2007 Valdosta State Blazers football team

2007 Valdosta State Blazers football
2007 Valdosta State Blazers football
NCAA Division II champion
NCAA Division II Championship Game, ; W 25–20 vs. Northwest Missouri State
Conference	Gulf South Conference
Ranking
AFCA	No. 1
Record	13–1 (7–1 GSC)
Head coach	David Dean (1st season);
Offensive scheme	Spread option
Defensive coordinator	Joe Cauthen (1st season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Bazemore–Hyder Stadium
	Seasons ← 2006 2008 ⊟

2007 Gulf South Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
No. 10 Delta State $^	8	–	0	10	–	2
No. 1 Valdosta State ^	7	–	1	13	–	1
No. 6 North Alabama ^	7	–	1	10	–	2
Henderson State	6	–	2	7	–	3
Harding	5	–	3	6	–	4
Arkansas Tech	3	–	5	5	–	5
Arkansas–Monticello	3	–	5	4	–	7
Ouachita Baptist	2	–	6	4	–	6
Southern Arkansas	2	–	6	3	–	7
West Georgia	1	–	7	2	–	9
West Alabama	0	–	8	1	–	9

$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from AFCA poll

The 2007 Valdosta State Blazers football team was an American football team that represented Valdosta State University as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 2007 NCAA Division II football season. In their first year under head coach David Dean, the team compiled a 13–1 record (7–1 against conference opponents) and finished second in the GSC. The team advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs and defeated Northwest Missouri State, 25–20, in the championship game.^[1]^[2]

The Blazers played their home games at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance
September 1	7:00 p.m.	No. 21 Albany State*	No. 6	Bazemore–Hyder Stadium Valdosta, GA	W 41–3	7,694
September 8	5:00 p.m.	at Fort Valley State*	No. 5	Wildcat Stadium Fort Valley, GA	W 69–0	5,617
September 22	4:00 p.m.	at Arkansas Tech*	No. 4	Buerkle Field Russellville, AR	W 28–27	5,851
September 29	4:00 p.m.	Ouachita Baptist	No. 5	Bazemore–Hyder Stadium Valdosta, GA	W 31–3	5,882
October 6	2:00 p.m.	at Southern Arkansas	No. 5	Wilkins Stadium Magnolia, AR	W 33–21	4,112
October 11	8:00 p.m.	No. 8 Delta State	No. 5	Bazemore–Hyder Stadium Valdosta, GA	L 31–35	7,279
October 20	8:00 p.m.	at West Alabama	No. 13	Tiger Stadium Livingston, AL	W 37–0	4,812
October 27	1:00 p.m.	No. 2 North Alabama	No. 11	Bazemore–Hyder Stadium Valdosta, GA	W 27–24	4,127
November 3	7:00 p.m.	at Arkansas–Monticello	No. 8	Cotton Boll Stadium Monticello, AR	W 63–28	1,001
November 8	8:00 p.m.	West Georgia	No. 8	Bazemore–Hyder Stadium Valdosta, GA (rivalry)	W 35–10	3,842
November 24	1:00 p.m.	No. 12 Catawba	No. 8	Bazemore–Hyder Stadium Valdosta, GA (NCAA Division II Second Round)	W 55–29	3,228
December 1	1:00 p.m.	No. 10 North Alabama	No. 8	Bazemore–Hyder Stadium Valdosta, GA (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal)	W 37–23	4,591
December 8	11:00 a.m.	at No. 6 California (PA)	No. 8	Adamson Stadium California, PA (NCAA Division II Semifinal)	W 28–24	3,100
December 15	12:00 p.m.	vs. No. 5 Northwest Missouri State	No. 8	Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL (NCAA Division II Championship Game)	W 25–20	7,532
*Non-conference game Rankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

^[1]

Personnel

2007 Valdosta State Blazers football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
WR	`1`	Jeffrey Felton	Sr
QB	`3`	Doug Pilcher	Fr
QB	`4`	Russ Callaway	Fr
WR	`8`	Cedric Jones	So
QB	`9`	Ronnye Nelson	Fr
QB	`12`	Tucker Pruitt	Jr
QB	`13`	Willie Copeland	Sr
WR	`14`	Josh Rayam	So
QB	`15`	Clay Callaway	Sr
RB	`20`	Gabe Mould	So
RB	`21`	Thomas Arnold	So
RB	`22`	Rashawn Robinson	Jr
RB	`23`	P. J. Katz	Fr
RB	`25`	Donnie Powel	Jr
RB	`27`	Michael Terry	Sr
WR	`28`	Travis Taylor	Sr
RB	`34`	Scott Palmer	Sr
FB	`38`	Andrew Dunn	So

