WEEK 1 SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Sept. 4
Time (CT)
Mississippi College at Shorter
(YouTube) 6 pm
Thursday, Sept. 5
Time (CT)
West Florida vs. McKendree
(FloFootball) 6 pm
North Greenville vs. Keiser
(FloFootball) 7 pm
Saturday, Sept. 7
Time (CT)
Chowan at Elizabeth City State
(CIAA Network) 12 pm
Delta State vs. Missouri S&T
(FloFootball) 6 pm
West Alabama vs. Tusculum
(FloFootball) 6 pm
Erskine vs. Presbyterian
(FloFootball) 6 pm
Valdosta State at Newberry
(FloFootball) 6 pm
CONFERENCE NOTES
OFFICIAL SEASON START
The season officially kicksoff with eight GSC games spread over four days, after the 2024 campaign had a soft launch last weekend with Week 0 action.
WELCOME ERSKINE
The 2024 season will see Erskine College play as a football-only affiliate member for the GSC. The Flying Fleet, who are 1-0 this season, finished 0-11 last season and were 0-9 as a member of the South Atlantic Conference. The team is led by head coach Shap Boyd.
REGION 2 CLASHES
Four of eight games this week for the GSC will be against Super Region 2 opposition. Mississippi College opens the slate on the road at D2-independent Shorter on Wednesday. Saturday sees Chowan visit Elizabeth City (CIAA), while Valdosta State and West Alabama take on a pair of South Atlantic Conference (SAC) foes in Newberry and Tusculum, respectively. Since 2015, the GSC is a combined 100-31 (.758) against Super Region 2 teams during the regular season and postseason match-ups.
GSC ON FLOSPORTS
FloSports and FloFootball will be the exclusive home for all GSC games for the 2024 season. In August, the conference announced the addition of four sports (soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse) to media package. Fans who subscribe through the GSC Landing Page on FloSports will receive a special GSC discounted rate. Additional savings will be offered to fans that subscribe with a .EDU email from a GSC institution (affiliates included). Visit gscsports.org/flosportsFAQ for more info.
SEASON OPENERS
After going 4-0 during Week 0, the the GSC improved to 68-24 during the opening week of the season, dating back to the 2012 season. GSC teams have collectively notched a .700-or-better record in Week 1 six times during that stretch, the last being in 2022 when they went 6-2 (.750).
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Since 2016, the GSC has a combined 100-52 record and a .649 winning percentage in regular season non-conference games. The league has tallied 15 or more wins four times (19 in 2021, 16 in 2022, 15 in 2018 and 2016). GSC teams are combined 4-0 this season.
GUNSLINGER
Valdosta State QB Sammy Edwards ranks fifth among D2 leaders in passing yards (306), sixth in passing completion (.720) and third-overall in passing touchdowns (4).
SEE THE BALL, CATCH THE BALL
Valdosta State’s Rodney Bullard and Delta State’s Jaylen Green are among the top 25 D2 leaders in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Both are ranked second-nationally two TD grabs. Bullard is 16th in receiving yards (100) while Green is 25th (88). Graeson Malashevich (VSU) ranks 21st-overall in receiving (93).
COMPLETE THE PASS
Two GSC teams are among D2 top-five leaders in team pass completion, as Erskine sits third-overall (.800) while Valdosta State is seventh (.741).
MEAN GREEN SACK MACHINE
Delta State leads Division II with six team sacks, following its season opener last week against Mars Hill. On the other side of the ball, the Statesmen offensive line did not allow a sack.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Valdosta State was named the favorite in the GSC Football Preseason Poll, as voted by the league’s head coaches. The Blazers claimed a share of the conference title last season before advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA D2 playoffs.
GSC TRIO LAND ON AFCA PRESEASON TOP 25
Three GSC teams landed in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Preseason Poll, led by Valdosta State (No. 7). West Florida (No. 12) and Delta State (No. 18) followed.
GSC TEAMS IN THE AFCA POLL
The GSC has had at least one team appear in 301 of 304 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 polls, dating back to 2000 when the rankings began. Two or more teams have been among the D2 Coaches Top 25, 283 times. The GSC team has been among the top-five 210 times including 66 poll releases with a team at No. 1.
SIDELINE TABLETS APPROVED
After implementing official sideline review last season, the GSC will permit teams to have tablets on the sideline during the 2024 season. Teams are allowed to have a total of six tablets on the sideline or in the coaching booth. Teams will be limited to only current game video shall have access to the same video angles that are available in the official video replay.
PRESEASON ELITE 100
QB Sammy Edwards (Valdosta State) and P Michael Shine were named to the Elite 100 Second Team by D2Football.com … Five GSC players were named to the Elite 100 Squad: RB Kelvin Smith (DSU), OL Jaelon Brown (DSU), LB Trevon Stanford (UWA), DL Byron Puryear (UWF) and LB Will Breland (UWF).
REESE’S WATCHLIST
Delta State’s Jaylen May was named to the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watchlist. He was one of 10 D2 player to be listed.
GSC COACHING NOTES
The GSC welcomes two new faces to the league for the 2024 season–Shap Boyd (Erskine) and Mike Kershaw (Mississippi College). Boyd is in his fifth season with the Flying Fleet as Erskine joins the GSC. This will be Kershaw’s season as a head coach with the Choctaws.
Among active D2 coaches, Todd Cooley (Delta State) and Brett Gilliland are listed among the top-30 in career wins and inside the top-25 career win percentage … Delta State’s Todd Cooley opens the season with 70 career wins, good for eighth all-time in conference history. He is three wins shy of passing former DSU head coach Todd Knight … West Alabama’s Brett Gilliland begins the season with 62 career wins, 11th-best in league-history. With four wins, he will tie Rick Rhoades.
