# 2018 Valdosta State Blazers football team

The 2018 Valdosta State Blazers football team represented Valdosta State University as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 2018 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by third-year head coach Kerwin Bell, who also served as offensive coordinator. The Blazers played their home games at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia. Valdosta State compiled an overall record of 14–0 with a conference mark of 8–0, winning the GSC title. They beat Ferris State in the NCAA Division II Championship Game to win the program's fourth national title.

## Preseason
### Gulf South Conference coaches poll

On August 2, 2018, the Gulf South Conference released their preseason coaches poll with the Blazers predicted to finish in fifth place in the conference.
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | West Alabama | 62 (6) |
| 2 | West Florida | 59 (3) |
| 3 | West Georgia | 44 |
| 4 | Delta State | 41 |
| 5 | Valdosta State | 38 |
| 6 | Florida Tech | 32 |
| 7 | North Greenville | 24 |
| 8 | Mississippi College | 16 |
| 9 | Shorter | 8 |

### Preseason All-Gulf South Conference Team

The Blazers had five players at five positions selected to the preseason all-Gulf South Conference team.

## Schedule

Valdosta State's 2018 regular season football schedule consisted of five home games, four away games, and one neutral site game. The Blazers hosted GSC foes Delta State, North Greenville, Shorter, and West Georgia, and traveled to Florida Tech, Mississippi College, West Alabama, and West Florida. Three games were broadcast on ESPN3, as part of the Gulf South Conference Game of the Week.
The Blazers hosted non-conference foe Albany State from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and competed in the Okefenokee Classic against Fort Valley State, also from the (SIAC).
After an undefeated regular season, the Blazers were the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 7:00 p.m. | Albany State* | | Bazemore–Hyder StadiumValdosta, GA | | W 45–14 | 6,770 |
| September 8 | 7:00 p.m. | vs. Fort Valley State* | | Memorial StadiumWaycross, GA (Okefenokee Classic) | ESPN3 | W 55–6 | 3,107 |
| September 15 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 8 West Alabama | | Tiger StadiumLivingston, AL | | W 58–24 | 3,285 |
| September 22 | 7:00 p.m. | Shorter | No. 16 | Bazemore–Hyder StadiumValdosta, GA | | W 52–0 | 5,130 |
| September 29 | 8:00 p.m. | at Mississippi College | No. 13 | Robinson-Hale StadiumClinton, MS | | W 63–42 | 2,654 |
| October 6 | 1:00 p.m. | Delta State | No. 10 | Bazemore–Hyder StadiumValdosta, GA | | W 59–28 | 2,036 |
| October 13 | 1:00 p.m. | at Florida Tech | No. 8 | Florida Tech Panther StadiumMelbourne, FL | | W 51–21 | 3,679 |
| October 20 | 3:00 p.m. | North Greenville | No. 7 | Bazemore–Hyder StadiumValdosta, GA | | W 44–21 | 5,514 |
| November 3 | 5:00 p.m. | at West Florida | No. 7 | Blue Wahoos StadiumPensacola, FL | ESPN3 | W 48–21 | 5,893 |
| November 10 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 3 West Georgia | No. 5 | Bazemore–Hyder StadiumValdosta, GA (rivalry) | ESPN3 | W 47–31 | 10,558 |
| November 24 | 1:00 pm | No. 25 Bowie State | No. 3 | Bazemore–Hyder StadiumValdosta, GA (NCAA Division II Second Round) | | W 66–16 | 2,467 |
| December 1 | 1:00 pm | No. 17 Lenoir–Rhyne | No. 3 | Bazemore–Hyder StadiumValdosta, GA (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal) | | W 61–21 | 1,999 |
| December 8 | 12:00 pm | No. 11 Notre Dame (OH) | No. 3 | Bazemore–Hyder StadiumValdosta, GA (NCAA Division II Semifinal) | ESPN3 | W 30–24 | 4,672 |
| December 15 | 4:00 p.m. | vs. No. 2 Ferris State | No. 3 | McKinney ISD StadiumMcKinney, TX (NCAA Division II National Championship Game) | ESPNU | W 49–47 | 4,306 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Final |
| AFCA | RV | RV | RV | 16 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 |

## Game summaries
### Albany State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Blazers | 14 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 45 |

### Fort Valley State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Blazers | 21 | 0 | 6 | 28 | 55 |

### At West Alabama

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blazers | 21 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 58 |
| Tigers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |

### Shorter

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blazers | 10 | 0 | 21 | 21 | 52 |

### At Mississippi College

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blazers | 7 | 35 | 14 | 7 | 63 |
| Choctaws | 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 42 |

### Delta State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Statesmen | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Blazers | 14 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 59 |

### At Florida Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blazers | 14 | 10 | 0 | 27 | 51 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |

### North Greenville

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Crusaders | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| Blazers | 13 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 44 |

### At West Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blazers | 14 | 3 | 7 | 24 | 48 |
| Argonauts | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |

### West Georgia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wolves | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
| Blazers | 10 | 24 | 3 | 10 | 47 |

### Bowie State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Blazers | 0 | 21 | 17 | 28 | 66 |

### Lenoir-Rhyne

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Blazers | 10 | 24 | 13 | 14 | 61 |

### Notre Dame (OH)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Blazers | 9 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 30 |

### Ferris State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 10 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 47 |
| Blazers | 7 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 49 |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 7 | 238 | Stephen Denmark | CB | Chicago Bears |