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
S	`2`	Maurice Leggett	Sr
LB	`5`	Marcel Horne	Sr
ROV	`6`	Eric Willimas	Jr
DB	`10`	Sherard Reynolds	Jr
CB	`19`	Shawn Harris	Sr
DB	`24`	Carlos Anderson	Sr
DB	`29`	Kevin Bray	Sr
DB	`30`	Chance Darley	Sr
ROV	`31`	Everett Kitchens	Jr
DB	`32`	Larry Dean	Fr
LB	`33`	Fabian Whylly	Jr
DB	`35`	Josh Brown	Fr
FS	`36`	Greg Petty	Sr
LB	`39`	Jamaal Clark	So

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
K	`16`	Chad Gallahan	Jr
K	`41`	Zachary Williams	Jr
P	`86`	Steven Wright	Fr

Head coach

David Dean

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Joe Cauthen
Defensive coordinator
David Elsenrath
Assistant head coach/Offensive line
Earl Chambers
Defensive line
James Colzie
Secondary
Buster Faulkner
Quarterbacks
Sean Calhoun
Running backs
Tony Haynes
Wide receivers
Brian Simmons
Safeties
Barrett Wilkes
Running backs

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Game summaries

No. 21 Albany State

No. 21 Albany State Golden Rams at No. 6 Valdosta State Blazers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 21 Golden Rams	0	3	0	0	3
No. 6 Blazers	10	17	7	7	41

at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium, Valdosta, Georgia

Date: September 1
Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy and humid, 85 °F (29 °C)
Game attendance: 7,694
Referee: Phillip Kelly
Box score

Game information

First quarter

VSU – Zac Williams 23-yard field goal, 12:07. Blazers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 2:53.
VSU – Jeffrey Felton 3-yard pass from Willie Copeland (Zac Williams kick), 5:32. Blazers 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:08.

Second quarter

ALBN – Tory Torstenson 21-yard field goal, 12:19. Blazers 10–3. Drive: 15 plays, 63 yards, 8:13.
VSU – Zac Williams 26-yard field goal, 6:23. Blazers 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 3:01.
VSU – Ronnye Nelson 6-yard run (Zac Williams kick), 2:35. Blazers 20–3. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 2:53.
VSU – Scott Palmer 17-yard pass from Willie Copeland (Zac Williams kick), 0:25. Blazers 27–3. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 1:36.

Third quarter

VSU – Shawn Harris 25-yard blocked punt return (Zac Williams kick), 13:18. Blazers 34–3.

Fourth quarter

VSU – Thomas Arnold 18-yard run (Zac Williams kick), 10:33. Blazers 41–3. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 3:28.

Statistics	ALBN	VSU
First downs	12	26
Total yards	265	436
Rushing yards	134	208
Passing yards	131	228
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	32:20	27:40

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Albany State	Passing	Kisan Flakes	6/14, 106 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	LiRonnie Davis	13 rushes, 54 yards
	Receiving	Nick Kyles	2 receptions, 68 yards
Valdosta State	Passing	Willie Copeland	18/29, 220 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Michael Terry	9 rushes, 74 yards
	Receiving	Cedric Jones	5 receptions, 49 yards

At Fort Valley State

No. 5 Valdosta State Blazers at Fort Valley State Wildcats – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 5 Blazers	12	21	22	14	69
Wildcats	0	0	0	0	0

at Wildcat Stadium, Fort Valley, Georgia

Date: September 8
Game time: 5:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Hot and muggy, 89 °F (32 °C)
Game attendance: 5,617
Referee: Art Williams
Box score

Game information

First quarter

VSU – Zac Williams 35-yard field goal, 10:35. Blazers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 2:49.
VSU – Willie Copeland 8-yard run (Zac Williams kick), 8:27. Blazers 10–0. Drive: 5 plays, 42 yards, 1:03.
VSU – Michael Cullen safety, 1:57. Blazers 12–0.

Second quarter

VSU – Cedric Jones 54-yard pass from Willie Copeland (Zac Williams kick), 11:08. Blazers 19–0. Drive: 2 plays, 60 yards, 0:41.
VSU – Cedric Jones 27-yard pass from Willie Copeland (Zac Williams kick), 5:10. Blazers 26–0. Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 4:59.
VSU – Melvin Black 0-yard fumble return (Zac Williams kick), 0:10. Blazers 33–0.

