CFB-D2: Gulf South Conference (GSC) Week 6 Release and Previews

WEEK 6 SCHEDULE

Saturday, October 12

Time (CT)

Chowan vs. Shorter

(FloFootball) 12 pm

11/13 West Alabama at Mississippi College*

(FloFootball) 2 pm

3/3 Valdosta State at North Greenville*

(FloFootball) 2 pm

19/25 Delta State at West Florida*

(FloFootball) 4 pm

CONFERENCE NOTES

CONFERENCE PLAY IN FULL SWING

• Through three weeks of conference action, four teams are tied atop the standings at 1-0.
• 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 HurricaneHelene 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 and rescheduled to Week 11. The game will now be played in Livingston, Ala.
• Week 6 will see three GSC games – No. 11 West Alabama at Mississippi College, No. 19 Delta State at West Florida, and No. 3 Valdosta State at North Greenville.

GSC IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY

• Through Week 4 of the 2024 season, the GSC is 13-10 in non-conference games.
• The GSC has a109-62 record in the regular season non-conference games, since 2016. It
• has tallied 15 or more wins four times (19 in 2021, 16 in 2022, 15 in 2018 and 2016).
• Since 2015, the GSC is 107-36 (.743) against Super Region 2 teams in all match-ups.
• Week 6 will feature just one non-conference game as Chowan hosts Shorter.

THREE TEAMS IN THE COACHES POLL

• The GSC has three teams in the AFCA D2 Coaches Poll this week (Oct. 7)–No. 3 Valdosta State, No. 11 West Alabama and No. 19 Delta State.
• This is the fourth consecutive week Valdosta State comes in at No. 3 and is among the top-5 since the Week 1 poll in 2022 (Sept. 5, 2022). West Alabama makes its second appearance among the top-15 this season and reached its highest ranking since coming in at No. 10 in the 2021 Week 6 poll (Oct. 11, 2021).
• This is the fifth time in six poll releases this season two GSC teams are inside the top-15.
• The GSC has had a team appear in 306 of 309 AFCA D2 Top 25 polls, dating back to 2000. Two or more teams have been among the D2 Coaches Top 25, 286 times. A GSC team has spent 66 weeks at No. 1 and among the top-five 214 times.

THREE TEAMS IN THE D2FOOTBALL.com POLL

• Three GSC teams were ranked in the D2Football.com poll this week (Oct. 7)–No. 3 Valdosta State, No. 13 West Alabama and No. 25 Delta State.

GSC, CONFERENCE CAROLINAS ANNOUNCE SCHEDULE PARTNERSHIP

• The GSC and Conference Carolinas announced a two-year football scheduling partnership, coordinating a total of 18 non-conference football games over the course of the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

GSC ON FLOSPORTS

• FloSports will be the exclusive home for all GSC games for the 2024-25 season. In August, the conference announced the addition of four sports (soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse) to media package. On Sept. 24, FloSports announced that it will launch FloCollege on Oct. 15. Visit gscsports.org/flosportsFAQ for more info.

Offensive Player of the Week:

Sammy Edwards, Sr., QB, Valdosta State

Edwards completed 19-of-29 passes including two for a touchdown to help the Blazers to a 59-6 non-conference win at Shorter on Saturday. He also contributed with his feet, punching in a score with a one-yard run. The senior gunslinger tossed a season-high 348 yards and pushed his season total to 13 passes through five games with zero interceptions

Co-Defensive Player of the Week:

Ahmir Taylor, Sr., DL, Delta State & Larry Elder, Gr., DB, Valdosta State

Taylor accounted for a team-high six tackles, while tying a personal season-high with 1.5 tackles for loss in the Statesmen 54-9 win at home over Chowan in conference-play. The senior also notched his first sack of the campaign and had a forced fumble in the outing. Elder earned his second GSC Defensive Player of the Week honor after finishing with five tackles including three solo stops, and a season-high 2.5 sacks in a 59-6 Blazer road win over Shorter. The graduate also recorded his first career interception as Blazer.

Special Teams Player of the Week:

Jonathan James, Jr., DB, Delta State

James contributed to the Delta State 54-9 win by blocking a Chowan field goal and extra point attempt on Saturday. The junior thwarted the Hawks’ attempt of getting on the scoreboard late in the first quarter and preserved a 14-0 DSU advantage. Then early in the fourth quarter, James stopped a Chowan PAT which led to teammate Tavian Moore’s two-point scoop and score.

Freshman of the Week:

Nick Clark, Fr., RB, Delta State

Clark chipped in on Saturday’s Delta State win as the rookie rushed for a season-high 42 yards on eight carries, helping the Statesmen offense tally 248 yards on the ground and 463 total yards of offense. Clark punctuated the performance by punching in his first career touchdown. He became the first Statesmen to earn top freshman weekly honors since Omar Mantelli was recognized on Nov. 8, 2011.