Chadron State, the Blazers are looking to spark a winning streak.

 Despite Blazer quarterback Graham Craig’s phenomenal outing last week, Cayden Cochran will be the starter after returning from a separated shoulder injury.

 The job at hand will be tough considering ASU’s defense only allowed 228 yards in its lone defeat this season against Chadron State College.

  “They have a very good front four,” said Dean about ASU’s defensive line. “Defensively, this is a scary bunch. They can embarrass you.”

 Coach Dean also explained how Angelo State’s vaunted defense has not been challenged in the passing game.

  “We’ve got to be balanced,” Dean said. “We have to be able to run and throw, open up holes and hopefully that will bring their safeties in just a little bit.”

 Former Oklahoma running back Jermie Calhoun, who is coming off of major knee surgery in 2010, now plays for ASU, but the team is still acclimating Calhoun into its system.

 All week, Dean has stressed in practice upfront assignments and solid tackling from his linebackers to limit the Rams’ running game and further hinder Calhoun.

 The game kicks off 1 p.m Saturday and will be the first ever between the two schools.

 VSU receiver Gerald Ford, who was named this week’s Gulf South Conference offensive player of the week, is not shy about his feelings on playing in an extraordinary place.

“It’s the house that Jerry built”, Ford said. “We’re coming.”

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