Third quarter

VSU – Donnie Powell 4-yard pass from Willie Copeland (Zac Williams kick), 11:47. Blazers 40–0. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:04.
VSU – Maurice Leggett 55-yard interception return (kick failed), 5:37. Blazers 46–0.
VSU – Josh Brown safety, 5:25. Blazers 48–0.
VSU – Michael Terry 4-yard run (Zac Williams kick), 0:31. Blazers 55–0. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:50.

Fourth quarter

VSU – Tucker Pruitt 5-yard run (Zac Williams kick), 9:15. Blazers 62–0. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 4:39.
VSU – Ronnye Nelson 10-yard run (Zac Williams kick), 1:38. Blazers 69–0. Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 4:14.

Statistics	VSU	FVSU
First downs	24	9
Total yards	460	167
Rushing yards	139	21
Passing yards	321	146
Turnovers	1	4
Time of possession	32:26	27:34

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Valdosta State	Passing	Willie Copeland	20/30, 249 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Michael Terry	6 rushes, 43 yards, TD
	Receiving	Cedric Jones	8 receptions, 132 yards, 2 TD
Fort Valley State	Passing	Zedrick West	12/22, 116 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Garrett Williams	3 rushes, 17 yards
	Receiving	Melvin Atueyi	6 receptions, 86 yards

At Arkansas Tech

No. 4 Valdosta State Blazers at Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Blazers	0	0	14	14	28
Wonder Boys	14	0	13	0	27

at Buerkle Field, Russellville, Arkansas

Date: September 22
Game time: 3:00 p.m. EDT/2:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Clear, 86 °F (30 °C)
Game attendance: 5,851
Referee: Stan Sence
Box score

Game information

First quarter

ATU – Cole Barthal 1-yard run (Travis Cockerham kick), 12:08. Wonder Boys 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 2:52.
ATU – Chris Gunter 19-yard pass from Cole Barthel (Travis Cockerham kick), 9:00. Wonder Boys 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 2:01.

Second quarter

No scoring plays

Third quarter

VSU – Willie Copeland 9-yard run (Zac Williams kick), 13:54. Wonder Boys 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 60 yards, 1:06.
VSU – Willie Copeland 1-yard run (Zac Williams kick), 7:59. Tied 14–14. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:39.
ATU – R. J. Vanhook 35-yard run (kick blocked), 6:24. Wonder Boys 20–14. Drive: 5 plays, 76 yards, 1:29.
ATU – Cole Barthel 2-yard run (Travis Cockerham kick), 2:36. Wonder Boys 27–14. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 2:46.

Fourth quarter

VSU – Michael Terry 16-yard run (Zac Williams kick), 11:11. Wonder Boys 27–21. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 1:01.
VSU – Ronnye Nelson 4-yard run (Zac Williams kick), 4:44. Blazers 28–27. Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 4:41.

Statistics	VSU	ATU
First downs	29	18
Total yards	501	367
Rushing yards	249	132
Passing yards	252	235
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	36:40	23:20

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Valdosta State	Passing	Willie Copeland	30/44, 252 yards, INT
	Rushing	Michael Terry	17 rushes, 137 yards, TD
	Receiving	Cedric Jones	14 receptions, 135 yards
Arkansas Tech	Passing	Cole Barthel	24/41, 235 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Cole Barthel	11 rushes, 40 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Tracey Stiger	8 receptions, 89 yards

Ouachita Baptist

Ouachita Baptist at No. 5 Valdosta State Blazers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	3	0	0	0	3
No. 5 Blazers	3	7	14	7	31

at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium, Valdosta, Georgia

Date: September 29
Game time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Sunny, 86 °F (30 °C)
Game attendance: 5,882
Referee: Phillip Kelly
Box score

Game information

First quarter

OBU – Zach Wright 31-yard field goal, 5:59. Tigers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 25 yards, 5:19.
VSU – Zac Williams 31-yard field goal, 2:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 51 yards, 3:59.

Second quarter

VSU – Roger King 61-yard punt return (Zac Williams kick), 8:11. Blazers 10–3.

Third quarter

VSU – Michael Terry 56-yard run (Zac Williams kick), 14:08. Blazers 17–3. Drive: 2 plays, 65 yards, 0:46.
VSU – Cedric Jones 21-yard pass from Willie Copeland (Zac Williams kick), 3:53. Blazers 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 2:20.

Fourth quarter

VSU – Michael Terry 69-yard run (Zac Williams kick), 10:41. Blazers 31–3. Drive: 2 plays, 76 yards, 0:56.

