WEEK 11 SCHEDULE
Week 11 (Saturday, Nov. 16) Time (CT)
Delta State at Mississippi College*
(FloFootball) 12 pm
Chowan at North Greenville*
(FloFootball) 12 pm
Erskine at 12/14 West Alabama*
(FloFootball) 1 pm
16/21 West Florida at 1/2 Valdosta State*
(FloFootball) 6 pm
CONFERENCE NOTES
CONFERENCE PLAY IN FULL SWING
• Heading into the final weekend of the regular season Valdosta State is the only unbeaten GSC team remaining and one of three left in Division II. • Week 11 of the GSC schedule features all eight teams in conference action. Delta State at Mississippi College, Chowan at North Greenville, Erskine at No. 12 West Alabama, and No. 16 West Florida at No. 1 Valdosta State. • Delta State’s conference-opener at Erskine and the top-25 matchup between Valdosta State and West Alabama from Week 4 were canceled due to the effects of Hurricane Helene and will not be rescheduled. • Due to the impact of Hurricane Helene on Due South, S.C., the Erskine-West Alabama Week 5 matchup was postponed to Week 11, and will now be played in Livingston, Ala.
GSC TITLE ON THE LINE
• The winner of the West Florida-Valdosta State game will be crowned GSC champion. • The GSC champion is awarded to the team with highest win percentage based on regular season league games. • VSU leads the all-time series, 5-3 … The Blazers won in Pensacola last season (31-28) ending a 3-game skid … Average score difference over for the last four meetings is 6.5 – UWF won by 19 in 2021, otherwise games have been decided by three points or less. • If UWF wins… it would have a .857 win percentage (6-1), VSU will be .833 (5-1). The victory would be the first outright title in program history, third overall (’21, ’22). • If VSU wins… it would be the first undefeated GSC champion and first outright title since 2019. It would also mean back-to-back titles for the Blazers and 11 all-time. Former member North Alabama holds record for most GSC titles (13).
GSC IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
• Through Week 10 of the 2024 season, the GSC is 17-10 in non-conference games. • Since 2016, the GSC has a 112-62 record in the regular season games and is the fifth with 15 or more wins (19 in 2021, 16 in 2022, 15 in 2018 and 2016). • Since 2015, the GSC is 110-36 (.752) against Super Region 2 teams in all match-ups.
THREE TEAMS IN THE COACHES POLL
• The GSC has three teams in the AFCA D2 Coaches Poll this week (Nov. 11)–No. 1 Valdosta State, No. 12 West Alabama and No. 16 West Florida. • This is the 11th consecutive poll of the season with three or more GSC teams listed. • Valdosta State comes in at No. 1 for the third straight week. West Alabama is among the Top-15 for the sixth time this season. West Florida climbed up one spot. • The GSC has had a team appear in 311 of 314 AFCA D2 Top 25 polls, dating back to 2000. Two or more teams have been among the D2 Coaches Top 25, 291 times. A GSC team has spent 69 weeks at No. 1 and among the top-five 219 times.
OFFENSIVE STATE-MENT
• Valdosta State is seventh in D2 in offensive yards per game (473.2), fourth in scoring per game (44.8), ninth in total points scored (403).
GSC RECORD HOLDER
• Sammy Edwards (Valdosta State) is the GSC single-season leader for consecutive pass attempts without an interception (195), surpassing former VSU quarterback Chris Hatcher (177). Edwards streak came to end last Saturday versus Erskine.
RUNNING WILD
• There have been 20 100-yard rushing games this season by GSC players. Mississippi College’s Marcus Williams leads the league with 189-yards against Northeastern State (11/9). • Valdosta State’s Blake Hester has three 100-yard rushing games (121, 111, 102) the most by any GSC player this season. • Delta State’s Cole Kirk is lone quarterback on the list with 115 yards versus Missouri S&T (9/7) and leads the conference with the longest single carry–89 yards (9/7).
SEE THE BALL, CATCH THE BALL
• There have been 16 100-yard receiving games in the conference this season. North Greenville is the most represented school with six–Dre’ Williams (208 147), Ahmari Coats (182, 105) and Tyshon Mansell (101, 100). • Dre’ Williams is among D2 single-game leaders in receiving yards (15th/208) and touchdowns (2nd/4).
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, RUN IT BACK
• West Florida punt returner Virgil Lemons leaders D2 in punt return yards (602) and yards per return (25.1) and is second in punt return touchdowns (2).
Offensive Player of the Week:
Marcus Williams, Sr., RB, Mississippi College
Williams rushed for a career-best 189 yards in Mississippi College’s 35-7 win over non-conference foe Northeastern State. As a result, the senior accounted for nearly 47 percent of the 404 yards of offense by the Choctaws on Saturday. He had another career-high, carrying the ball 28 times, while finding the end zone twice. He averaged 6.8 yards per rush attempt, with his longest of the day going for 50 yards. Williams is the second Choctaw this season to garner GSC top offensive weekly honors, following Javier Batiste (Sept. 30).
Defensive Player of the Week:
Collin Shaw, R-Jr., DL, West Florida
Shaw pieced together a solid performance as No. 17 West Florida rolled to a 35-14 win over North Greenville. The redshirt-junior logged a team-high six tackles in the outing, including five solo stops, two sacks totaling 25 yards and two forced fumbles. The Argonauts finished with five sacks on the day while limiting the Trailblazers to a season-low 74 yards of offense. Shaw is the third Argo to earn weekly top defensive honors of the season, following Kam Canterbury (Sept. 30) and Ja’Kobe Clinton (Oct. 28).
Special Teams Player of the Week:
Joko Willis, Gr., LB, Valdosta State
Willis helped the top-ranked Blazers remain undefeated on the year with a 49-20 win over Delta State in Cleveland, Miss. The graduate linebacker recorded a blocked punt with a scoop and a score to give Valdosta State a 14-0 first quarter lead. The blocked punt was the second of the season for the Blazers and the first returned for a touchdown since 2022. Willis is the first Blazer to claim the GSC weekly special team honors since Estin Thiele on Nov. 13, 2023.
Freshman of the Week:
Preston Godfrey, Fr., RB, Mississippi College
Godfrey was a key piece in the Choctaws non-conference win over Northeastern State on Saturday. The rookie posted season-high numbers for rushing yards (131) and carries (26), averaging 5.03 yards per attempt, and found the end zone for second time this season. The performance pushed his season rushing total to 503 yards, second among team leaders and inside the top-10 among GSC leaders. Godfrey is the first Choctaw to win the weekly top freshman award since John Henry White on October 10, 2022, on October 14.
