The No. 1-ranked VSU Blazers defeated the Delta State Statesmen 49-20. The win allowed them to clinch an outright Gulf South Conference championship in their next game and moved them to 9-0 on the season for the first time since 2019.  

The Blazers had their way with the Statesman. They didn’t relinquish the lead at any point and tamed the Statesman offense all game. 

The offense continued to dominate, with 169 yards rushing and had just one turnover for the game. Quarterback Sammy Edwards threw for 187 yards, a touchdown and an interception. However, running back Alfonso Franklin was the most significant contributor to the win.  

Franklin, who spent the last two seasons with the Statesman, returned to his old stomping grounds and turned in his best game of the season. He had 107 yards and three touchdowns, which matches his season high. He was dominant all game long and was the spark that kept the Blazers’ offense going throughout the game.  

It was another game full of highlights, none bigger than defense. It tallied three turnovers, two fumbles recovered and one interception as it wreaked havoc all over the field. Safety, Larry Elder, led the charge with 10 tackles. 

The Blazers scored a touchdown on special teams for the first time since November of last year. Joko Wills returned a blocked punt 26 yards for a touchdown and that play shifted the momentum earlier in the first quarter.  

VSU will play next week at home for Senior Day as they take on their biggest test yet in their fellow GSC rival, the West Florida Argonauts on Nov.16. If they are victorious, they will clinch an outright GSC championship for the 11th time in school history, which would see the Blazers finish the regular season unbeaten for only the second time in school history.  

Meanwhile, Delta State dropped to 5-4 on the season. DSU will play its final game against a fellow GSC rival, the Mississippi College Choctaws.  

Written by Christopher Mercer, Sports Editor. Photo by Christopher Mercer.