Statistics	OBU	VSU
First downs	16	24
Total yards	258	519
Rushing yards	104	301
Passing yards	154	218
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	33:14	26:46

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Ouachita Baptist	Passing	Lance Parker	18/37, 154 yards, INT
	Rushing	Willie Hopson	24 rushes, 81 yards
	Receiving	Julius Pruitt	8 receptions, 73 yards
Valdosta State	Passing	Willie Copeland	22/37, 218 yards, TD
	Rushing	Michael Terry	9 rushes, 181 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Cedric Jones	5 receptions, 57 yards, TD

At Southern Arkansas

No. 5 Valdosta State Blazers at Southern Arkansas Muleriders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 5 Blazers	10	3	14	6	33
Muleriders	7	0	0	14	21

at Wilkins Stadium, Magnolia, Arkansas

Date: October 6
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Partly cloudy and hot, 84 °F (29 °C)
Game attendance: 4,112
Referee: Todd Allen

Statistics	VSU	SAU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Valdosta State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Southern Arkansas	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 8 Delta State

No. 8 Delta State Statesmen at No. 5 Valdosta State Blazers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 8 Statesmen	0	0	28	7	35
No. 5 Blazers	11	6	14	0	31

at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium, Valdosta, Georgia

Date: October 11
Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Clear and cool, 67 °F (19 °C)
Game attendance: 7,279
Referee: Thomas Graham

Statistics	DSU	VSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Delta State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Valdosta State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

At West Alabama

No. 13 Valdosta State Blazers at West Alabama Tigers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 13 Blazers	14	10	6	7	37
Tigers	0	0	0	0	0

at Tiger Stadium, Livingston, Alabama

Date: October 20
Game time: 7:00 p.m. EDT/6:00 p.m. CDT
Game attendance: 4,812
Referee: Stan Sence

Statistics	VSU	UWA
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Valdosta State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
West Alabama	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 2 North Alabama

No. 2 North Alabama Lions at No. 11 Valdosta State Blazers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 2 Lions	3	7	14	0	24
No. 11 Blazers	7	6	7	7	27

at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium, Valdosta, Georgia

Date: October 27
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy and cool, 72 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 4,127
Referee: Stan Sence

Statistics	UNA	VSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Alabama	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Valdosta State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

At Arkansas–Monticello

No. 8 Valdosta State Blazers at Arkansas–Monticello Boll Weevils – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 8 Blazers	21	14	14	14	63
Boll Weevils	14	0	7	7	28

at Cotton Boll Stadium, Monticello, Arkansas

Date: November 3
Game time: 6:00 p.m. EDT/5:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Warm and sunny, 71 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 1,001
Referee: Patrick Smith

Statistics	VSU	UAM
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Valdosta State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Arkansas–Monticello	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

West Georgia

West Georgia Wolves at No. 8 Valdosta State Blazers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wolves	0	10	0	0	10
No. 8 Blazers	7	7	14	7	35

at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium, Valdosta, Georgia

Date: November 8
Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Clear and cool, 45 °F (7 °C)
Game attendance: 3,842
Referee: Stan Sence

Statistics	UWG	VSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
West Georgia	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Valdosta State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 12 Catawba (NCAA Division II Second Round)

No. 12 Catawba Indians at No. 8 Valdosta State Blazers (NCAA Division II Second Round) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 12 Indians	13	3	0	13	29
No. 8 Blazers	7	6	14	28	55

at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium, Valdosta, Georgia

Date: November 24
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 60 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 3,228
Referee: Anthony Purcell

Statistics	CAT	VSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Catawba	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Valdosta State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

No. 10 North Alabama (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal)

No. 10 North Alabama Lions at No. 8 Valdosta State Blazers (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 10 Lions	9	7	7	0	23
No. 8 Blazers	13	3	0	21	37

at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium, Valdosta, Georgia

Date: December 1
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Clear and cool, 68 °F (20 °C)
Game attendance: 4,591
Referee: T. Levingston

Statistics	UNA	VSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Alabama	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Valdosta State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

At No. 6 California (PA) (NCAA Division II Semifinal)

No. 8 Valdosta State Blazers at No. 6 California (PA) Vulcnas – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 8 Blazers	0	7	14	7	28
No. 6 Vulcans	0	14	10	0	24

at Adamson Stadium, California, Pennsylvania

Date: December 8
Game time: 11:00 a.m. EST
Game weather: Overcast, 30 °F (−1 °C)
Game attendance: 3,100
Referee: Greg Waybright

