VALDOSTA STATE
Last season: 6-4, 3-3 in Gulf South Conference
Key returning players: The Blazers plan to rely heavily on All-GSC running back Cedric O'Neal, who finished the 2013 season with 140 carries, 975 yards, six touchdowns. Although Valdosta State's offense usually leans on its passing game more, coach David Dean said his team likely will tip the scales a bit toward its run game with the talent it has in O'Neal and running back Austin Scott. The Blazers lost a handful of big hitters on defense, but welcome back linebacker Justin Williams. Of the players returning, he had the most tackles last season, (79, 44 solo).
Emerging players: Linebacker Kenny Murphy played behind Valdosta State's leading tackler Chris Pope last season and took a good amount of snaps on defense and on special teams. With both Pope and linebacker Jeremy Grable gone (the duo combined for 180 total tackles), much of what the Blazers do on defense will be based around Murphy, a junior. Quarterback Kaleb Nobles got ample playing time last season when Cayden Cochran was back and forth between the bench and the field with an injury. As a freshman, Nobles was 94-of-148 passing for 967 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games and will be the starter this season.
For the future: After injury depleted the Blazers' offensive line and left Nobles and Cochran exposed for much of 2013, Dean said he looks forward to adding another big body to the line of scrimmage. Freshman David May is a 6-foot-4, 295 pound center who the Blazers have no intentions of redshirting.
They'll have a winning season if: They can stay healthy.
“We were hit very hard with the injury bug last year,” Dean said. “We lost four offensive linemen before we played our first football game, and then we lost three more linemen in the first four games of the year.”
After winning the Division II championship in 2012, the Blazers were plagued with a slew of nagging injuries to all facets of their roster, from the offensive line to their best pass rusher. The lack of depth in several position groups ultimately led to their 6-4 finish in 2013.
They'll come up short if: Valdosta State's youth on defense is exploited. Dean would like to keep his offense on the field as long as possible because the Blazers are ushering in a load of new players on defense. Clock management will be key, as will be trying to force three-and-outs as often as possible.
“We’ve got a lot of young folks on defense, a lot of new players, so if we can slow the game down and keep those guys off the field, especially early in the season, to give them an opportunity to kind of get their feet wet so-to-speak for about three or four games … I think that’s going to help us.”
Chatter: GSC coaches voted Valdosta State to finish third in their conference. The Blazers have a new defensive coordinator in former linebackers coach Bubba Walker. He joined the program as a graduate assistant five years ago.
Must-see games: If you're a Valdosta State fan, you're likely looking forward to Oct. 30 when the Blazers play West Alabama, one of the more heated rivalries in the conference. But for Valdosta State's players, the in-state games are what they look forward to most: home games against West Georgia on Oct. 11 and Shorter on Oct. 25.
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