By: Lloy Hudson

Sports Editor

After three straight losses and a much-needed bye week, VSU rediscovered its rhythm Saturday afternoon, defeating North Greenville 35-24 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in front of a live homecoming crowd.

Head coach Graham Craig said the win was exactly the response he wanted to see from his team.

“It felt great,” Craig said. “I was really proud of the way we came out and played today. We didn’t take advantage of every opportunity in the first half, but we played a really good second half. Overall, it was a great performance that we can build on moving forward.”

The Blazers’ offense found its spark early, putting together explosive drives led by quarterback Jameson Holcomb and a balanced running attack. Holcomb, who has recently acquired the quarterback position, said the team came in with a clear mindset.

“The motto for the week was ‘expect to win,’” Holcomb said. “We came out fast, something we hadn’t done in a while, and we kept drives alive. The offensive line and running backs played great, we’re nothing without those guys up front.”

VSU’s offense scored on multiple long plays, including a 32-yard touchdown by running back Corey Reddick Jr, who made his return to the field after missing one game.

One of the game’s turning points came on special teams, when freshman Shawn Paschall returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.

“When I broke through, I saw the kicker and said, ‘Yeah, he’s not catching me,’” Paschall said with a laugh. “When I got to the sideline, everybody was hyped. It was crazy the crowd, my teammates, it felt amazing to do that in front of the home fans.”

Defensively, the Blazers turned in one of their best efforts of the season, recording seven sacks and forcing three turnovers against a North Greenville offense.

“I was extremely proud of our defense,” Craig said. “We were down a few guys, but the new guys stepped up and played great. Forcing turnovers was huge for us today.”

Senior defensive lineman Mark Robinson said the unit’s success came down to trust and execution.

“We just got back to being Blazers, trusting each other and the process,” Robinson said. “When you win the turnover margin, you usually win the game, and that’s exactly what happened today.”

The win marks VSU’s first home victory of the season and a strong start to the second half of the schedule as the Blazers head into Gulf South Conference play.

Craig said his team’s challenge now is maintaining consistency and building on the momentum from Saturday’s win.

“We’ve got to take it week by week,” he said. “Our goal was to be 1-0 this week, and now we’ve got to get ready for another really good football team coming in. There’s still things to clean up, especially red zone execution, but I’m proud of where we’re headed.”

The Blazers (now 3-4 overall) will look to continue their streak next Saturday when they host West Alabama at 1 p.m. at home in Titletown.