Statistics	VSU	CAL
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Valdosta State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
California (PA)	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs. No. 5 Northwest Missouri State (NCAA Division II Championship Game)

No. 5 Northwest Missouri State Bearcats vs. No. 8 Valdosta State Blazers (NCAA Division II Championship Game) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 5 Bearcats	0	14	0	6	20
No. 8 Blazers	3	0	7	15	25

at Braly Municipal Stadium, Florence, Alabama

Date: December 15
Game time: 11:00 a.m. EST/10:00 a.m. CST
Game weather: Overcast, 60 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 7,532
Referee: Rodrick Hollowy
Box score

Game information

First quarter

VSU – Zac Williams 35-yard field goal, 12:50. Blazers 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 2:10.

Second quarter

NWMSU – Aldwin Foster-Rettig 31-yard interception return (Tommy Frevert kick), 13:28. Tigers 7–3.
NWMSU – Mike Peterson 3-yard pass from Joel Osborn (Tommy Frevert kick), 0:21. Tigers 14–3. Drive: 4 plays, 53 yards, 0:31.

Third quarter

VSU – Clay Callaway 7-yard pass from Willie Copeland (Zac Williams kick), 11:46. Tigers 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 1:54.

Fourth quarter

VSU – Zach Parker 14-yard pass from Ronnye Nelson (Zac Williams kick), 13:21. Blazers 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 2:08.
NWMSU – Xavier Omon 2-yard run (kick blocked), 12:33. Tigers 20–17. Drive: 3 plays, 48 yards, 0:48.
VSU – Roger King PAT return, 12:33. Tigers 20–19.
VSU – Michael Terry 1-yard run (run failed), 0:22. Blazers 25–20. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:39.

Statistics	NWMSU	VSU
First downs	12	19
Total yards	235	305
Rushing yards	87	34
Passing yards	148	271
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	30:38	29:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northwest Missouri State	Passing	Joel Osborn	18/28, 148 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Xavier Omon	27 rushes, 63 yards, TD
	Receiving	Mike Peterson	5 receptions, 57 yards, TD
Valdosta State	Passing	Willie Copeland	29/44, 257 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Michael Terry	12 rushes, 36 yards, TD
	Receiving	Cedric Jones	10 rushes, 95 yards

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
( ) = First-place votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Final
AFCA	6	6	5	4	4	5	5	5	13	11	8	8	8	1 (28)

References

^ ^a ^b "2007 Valdosta State Stats". Valdosta State University. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
^ "Valdosta State Blazers Athletics - CHAMPIONS AGAIN". Archived from the original on May 18, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2013.

[Stat-1] "2007 Valdosta State Stats". Valdosta State University. Retrieved October 10, 2021.

[2] "Valdosta State Blazers Athletics - CHAMPIONS AGAIN". Archived from the original on May 18, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2013.

[1]

[2]

v t e Valdosta State Blazers football
Venues	Bazemore–Hyder Stadium (1982–present)
Bowls & rivalries	West Georgia
Culture & lore	Blaze
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold

v t e NCAA Division II football champions
1970s	1973: Louisiana Tech 1974: Central Michigan 1975: Northern Michigan 1976: Montana State 1977: Lehigh 1978: Eastern Illinois 1979: Delaware
1980s	1980: Cal Poly 1981: Southwest Texas State 1982: Southwest Texas State 1983: North Dakota State 1984: Troy State 1985: North Dakota State 1986: North Dakota State 1987: Troy State 1988: North Dakota State 1989: Mississippi College (vacated)
1990s	1990: North Dakota State 1991: Pittsburg State 1992: Jacksonville State 1993: North Alabama 1994: North Alabama 1995: North Alabama 1996: Northern Colorado 1997: Northern Colorado 1998: Northwest Missouri State 1999: Northwest Missouri State
2000s	2000: Delta State 2001: North Dakota 2002: Grand Valley State 2003: Grand Valley State 2004: Valdosta State 2005: Grand Valley State 2006: Grand Valley State 2007: Valdosta State 2008: Minnesota–Duluth 2009: Northwest Missouri State
2010s	2010: Minnesota–Duluth 2011: Pittsburg State 2012: Valdosta State 2013: Northwest Missouri State 2014: CSU–Pueblo 2015: Northwest Missouri State 2016: Northwest Missouri State 2017: Texas A&M–Commerce 2018: Valdosta State 2019: West Florida
2020s	2020: No champion 2021: Ferris State 2022: Ferris State 2023: Harding