GSC Games Of The Week: Unpredictability Reigns In Gulf South Play
GSC Games Of The Week: Unpredictability Reigns In Gulf South Play
Delta State continued its surge to the head of the Gulf South in Week 5; will the Statesmen keep it rolling as the GSC descends into chaos?
We’re two weeks into the Gulf South portion of the schedule, and just like we all predicted, Delta State is the lone undefeated team left in the league with wins over each of the preseason poll favorites.
While DSU is the last team without a blemish on its record, six teams sit at 1-1 in the league, so the door is wide open for anyone to make a move.
Last week was another topsy-turvy week in conference play, with Delta State crushing a fading Valdosta State team, and then-Top 10 ranked West Georgia falling in a big upset on its home field to Mississippi College.
Every game on the schedule this week is a league matchup, it’s a chance for Delta State to continue its run atop the league. Elsewhere, a pair of preseason favorites square off in what could be a conference championship elimination game.
Delta State at North Greenville
One week after shocking West Florida, the Delta State Statesmen finally got to play their first home game of 2022. Their season premiere at McCool Stadium was a good one: The Statesmen promptly went out and destroyed Valdosta State, 70-31.
Those 70 points equaled the most in a GSC game by any team since Valdosta beat Delta State, 70-12, back in 2001.
The Statesmen put up 63 points through three quarters, blowing the game open with 28 in the second, then blanking the Blazers 21-0 in the third.
DSU could not be stopped in the win, racking up 703 yards of offense — and, no, that’s not a misprint: 703 yards with 37 first downs, no punts and no turnovers. It was about as close to perfect as one could get on offense.
Delta State is getting after it! Two TD's in the first.@DeltaStateFB pic.twitter.com/YvA9ga4va0
— FloFootball (@FloFootball) October 1, 2022
Patrick Shegog continues to make his early case for GSC Player of the Year, going 26 of 29 for 346 yards and four touchdowns in the win. He added another 65 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
While Delta State has put its name at the front of the GSC race after two weeks, North Greenville nearly shocked West Florida on the road last week, falling 34-31. NGU held a 23-10 lead going into the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hold on against an Argos team desperate to avoid an 0-2 conference hole.
UWF rallied with 24 points in the final frame, including the game-winning field goal as time expired. The Crusaders have to feel like they let a golden chance to reach 2-0 in GSC play slip through their fingers, putting up more yards and first downs than UWF. However, three turnovers were their undoing.
Delta State looks to continue its 2021 close-loss revenge tour, this time looking to pay back a 42-34, double-overtime loss to North Greenville a season ago. The Crusaders rallied from down 11 points in the fourth quarter to score the win.
West Florida at West Georgia
While North Greenville has to feel like they let one slip away, West Florida has to be breathing a sigh of relief, possibly saving its season and GSC title hopes with the rally last week to avoid an 0-2 conference start.
Quarterback Peewee Jarrett was held in check for most of the first three quarters, but found his footing when it mattered most with a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Jarrett threw the game-tying score with under three minutes to play and set the stage for the winning sequences.
Shomari Mason continued his big season, eclipsing 150 yards on just 11 carries with a pair of touchdowns.
Despite giving up 31 points and nearly 500 yards of offense, the Argo defenses forced three turnovers in the win, including an interception with under a minute to go that setup the game-winning field goal.
West Georgia, meanwhile entered last week at 1-0 in the GSC, and undefeated on the season, possibly eyeing a run for the league title. Now, the Wolves are left to regroup after they were upset at home by Mississippi College, 39-38.
The Choctaws scored the game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion with four seconds left to steal one of the most impressive comeback wins and upsets of the season.
West Georgia is another team that has to feel it let one get away, leading 21-3 in the first half against a team that was picked to finish next-to-last in the league’s preseason poll. Three turnovers from the Wolves did not help UWG’s cause.
The Wolves look to make it wins in back-to-back seasons against West Florida. UWG’s 30-26 victory in Pensacola last October knocked UWF from No. 1 in the nation, and gave the Wolves a major bullet-point for its NCAA Playoffs resume.
West Alabama at Valdosta State
Another potential elimination game pits a pair of teams selected for the top-half of the conference in the preseason poll, now trying to avoid falling behind at 1-2.
West Alabama picked up its first win in league play last week, rolling past Shorter, 37-14. UWA found its offensive rhythm after scoring just 17 points in each of the previous two games.
The Tigers rushing attack buoyed them in the win with 338 yards and four scores. Bry Webb led the way with 164 yards and a pair of scores, while Antonio Brown and Demetrius Battle each added 84 yards and a score apiece.
The Blazers return home for Week 6 and suddenly find themselves in unfamiliar territory: Not just fighting for the GSC title, but possibly fighting for their playoff lives at 3-2 on the year, including 1-1 in the league. The one conference win was a nail-biter against Shorter.
As has been the case all year, the Blazers struggled to get off the field on defense against Delta State, giving up over 700 yards of offense to Delta State last week and failing to force a punt. Valdosta State ranks No. 137 for scoring defense among all Div. II teams, surrendering an average of 34.6 points per game.
A West Alabama offense ranked just No. 108 in scoring offense at 21.8 points per game, but coming off its most impressive performance of the season, will try to break through against a league opponent it hasn’t beaten since November 2017.
