LIVINGSTON, Ala. – No. 9/10 West Alabama played a solid first quarter but saw No. 5/4 Valdosta State takeover in the second as the Blazers beat the Tigers 42-17 on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.
Demetrius Battle rushed 17 times for 99 yards, and quarterback Jack McDaniels carried four times for 41 yards, as UWA rushed for 174 yards in the game. McDaniels hit 14 of 37 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. His main target was Tyriq Martin, who had seven receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, Josh Hatcher led West Alabama with eight tackles. Shamar Lewis had six, and Chris Terrell and Jeremiah Boyd had five each. Terrell also had one tackle for a loss of three yards, and Boyd had an interception with a 15-yard return.
Valdosta won the toss and deferred to the second half. West Alabama took full advantage of the opening drive and made it to the endzone in 3:15 seconds with nine plays for 75 yards. Tigers started on the ground with quarterback Jack McDaniels rushing for 39 yards on a first and 10. The campaign finished in the air as McDaniels connected with wide receiver Tyriq Martin for six yards and a touchdown. Gabriel Dunkle scored the point after, and the Tigers were 7-0 over the Blazers with 11:45 remaining to play in the period.
After a Valdosta point, UWA opened the next campaign with a 27-yard carry by Demetrius Battle. On the very next play, McDaniels found Martin again, this time for 39 yards and another touchdown. The extra point was good, and the Tigers extended its lead to 14-0 over Valdosta with 8:14 left in the quarter.
Finding themselves down by 14, the Blazers focused on the next drive to make it into the endzone. VSU quarterback Ivory Durham found Brian Saunds for 21 yards on a third and six to keep them in possession. To score, Durham connected with Lio'undre Gallimore for 46 yards. Estin Thiele grabbed the point after to cut UWA's lead to 14-7 with 5:48 left in the quarter.
The Tigers ended their last drive with a punt, and Valdosta took possession at its 35-yard line. Durham kept the ball in the air, finding Sauds for 31 yards on a second down and again for an additional 16. Jamar Thompkins jetted the last 18 yards for the touchdown to reach the endzone, and the PAT was good to tie the game at 14 with 3:15 remaining in the first.
Scoring slowed, and the ball changed possessions three times going into the second quarter. Valdosta took control on its 40-yard line and took 2:48 to complete seven plays for 60 yards. Punctuating the campaign, Durham found Gallimore for 21 yards, and Thiele added the point after. The Blazers took their first lead of the competition, 21-14, with 11:40 left in the half.
Closing the gap, the Tigers went on another drive to score. Unable to reach the endzone, Dunkle grabbed three points for UWA on a 25-yard field goal. The Tigers cut Valdosta's lead to 21-17, with 6:56 remaining in the second quarter.
Two punts return possession to Valdosta. A 59-yard pass from Durham to Saunds gives the Blazers their fourth down of the game and a 28-17 advantage over West Alabama with 1:44 left before halftime.
With less than two minutes left in the half, UWA worked fast to return to the endzone before retiring to the locker rooms. McDaniels completed a 23-yard pass to Bayley Blanchard after a Valdosta penalty and found him again for 17 yards. The Tigers could not score a touchdown despite the effort, and Dunkle missed the 36-yard field goal attempt.
Coming back from the halftime break, Valdosta started its first drive on their 19-yard line. After a few miscues, the Blazers scored another touchdown, covering 81 yards in 11 plays and 5:03. Seth McGill ran the ball into the endzone for VSU, and the PAT was good. Valdosta improved to 35-17 with 9:52 left in the third quarter.
After the punt, the Tigers took possession at their 25-yard line. Battle carried the ball on the first and second downs to pick up 15 yards and added an extra three on a second and 10 to put the Tigers on their 40. A rare interception off the hand of Jack McDaniels resulted in a pick-six for Valdosta. The Blazers hit the extra point and extended their lead to 42-17 with 7:57 left to play in the period.
West Alabama continued to fight against Valdosta and made some big plays in the final minutes of the third quarter and in the fourth. One such play was an interception by Jeremiah Boyd for a 15-yard return to get the Tigers in the red zone.
Despite the effort, UWA could not bounce back, and the Tigers fell 42-17 for their first loss of the season.
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